10/05/2026
A Mentor’s Proudest Moment
One of the greatest rewards in teaching and mentorship is witnessing your students grow into leaders who not only continue the work you started, but elevate it beyond what you once imagined possible. True mentorship is never about creating followers it is about inspiring teams, building institutions, and nurturing future generations who will do even better.
Last week, I had the privilege of visiting the Dermatovenereology Department at Haramaya University, where one of my former students, Dr. Yared, now serves as a colleague and faculty member. In 2022, he graduated as a dermatovenereologist and joined the university. In just a few short years, together with an incredibly committed team, they established a postgraduate Dermatovenereology residency program, and this month, the first batch of residents will graduate.
When I arrived, I expected to see a program similar to the institutions where I trained and worked Addis Ababa University or the department we helped establish at Bahir Dar University. Instead, I encountered something truly inspiring.
What impressed me most was not simply the infrastructure or equipment, but the spirit of collaboration and shared purpose within the department. The relationship between residents and senior staff was built on openness, mutual respect, mentorship, friendship, and genuine support. It was clear that this was not the achievement of one individual, but the result of a collective vision and teamwork.
The department itself was exceptionally organized and well equipped. There was a modern meeting room with online streaming capability, dedicated offices for the department head and chief resident, a dark room, side laboratory, a minor operating room, and a beautifully designed clinic with excellent lighting and networked computers.
They also had advanced dermatologic equipment, including a dermoscope, phototherapy unit, laser machine, cryotherapy setup, and electrocautery services resources that many older programs in resource-limited settings still struggle to establish.
In many of our institutions, we often justify limited infrastructure by saying, “High patient volume equals good education.” While clinical exposure is certainly valuable, we must also recognize that quality education requires proper learning environments, patient safety, structured mentorship, and access to adequate facilities and technology.
As I walked through the department, I felt both humbled and proud. Despite years in academic leadership positions, including serving as dean of a medical college, I was never able to fully establish many of the facilities I witnessed there. Our own outpatient clinic once began with only a table and a chair, and progress often came slowly.
Yet seeing this department thrive gave me immense hope.
What I witnessed at Haramaya University was the power of teamwork, vision, and committed leadership working together toward a common goal. I saw young professionals building upon earlier initiatives we pioneered at Bahir Dar University including community outreach programs and resident attachments to primary hospitals while also creating entirely new standards for training and patient care.
This achievement belongs to the entire department.
Yared, Genremedhin, Beza, Alene, Fentahun, and all members of the team I am deeply proud of what you have built together. Your work demonstrates what is possible when collaboration, dedication, and shared vision come together in service of education and patient care.
Seeing your collective achievements is one of the greatest rewards a teacher and mentor can experience. Continue inspiring, continue innovating, and continue building the future that many of us once only dreamed of. 🙏
Wendemagegn Enbiale (MD,MPH,PhD)
Telegram: t.me/HakimEthio
