Physician leadership is the future of healthcare. The Excellence in Clinical Endocrinology Leadership (ExCEL) program offers comprehensive leadership training and mentorship to early career physicians in medicine and science.
Whether you are just beginning as an endocrine fellow or navigating the next steps in your career beyond fellowship, the ExCEL program will help you build leadership skills, explore opportunities for advancement, and expand your network of peers and colleagues.
(The application for the 2026 ExCEL program opens Monday, September 8, 2025)
The EXCEL Workshop is the foundation of the program. This two-day workshop is designed for early career clinicians. It offers practical leadership training with sessions such as financial management, contract negotiation, and effective communication. The workshop prepares physicians to navigate the transition into clinical practice and build the skills needed to grow as leaders in endocrinology.
EXCEL awardees receive a travel stipend and complimentary registration to attend ENDO, the Endocrine Society’s Annual Meeting and Expo. This ensures participants can continue their professional development, present their work, and expand their professional networks.
EXCEL participants have the opportunity to apply for a one-year internship appointment on an Endocrine Society governance committee. Interns gain firsthand leadership experience and help shape the Society’s programs.
The ExCEL community includes faculty leaders, alumni, and peers who are invested in supporting each other’s success. Through this network, participants gain access to accomplished clinicians who provide career advice, feedback, and connections that continue long after the workshop ends.
The EXCEL program encourages individuals in training and early in their career to apply. Consistent with applicable law, an individual candidate’s race, ethnicity, or sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, or transgender status) may not be considered a factor for purposes of program eligibility or in selecting participants or faculty members.
Applicants must meet the following requirements:
Please note: Preference is given to U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents. Visa holders studying in the U.S. may also apply.
We are now accepting applications for the 2026 EXCEL Program.
Learn more about the ExCEL Program, contact us at [email protected].
| Recipient | Institution |
|---|---|
| Jadailine Bermúdez-Santos, MD | University of Puerto Rico Medical Sciences Campus |
| Chineze Ebo, MD | Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center |
| Raihan El-Naas, MD | New York-Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medicine Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Hospital for Special Surgery |
| Natalia Fretes Oviedo, MD | Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Matthew Gonzalez, MD | Vanderbilt University Medical Center |
| Faidat Adeola Ishola | Stanford University |
| Raul Lopez Fañas, MD | Montefiore Medical Center-Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism |
| Maria Alejandra Luna Cuadros, MD | Boston University, Boston Medical Center |
| Hery Alexander Mejia, MD | Jackson Memorial Hospital/University of Miami |
| Kauthrah Ntabadde | National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases(NIDDK) |
| Marcelo Ramirez, MD | University of Chicago |
| Lorena Rasquin Leon, MD | Montefiore Medical Center |
| Julienne Sánchez Pérez, MD | University of Illinois at Chicago |
| Horacio Javier Velasquez, MD | Baylor College of Medicine - Texas Children's Hospital |
|
Recipient |
Institution |
|
Renato Savian, MD |
University Of Miami |
|
Khulood Bukhari, MBBS |
National Institute on Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases |
|
Maria Sanchez Valenzuela, MD |
University Of Virginia |
|
David Toro Tobon |
Mayo Clinic |
|
Monica Fabiola Nogueira Cordeiro, MD |
Montefiore Hospital & Medical Center |
|
Azucena Herrera Chancay, MD |
UT Southwestern Medical Center |
|
Gabriel Castano, MD |
Texas Children's Hospital |
|
Dieula John, MD, MBA |
UCF/HCA Florida Healthcare Endocrinology Fellowship Program Greater Orlando |
|
Esther Bell, MD |
Nationwide Children's Hospital |
| Recipient | Institution |
| Arya May, DO | University of Alabama-Birmingham |
| Nwamaka Gloria Akabogu, MD | University of Missouri-Columbia |
| Ana Menendez, MD | University of Connecticut |
| Anota Akofu, MD | University of Missouri-Columbia |
| Joseph Monye, MD | University of Maryland |
| Carolina Hurtado, MD | University of California, Los Angeles |
| Adriana Rodriguez, MD | UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh |
| Lisette Patricia Rodriguez, MD | University of Virginia |
| Ana Del Carmen Rivadeneira Rodriguez, MD | University of Pennsylvania |
| Recipient | Institution |
| Giselle Blair | DiabesityMD |
| Sidra Fnu | UT Southwestern Medical Center |
| Woderyelesh Kassa | Virginia Health System |
| Sara Khan | Johns Hopkins University Endocrine Fellowship Program |
| Eduardo Lopez Martinez | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill - Serials Dept. |
| Faustina Lozada Orquera | Geisinger Health System |
| Milay Luis Lam | Meritus Medical Center |
| Noura Nachawi | Cleveland Clinic Foundation |
| Nejat Naser | George Washington University Hospital |
