Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University
Undergrad: University of Pennsylvania
I am currently training for a marathon! I love trying new restaurants and foods. In fact, I dedicate every Friday to trying out a new food place in Philly!
Alisha is a medical student at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania where she earned her bachelor's in bioengineering. During her undergrad, she has has helped to develop numerous medical device prototypes and applications such as a novel prosthetic thumb and a low-cost EMR system for oncology clinics in Botswana both of which have received multiple awards. She also worked for a healthcare startup company where she helps to develope affordable telemedicine platforms. Outside of class, she helped lead tennis and dance lessons for member of the community with Autism and volunteered her time to conduct free kidney disease screenings for underserved populations in Philadelphia.
Now as a first year medical student, Alisha is very involved in activities both on and off campus. As a student interviewer and tour guide, she has already become very involved with the admissions process at her school. She is also an instructor for Move4Health which is an organization that provides free group exercise classes for individuals living with a chronic illness. She also organizes fun science lessons for a kindergarten class in a local Philadelphia school! She has continued her passion for innovation and engineering with her research where she is working under a team of clinicians to help devise a vibrating needle for reducing postoperative injection pain and tissue damage. She has been tutoring MCAT students for the past year and is excited to continue to help students navigating the application process at Inspira.
Karthik earned an MS in Stem Cell Biology and a BS in Neuroscience with a minor in Health Care Studies from the University of Southern California. He is presently an MD candidate at the Yale University School of Medicine.
During his undergrad, Karthik worked as a synaptic electrophysiology research assistant, an ambulance EMT, and a vice president for a student-run veteran’s rehabilitation organization. During summers, he would return to his hometown and work as a private tutor for high school and pre-med students. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he was a clinical case investigator to triage outbreaks in the LA Unified School District.
During his Master’s, Karthik explored the prospect of new stem-cell-based methods for use in antifibrotics and next-generation (CAR) cell therapy. While he worked as a lab assistant for kidney organoid research at USC, Karthik started and led his non-profit SROA to tackle stem cell treatment fraud. More recently, Karthik worked at City of Hope as a clinical genetics assistant, supporting genetic counseling and precision medicine for patients facing cancer. As a current medical student, Karthik is interested in clinical trial equity, cancer outcomes, immuno-oncology therapeutics, and the power of venture capital in advancing medicine.
Physician Assistant at Duke University Health System
Undergrad: Wake Forest University
PA School: Campbell University
My mom was a top Chinese ping pong player before coming to the U.S.!
Jasmyn is a practicing physician assistant at the Duke University Health System as well as a dedicated and experienced PA admissions specialist. Jasmyn has a wealth of knowledge about the PA admissions process, PA school, and the PA career, and has successfully helped countless applicants secure a spot in top PA programs.
She grew up in New Jersey, then relocated to North Carolina for her undergraduate education at Wake Forest University, where she majored in Health & Exercise Science with secondary studies in Chinese and dance. She spent two years as a CNA in orthopedics and oncology for healthcare experience. She graduated from Campbell University’s PA program, where she mentored pre-allied-health students and chartered the pre-PA club.
Now, in addition to practicing urgent care medicine, Jasmyn serves on interview/admissions committees for PA school and mentors new-graduate APPs at her workplace. In her free time, she enjoys travel, spoiling her great pyrenees puppy, and bonding with her Big Brothers Big Sisters match.
Jasmyn’s clinical and mentorship experience has given her a unique perspective on the PA profession and the skills and qualities that are most highly valued by admissions committees. It's fulfilling and energizing to help others achieve their dreams of becoming physician assistants, and she looks forward to working with each client on their unique journey.
Doctoral Student at Texas A&M University
Undergrad: Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Veterinary School: Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine
Master's of Science: Sul Ross State University and Auburn University
PhD: Texas A&M University,
I have 2 border collies who are the center of my world. Favorites include live music (especially with my best friends from vet school), hiking, rugby, and collecting antique books.
Becky is currently pursuing a PhD at Texas A&M University, researching mRNA-based therapeutics for equine infectious diseases. She had always wanted to be a veterinarian and graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute with a BS in Biomedical Engineering, focusing on bioelectrics and biosignals. While at WPI, work in Tanzania and at a NICU in Worcester drove her passion to design medical devices for infants, and she went into industry but after a year, was drawn back to veterinary medicine. She left for west Texas and attended Sul Ross State University, initially with the goal of finishing out pre-requisites, but ultimately developing a passion for horses, helping run the equine science program, and earning a MS in equine science. This was only made possible through the help of some fine teachers and mentors along the way.
She found her place at Kansas State Veterinary School. There, she fell in love with equine internal medicine by working in the hospital, with clinical pathology through the passion of a remarkable professor, and practical boots-on-the-ground research with a few hot summers with cattle. After weighing the decision to pursue a PhD in veterinary education and teaching simulators, she elected to follow her love of internal medicine and foals to a private practice internship, followed by internal medicine residency at Auburn University. It was there that she really dug into her passion for medicine and teaching, and found interesting cases, caring mentors, and family. Again, she was lucky to be taught by some of the very best and she wants to pay it forward. Following residency, she was lucky to find an opportunity to combine her favorite things-- biomedical research, internal medicine, and foals—into an exciting PhD program.
