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ELEV8 Program

ELEV8 is a year-long, cohort-based professional development program designed to support early-career College of Medicine faculty during the critical transition into academic medicine. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory, ELEV8 fosters autonomy, competence, and relatedness by equipping participants with the knowledge, skills, relationships, and institutional support needed to thrive as educators, clinicians, researchers, and scholars.

The ELEV8 Leadership Team, in partnership with PRIME (Pathway Resources & Impactful Mentoring and Engagement) and Faculty Affairs, is here to make sure you are Primed for Success!

Apply to ELEV8

The 8 Core Elements of ELEV8

ELEV8 - A year-long professional development program for early career (years 1 to 3) College of Medicine faculty with 8 Core Elements:

  • Mentorship
  • Networking
  • Career Planning
  • Professional Development
  • Scholarship
  • Health Equity
  • Community Engagement
  • Leveraging Resources

Mission

The mission of ELEV8 is to cultivate autonomy, competence, and relatedness among early-career College of Medicine faculty by providing intentional mentorship, professional development, career planning, and peer support opportunities that promote academic success, faculty retention, and a commitment to addressing health disparities and serving medically underserved communities.

About the Program

  • Develop a 5-year professional development plan.
  • Build mentoring relationships.
  • Expand professional networks.
  • Strengthen leadership and academic skills.
  • Increase scholarly productivity.
  • Advance health equity and community engagement.
  • Increase professional visibility.

  • One-year cohort
  • Up to 30 participants
  • Six development sessions
  • Mentors and peer networking
  • Welcome and closing receptions
  • CME credit offered

  • Pre-Program Assessment
  • Post-Program Impact Assessment
  • Session Evaluations after every session

  • Early-career COM faculty (years 1 to 3)
  • Department chair support
  • Protected time to participate

  • Online application
  • Professional goals
  • Commitment to community engagement and/or addressing health disparities in your career
  • Contribution statement
  • Current CV
  • Applicant certification
  • Department chair certification

  • Encourage faculty to apply
  • Provide protected time
  • Support engagement
  • Partner to cultivate future leaders

Program Schedule

Event Session Topic Date Time / Location
Welcome Reception Program Welcome October 6, 2026 4:30 to 6:00 p.m.
(In Person / On Campus)
Session 1 Introduction & Communications October 22, 2026 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
(In Person / Off Campus)
Session 2 Early Career Planning December 8, 2026 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. (Virtual)
Session 3 Mentorship February 18, 2027 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
(In Person / Off Campus)
Session 4 Research & Quality Improvement Resources April 29, 2027 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. (Virtual)
Session 5 Health Disparities & Community Engagement June 15, 2027 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
(In Person / On Campus)
Session 6 Professional Development August 26, 2027 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. (Virtual)
Closing Reception Closing for Cohort 1 & Welcome for Cohort 2 October 7, 2027 4:30 p.m.
(In Person / On Campus)

ELEV8 Frequently Asked Questions

ELEV8 is designed for early-career faculty in the MUSC College of Medicine who are in Years 1–3 of their faculty appointment. Applicants must have the support of their department chair and protected time to participate in program activities.

No. ELEV8 is a comprehensive professional development program for early-career College of Medicine faculty across clinical care, education, research, and scholarship. While understanding health disparities, health equity, and the needs of medically underserved communities is an important component of the program, participants do not need to have an established health equity or community engagement project to apply.

Applicants should, however, be able to describe their interest in or commitment to community engagement and/or addressing health disparities as part of their career development.

ELEV8 is a one-year program that includes a Welcome Reception, six 90-minute professional development sessions, and a Closing Reception. Sessions are offered through a combination of in-person and virtual formats. Participants are expected to actively engage in the program and attend scheduled sessions.

Yes. Department chair support is required. Department chairs are asked to support participants' engagement in ELEV8 and provide protected time for participation in program activities.

ELEV8 is designed to help participants develop a personalized five-year career development plan, build meaningful mentoring relationships, expand professional networks, strengthen academic and professional skills, increase knowledge of available resources, and develop a roadmap for long-term success. Participants will also have opportunities to strengthen their understanding of health disparities and community engagement and explore how these areas may intersect with their professional goals.

