Explosion of a Dream 2026: Scholars Summit
Explosion of a Dream
Scholars Summit 2026
Explosion of a Dream Weekend: ElevateMeD Scholars at the 2026 ElevateMeD Scholars Summit. Photography courtesy The Social Photog and Chloe Reyez.
Sixth Annual Scholars Summit – Three Days of Leadership, Connection, and Impact
ElevateMeD hosted the sixth annual Scholars Summit during the Explosion of a Dream weekend on September 18-20, 2026, in Phoenix, Arizona. The three-day experience brought together our 2026–27 ElevateMeD Nexus Scholars, Connect Scholars, Legacy Scholars, mentors, Board members, partners, and facilitators for programming focused on leadership, communication, advocacy, financial readiness, wellness, community engagement, and the transition from medical school to residency.
Throughout the weekend, Scholars strengthened their professional skills, learned from leaders across healthcare and business, built meaningful relationships within the ElevateMeD network, and had opportunities to pour into the next generation through ElevateDReams.
This year's Scholars Summit was made possible by LocumTenens.com, The Burton Family Foundation, and Truist.
Day 1 | Blazing Your Path
Influential Interactions (Improv)
Joe Hammer of The Outcasters Improv Training Center opened the Summit with Influential Interactions, an interactive workshop designed to strengthen confidence, communication, active listening, adaptability, and the ability to think on your feet. Through improv-based exercises, Scholars explored skills that can strengthen both leadership presence and communication throughout their careers in medicine.
Welcome Reception & Pinning
ElevateMeD Founders Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey and Dr. Greg Umphrey welcomed Scholars to Phoenix alongside the ElevateMeD team and Summit facilitator Joanna Deshay. Executive Director Jeffrey Armstrong recognized the staff, Board members, mentors, and Legacy Scholars who continue to support the ElevateMeD community.
Before the annual Scholar Pinning Ceremony, 2026 Trailblazer Award recipient Pedro Cons, CEO of Adelante Healthcare, joined Scholars for Trailblazing Your Path with Purpose, sharing lessons from his leadership journey and the role personal experiences can play in shaping professional purpose.
The evening culminated in the ElevateMeD Scholar Pinning Ceremony, led by Scholarship Committee Chair Dr. Tiffany Hardaway with support from program leadership, formally recognizing the 2026–27 Nexus and Connect Scholar cohorts and welcoming them into the ElevateMeD community.
Day 2 | Ignite Your Power
Breakfast & Headshots
Day 2 of the ElevateMeD Scholars Summit traditionally begins with breakfast, peer networking and headshots. Scholars spent the morning engaging with each other, mentors and board members after taking new professional headshots that can be used for residency and fellowship applications.
Advocacy in action
Dr. Jane Lyons, President of the Maricopa County Medical Society, led Scholars in a conversation about organized medicine, physician advocacy, and the opportunities physicians have to help shape the profession and advocate for their patients. Drawing on her experience in county and state medical societies, Dr. Lyons encouraged Scholars to consider how their voices and leadership can extend beyond the clinical setting.
Financial Wellness
Financial Wellness with BOK Financial: BOK Financial representatives David Hyde and Paul Wifler provided Scholars with practical financial guidance designed for the transition from medical school into residency and beyond. Drawing on decades of experience in banking, mortgage lending, and financial services, the session helped Scholars consider how financial decisions made early in their careers can support their longer-term personal and professional goals.
ElevateDreams & Lunch
As part of the Scholars Summit, ElevateMeD Scholars stepped beyond the classroom and into community through ElevateDReams, an experience designed to expose young people to new possibilities while creating meaningful connections with future physicians.
In partnership with HELP Now AZ, Truist, and The CARE Organization, Scholars welcomed local children, teenagers, and families for lunch, conversation, financial education, and hands-on activities centered on health, wellness, leadership, and possibility.
