Sidney Kimmel Medical College is proud to celebrate second-year medical student Claude Regis and fourth-year medical student Maria Johnson, both publicly recognized at this year’s Mercy-Douglass Lectureship & McGruder-Knox Awards Ceremony. The distinguished annual event, hosted by the Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania in partnership with the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center’s Center to Eliminate Cancer Disparities at Jefferson, brings together physicians, students, and community leaders to honor excellence in medicine and advance a legacy of equity and inclusion in healthcare.
Claude Regis, MS2 | McGruder-Knox Scholarship Recipient
Claude Regis received the McGruder-Knox Scholarship in recognition of his outstanding academic performance and commitment to community service — achievements that, for Regis, are inseparable from one another. He is perhaps most proud of his role as president of Jefferson’s chapter of Black Men in White Coats, an organization whose members come together to mentor aspiring physicians, build professional networks, and organize pipeline initiatives for young people from the inner city of Philadelphia. Through Black Men in White Coats and a complementary program called JeffJoints, Regis and his colleagues actively engage middle and high school students and local communities in conversations about healthcare access and health education — creating space for young people to see themselves in the medical profession and understand what it takes to get there.
“These programs not only serve the community but also give medical students meaningful opportunities to lead and inspire the next generation,” Regis shares. He hopes that more members of the Jefferson community will become aware of the meaningful outreach happening through both organizations, and consider getting involved.
It comes as no surprise that the Jefferson value that resonates most deeply with Regis is Put People First. Everything he does — from his leadership in student organizations to his advocacy work in Philadelphia communities — is grounded in mentorship, inclusion, and creating spaces where others feel seen and supported. His priority, in his own words, is “uplifting others and ensuring our institution reflects and serves the communities around us.”
Maria Johnson, MS4 | 2026 President’s Award Recipient
Maria Johnson was honored with the 2026 President’s Award for her exceptional leadership and sustained commitment to community engagement throughout her time at SKMC.
A student whose medical education has always extended well beyond the classroom, Johnson has devoted herself to making the path to medicine more navigable for those who come after her. Her greatest source of pride is her ongoing mentorship of premedical students in the Philadelphia area. “It is a long and complex process to get into medical school,” she reflects,” and I enjoy being a resource for students — whether academically or personally.” For Johnson, being that steady, knowledgeable presence for aspiring physicians is not just a volunteer activity; it is a vocation. She also hopes that more Jefferson students will explore opportunities for community engagement with organizations outside of the institution itself. She points to MANNA and the Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania as examples of local organizations where students can make a real impact, and she has lived that commitment firsthand through her volunteer work with JeffHOPE clinics, which provide care for Philadelphia’s unhoused population.
Like Regis, the Jefferson value that comes most naturally to Johnson is Put People First. Across every extracurricular pursuit — mentorship, volunteering, advocacy — her driving motivation has been using the skills, knowledge, and wisdom she has gained to help those who need it most.
The Mercy-Douglass Lectureship & McGruder-Knox Awards Ceremony’s featured lecture, focused on alopecia, was delivered by Susan C. Taylor, MD, Bernett Johnson Endowed Professor of Dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and current president of the American Academy of Dermatology (2025–2026). The founder of the Skin of Color Society and director of the Pre-Residency Fellowship in the Skin of Color Program, Taylor brought both clinical depth and a powerful commitment to health equity to her grand-rounds-style presentation — making her a fitting headliner for an event defined by those same values.
The Mercy-Douglass Lectureship was founded by the late Edith Mitchell, MD, a pioneering oncologist and beloved SKMC faculty member who dedicated her career to diversity in medicine. Established as a partnership between the Medical Society of Eastern Pennsylvania and the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Jefferson, the series honors the legacy of Mercy-Douglass Hospital and its historic contributions to Black healthcare in Philadelphia. Mitchell’s mission was twofold: to bring distinguished Black physicians to the podium for substantive, peer-level dialogue and to recognize the medical students who carry her values of academic excellence, leadership, and service into the future. In Claude Regis and Maria Johnson, that legacy is in excellent hands.
