Medical School Interview Coaching & One-on-One Preparation

Prior to residency, Dr. McKenzie graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology. While at Stanford, Dr. McKenzie was elected Class President, participated in several clinical trials, and counseled pre-med students as a Student Advisor. 

After graduating from Stanford University, Dr. McKenzie took a gap year and worked as a Research Associate at 23andMe. During his gap year, Dr. McKenzie developed studies that empowered patients to better understand the impact of genetics on their disease. 

Following his gap year, Dr. McKenzie enrolled at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. While in medical school, he actively participated in the Office of Admissions. He served as a Senior Student Interviewer, Ambassador for the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, and member of the Queers & Allies Association. He has published numerous peer-reviewed articles on topics including health disparities, sun protection, and atopic dermatitis. Dr. McKenzie graduated at the top of his class and was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honors Society and Alpha Omega Alpha Honors Society. 

Dr. McKenzie has years of experience assisting students as they seek scholarship opportunities and pursue careers in medicine. He is an enthusiastic member of the Inspira Team and looks forward to working with future mentees.

Dr. Somasundaram has a Bachelor's degree in Biomedical Engineering from UNC Chapel Hill.  After completing his undergraduate degree, he pursued a post-baccalaureate program in Graduate Health Sciences at Virginia Commonwealth University. After completing this 1-year graduate program, he remained at VCU to serve as program administrator advising students on optimal study habits as well as assisting them with editing their personal statements, activity descriptions, and interview prep before pursuing his MD at the Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine. 

During his undergraduate years, he was an active volunteer with multiple organizations and served as a teaching assistant for many courses in his program. He also participated in research within the field, including a research internship at the National Institute of Health. 

With extensive experience coaching students through the medical school application process, he is incredibly passionate about helping students make the most of their applications and achieve their goals.

Ruchi is an MD/PhD candidate at the Yale School of Medicine. Ruchi is originally from Houston and graduated from Rice University with a degree in Chemistry with Distinction in Research and Creative Works. During her time at Rice, Ruchi was awarded several scholarships, research fellowships, and the highest recognition of undergraduate academic achievement by the Chemistry department. She served as the Editor in Chief of the Catalyst Undergraduate Research Journal, the President of Pancakes for Parkinson’s, and founded and led Rice’s chapter of the American Physician Scientists Association. She was actively involved in research at both McGovern Medical School and Rice University, and her work has culminated in multiple publications and poster presentations at national conferences.

Ruchi was accepted into many MD, 5 year MD, and MD/PhD programs, and ultimately was deciding between a full ride scholarship to UT Southwestern, a full ride scholarship to the Cleveland Clinic Lerner School of Medicine, or the Yale MSTP program. She chose Yale because of the flexibility afforded by the Yale System, the renowned immunology department, and the warmth and kindness of the student body and faculty. In medical school, Ruchi has led the Women in Medicine and Cancer Student Interest Groups and has worked for two years with the Yale Health Professions department as a personal statement reviewer and mock interviewer.

Working closely with dozens of students at all stages of the application cycle has given Ruchi significant insight into the medical school admissions process for both MD and MD/PhD applicants. She is passionate about helping students convey their unique stories and personalize their life experiences, and has extensive experience with building a strong school list, essay editing, and preparing for interviews. Ruchi is very excited to join the incredible team at Inspira, and her biggest goal is helping other students get into their dream medical school.

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