Impact in Education: Jasmine Marcelin, MD

Jasmine Marcelin, MD, is the recipient of the Inspirational Mentor of Educators Award. The award recognizes an individual who has mentored junior faculty or trainees in developing as health professions educators.

• Name: Jasmine Marcelin, MD
• Title: Associate professor, UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases; associate program director, UNMC Internal Medicine Residency; co-director of digital innovation and social media strategy, UNMC Division of Infectious Diseases; associate medical director, Antimicrobial Stewardship Program
• Joined UNMC: September 2017
• Hometown: Loubiere, Commonwealth of Dominica

Tell us how mentors inspired you.

There are several mentors who have come into my life at pivotal times and helped me to achieve my goals and dream bigger dreams. These include people who are more senior than me and folks who fill peer mentor roles, whose constant support, counsel and career-building wisdom have been invaluable to me. This award is dedicated to all of them. The most impactful mentoring relationships have allowed me room to constantly evaluate and refine who I am at my core. Rather than try to mold me into becoming mini versions of themselves, they have challenged me to reach outside of my comfort zone, exploring new ways to build on my interests and successes. When you hear other people talk about my mentors, the word that comes to mind is legacy – and you know that no matter where life takes them, what is most inspiring is the fact that the impact that they have had on their mentees far outshines any other accomplishments.

Describe your proudest moment as an educator.

My proudest moment as an educator is always when my mentees succeed, not only at their goals or tasks, but at developing and pursuing their own missions. I constantly look for opportunities to support them through nominations, projects, clinical teaching, scholarships and advancement. Whether it is celebrating a mentee who won an award or published a paper from a project they worked hard on, or sharing a Glimpse of Greatness in our announcements because a resident went the extra mile during patient care, or writing a letter of recommendation for their residency, fellowship or faculty applications, I relish the opportunity to brag on them. Every day, I am grateful and feel tremendously honored that they would allow me to walk on this journey with them.

What advice would you give other faculty members who want to have an impact in education?

Each year, I have promised I would “stretch” myself professionally, and while each stretch looked and felt different, I learned a lot about myself along the way. Don’t be afraid to challenge yourself with a goal that may be a bit bigger than you think you can handle. While doing so, surround yourself with a personal board of directors with mentors who can help you see possibilities beyond your current circumstances. Also, it is so important to nurture relationships with those in your life who support you at home – I’m blessed to have the most supportive husband, Alberto Marcelin, MD, who always reminds me of what’s most important and never doubts my abilities, even when I doubt myself. Also, don’t be afraid to take a chance on yourself and invite your leadership to take a chance on supporting you to do something different or something bigger – having supportive department/division leadership is so important to help achieve those next steps, and I’m personally grateful to have in my career development.  

Do you have a favorite quote or philosophy on teaching?

My personal mission statement is, “To create and support a health care and graduate medical education environment that strives for excellence, and values inclusion, diversity, access and equity as not only important, but necessary, for excellence (success).” This mission statement fully encapsulates my teaching philosophy and my approach to everything else in my career.