High school students participated in Truist’s Life, Money & Choices financial simulation, working alongside ElevateMeD Scholars to navigate real-world financial decisions. Younger students rotated through interactive experiences focused on Mind & Mood, Healthy Habits, Movement, and Be the Doc + Surgical Skills, giving children opportunities to explore health and medicine through hands-on learning.
Next Steps Resident panel
ElevateMeD Legacy Scholar Dr. Abigail Solorio moderated a candid conversation with fellow alumni Dr. Evans Osuji, Dr. Elizette Rodriguez, Dr. Marin Cabrera, and Dr. Jaylyn Thompson who have already navigated the transition Scholars are preparing to make. The residency panel gave Scholars an opportunity to discuss program fit, interviews, wellness, relocation, expectations, and the practical realities of moving from medical school into residency.
Rather than presenting a traditional lecture, the session created space for Scholars to learn directly from physicians who have recently stood where they stand today.
Explosion of A Dream
Saturday evening, Scholars joined supporters, partners, alumni, and community leaders for Explosion of a Dream: A Sneaker Ball for the Future of Medicine, ElevateMeD’s signature annual fundraising event.
Throughout the evening, current and Legacy Scholars played an important role in bringing the impact of ElevateMeD to life, while guests celebrated seven years of elevating medicine and invested in what comes next.
Day 3 | Rooted & Resilient
The Human side of medicine
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Ebony Joy Winston, PhD opened the final day of the Summit with a conversation focused on the human side of navigating demanding careers and major life transitions. Drawing on more than two decades of experience working with individuals, couples, and families, Dr. Winston explored the importance of healthy coping strategies, self-awareness, relationships, and personal well-being as Scholars prepare for the next stage of their medical careers.
Shaping the future of care
Veronica Sandoval, Ph.D., J.D. of Genentech joined Scholars for Shaping the Future of Care: Cultivating Next-Generation Talent to Transform Community Care. Drawing on her experience spanning medicine, policy, inclusive research, and the life sciences, Sandoval shared perspective on the evolving healthcare landscape and the importance of developing the next generation of leaders who will help shape how communities are served.
Her conversation encouraged Scholars to think beyond individual career milestones and consider the broader impact they can have as physicians, leaders, collaborators, and advocates throughout healthcare.
Surviving to Thriving Financially
Jessica Wilson and Kevin Koch of Northwestern Mutual closed the professional development programming with Go From Surviving to Thriving Financially: Navigating the Transition from Medical School to PGY-1.
The session focused on helping Scholars prepare for the financial realities accompanying the transition into residency. Wilson brought a unique perspective as a former Doctor of Physical Therapy who transitioned into financial services, while Koch drew on his background in education and financial planning to help Scholars think intentionally about the financial decisions ahead.
Together, they helped Scholars approach the move from student to resident not simply as a professional transition, but as an important financial transition as well.
Closing: Carrying the Experience Forward
Dr. Alyx Porter Umphrey closed the sixth annual Scholars Summit by challenging Scholars to carry the relationships, lessons, and momentum of the weekend forward. Scholars were reminded that the Summit is one moment within a year-long experience and that their engagement continues through mentorship, residency preparation, leadership development, and ongoing ElevateMeD programming.
The weekend may have ended in Phoenix, but the connections and work continue throughout the year.
Through the ElevateMeD Scholars Program our Scholars Experience:
The annual Explosion of a Dream Scholars Summit (all expenses paid experience)
1:1 mentorship based on their area of interest
Development of a leadership plan developed by our ElevateMeD Executive Coach based on their individual Birkman Assessment results
Monthly programming focused on networking, personal and financial healthcare literacy, and varied elements of leadership
An unparalleled network of like minded individuals who are committed to becoming the changemakers in healthcare
Tuition based scholarships to help reduce medical school indebtedness
AIRFARE, LODGING AND PROGRAMMING PROVIDED TO ELEVATEMED SCHOLARS THANKS TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS
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