Mentorship is one of ELEV8's eight core elements. The program is designed to help participants identify and build meaningful mentoring relationships while developing a broader network of mentors, peers, and colleagues who can support different aspects of their professional and scholarly development.

Yes. ELEV8 is designed to support early-career faculty across the various missions of academic medicine. Participants may primarily identify as clinicians, educators, researchers, or scholars, or have roles that span several of these areas.

No. Applicants are not required to have an established research or scholarly project. ELEV8 provides exposure to research and quality improvement resources, scholarship opportunities, professional development, and other institutional resources that can support participants at different stages of their academic careers.

No. Previous experience working with medically underserved communities is not required. ELEV8 is designed to help participants increase their understanding of health disparities and medically underserved communities and explore ways these areas may connect with their clinical, educational, research, scholarly, or community-engaged work.

No. ELEV8 uses a combination of in-person and virtual learning experiences. The program schedule identifies the format and location for each session.

Yes. CME credit is offered for eligible ELEV8 program activities.

The inaugural ELEV8 cohort will include up to 30 early-career College of Medicine faculty members.

Applicants will complete an online application that includes professional goals, a statement describing their commitment to community engagement and/or addressing health disparities in their career, a contribution statement, a current CV, applicant certification, and department chair certification.

Applications will first undergo an initial screening by the PRIME team to confirm eligibility and completeness. Eligible applications will then be reviewed using a standardized scoring rubric as part of the ELEV8 selection process.

Participants who successfully complete program requirements will receive ELEV8 Scholar Recognition at the conclusion of the program.

Contact

For additional information or questions please email: ELEV8@musc.edu

Meet the ELEV8 Leadership Team

Symenthia Gillyard - Coordinator of Programs and Engagement for PRIME (Pathway Resources & Impactful Mentoring and Engagement) Division

Mileka Gilbert, M.D., Ph.D.

Senior Associate Dean for Engagement, College of Medicine Professor, Pediatric Rheumatology
mail gilbertm@musc.edu call 843-792-5696 View Faculty Profile open_in_new View Provider Profile open_in_new

Natalie Johnson, DHA

Associate Dean, Engagement - College of Medicine
mail johnsong@musc.edu call 843-876-5070

Cassandra Salgado, M.D., MS

Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs, Development & Wellness, College of Medicine Vice Chair for Wellness, Department of Medicine Director & Professor, Infectious Diseases Endowed Chair, J. Michael Kilby, M.D., in Infectious Diseases
mail salgado@musc.edu View Faculty Profile open_in_new View Provider Profile open_in_new View Research Profile open_in_new

Cassandra Salgado, M.D., MS, is a professor of medicine and public health and serves as director of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the College of Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC). A nationally recognized leader in hospital epidemiology and infection prevention, she has been instrumental in advancing patient safety and infectious disease control at both institutional and national levels.

Since joining MUSC in 2004, Dr. Salgado has served as the institution’s hospital epidemiologist and medical director of infection prevention, playing a critical leadership role during major public health challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, she was appointed the inaugural vice chair for Wellness in the Department of Medicine, where she leads strategic initiatives to promote the well-being of faculty, staff, and trainees. She also serves as senior associate dean for Faculty Affairs, Development, and Wellness in the College of Medicine, focusing on retention, engagement, and career advancement. In addition, Dr. Salgado holds the J. Michael Kilby, M.D. Endowed Chair in Infectious Diseases.

A committed mentor, she has guided the development of early-career faculty, medical students, residents, and fellows through extensive service on mentoring committees and one-on-one advising.

Her numerous awards include the 2019 Department of Medicine Education Mentoring Award and the 2023 MUSC ARROW Advancement of Women Faculty Award.

Dr. Salgado’s scholarly work includes significant national contributions to infection prevention and control. She also serves as principal investigator for the Trident HIV/AIDS Care Coalition, supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC). Under her leadership, the clinic now serves over 1,200 patients annually and continues to expand.

Dr. Salgado earned her Bachelor of Arts in Chemistry and her medical degree from West Virginia University. She completed a combined residency in internal medicine and pediatrics and served as chief resident in internal medicine at West Virginia University Hospital. During her fellowship in infectious diseases, she also earned a Master of Science in Health Evaluation Sciences and Epidemiology from the University of Virginia.