Empowering Physicians Event Covers How to Dream Big and Succeed

October 1, 2026

This year’s Empowering Physicians event offered a mix of pomp and circumstance, recognition, and an inspiring talk on perseverance and determination.   

The event, held September 25 at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, attracted more than 60 physicians and physicians-in-training.   

Physicians and physicians-in-training gathered at the Minneapolis Institute of Art for the Empowering Physicians event on September 25.

The event kicked off with a networking reception that featured: a poster session; exhibitor displays; and an opportunity for attendees to connect with their peers. Nearly a dozen medical students, residents, and fellows displayed their research and discussed what they've learned with physicians. 

After the reception, guests sat down for dinner, an address from incoming MMA President, Dania Kamp, MD, recognition of MMA award recipients, and a keynote speech by Regina Martinez Lorenzo, MD. 

Dania Kamp, MD, became the MMA's 160th president. (photo by Kara Keel)

orenzo is a 2021 graduate of the University of Minnesota Medical School, and now an emergency medicine physician at Jackson Health System in Miami. She shared how she first learned to cross-country ski while in medical school, and then competed in the 10K freestyle cross-country ski event at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina, Italy, this past February.   

"If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough," she told attendees. "You have all proven that you can succeed, but do you have the courage to fail? That's where transformation happens." 

Her talk also covered the importance of hydration, nutrition, focusing on your mental health, getting quality sleep, and exercising – important reminders for the physicians and physicians-in-training in attendance.