Becky has taken a winding path and has made connections throughout many different levels of veterinary medicine and the biomedical field. Through this journey, she has mentored pre-veterinary students for the past 15 years and been a teacher even longer. She is excited to help you develop a plan for success and work with you to achieve your dreams of becoming a veterinarian.
Medical Student at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine
Undergrad: Saint Louis University
Medical School: Mayo Clinic School of Medicine Arizona
I am a lover of the world. I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people and learning about different cultures and new languages. I have traveled to 20+ countries and my goal is to someday reach over 100. If I could learn one new skill in the next three years it would be to fly a two-seater plane so I can take myself to many different places. Of course, my two favorite games to play include Language Guesser and Geo Guesser.
Jay is a medical student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine, Arizona. He was born in Bulgaria and later immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri with his family at the age of six. Jay graduated from Saint Louis University with a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Engineering and an emphasis in Engineering Mathematics. While at Saint Louis University, he spent four years conducting research in the spheres of soft tissue engineering and microfluidics, in addition to founding the Engineering Health Collaborative, an organization focused on the development of low-cost medical devices for medically underserved countries. He was also a pre-medical fellow with the Atlantis Project in Athens, Greece during the summer and worked on a new entrepreneurial venture to develop a novel preventative medical device for catheter-associated urinary tract infections.
Later on, he became a Fulbright Scholar at the Medical University of Warsaw in Poland. While there, he spent two years teaching at the university level in the premedical sphere and was blessed with the opportunity to be a speaker on the stage of TEDx Warsaw. After, he moved on to Paris, France where he worked as Biomedical technology startup analyst through Hello Tomorrow, devoting time to accelerating radical solutions to improve human and planetary health by leveraging the power of deep tech.
He is currently in his third year of medical school with an interest of pursuing either OBGYN or Urology. He has served on the admissions committee and has done freelancing work to help prepare undergraduate students with AMCAS application editing and traditional mock interviews. As a first-generation college student, he is a huge proponent of helping applicants to make their life story shine through the application and make them stand out in addition to their academic endeavors. Although grades and MCAT scores play one part in the application process, it's the human aspect that makes the application a whole.
Founder at GoodVets
Undergrad: University of Illinois - Urbana–Champaign
Veterinary School: University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine
I was born in Hong Kong and am half Chinese, half Australian. I’m passionate about interior design and am an avid home chef with dreams of being the next Masterchef!
Sabrina attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she graduated with a B.S. in Animal Science. While an undergrad, she founded Animal Allies, a volunteer project within the state’s largest student-run volunteer organization. Sabrina also worked as a lab research assistant in the University’s swine genetics laboratory under the supervision of Dr. Jon Beever, who is most known for providing the first completed sequence of the swine genome. During school breaks, Sabrina worked as a veterinary technician in a small animal clinic in the suburbs of Chicago. She was able to marry her love of travel with her love of animal health and interned at wildlife sanctuaries in Hong Kong, Sydney, Australia, and Chiang Mai, Thailand. At these different locales she studied environmental toxicology and participated in education programs promoting wildlife management to the public.
Sabrina obtained her Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine. There, Sabrina tracked for a career in small animal medicine. She held positions as a veterinary school radiology technician and was an on-campus pharmaceuticals representative for Fort Dodge and Boehringer-Ingelheim. She also pursued a conservation externship in South Africa, and externed at various small animal private practices and specialty clinics throughout the Midwest. Sabrina was also an active member of the veterinary professional fraternity, Omega Tau Sigma.
Sabrina began her career as a veterinarian at a large, full-service, walk-in hospital in downtown Chicago. After two years as an associate veterinarian, Sabrina became the medical director, where she built out a veterinarian training program with a focus on new-graduate mentorship. Her leadership role gave her an understanding of the pitfalls and successes of operating a modern animal hospital in an urban setting. In 2017, Sabrina co-founded a veterinary management company called GoodVets, where she acted as the Chief Medical Officer. The company challenged the practice “norm” and introduced a tech-centered business with a people-centric approach to the leadership team. There she established the core process and procedures of a successful franchise model that built the basis for repeatable action that the company is still successfully thriving on.
Sabrina is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration and a professional certification in data analysis and project management.
Throughout her career, Sabrina has worked in every position across a veterinary hospital and has always had a strong passion for teaching and mentorship. Helping others thrive in their own career is especially purposeful and rewarding to her. Sabrina is excited to work alongside her clients to help them create a strong, personalized application that will get them one step closer to a fulfilling career in veterinary medicine.
DVM Candidate
Undergrad: UC Davis
Veterinary School: UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
Stephanie lives with her 6 year old German Shepherd, Mac and in her free time likes to go to the gym, bake, eat sweets, go out with friends, and most importantly sleep. Her favorite comfort food is ice cream, even though I am lactose intolerant.
Stephanie is a current veterinary student at UC Davis. She also did her undergrad at UC Davis where she graduated with a B.S in Animal Science. Stephanie did not take a gap year, but did have 6 months off in between undergrad and veterinary school, where she worked and also took lots of little trips. When applying to veterinary school, Stephanie only applied once and during that cycle, applied to 7 veterinary schools.
Stephanie is from San Jose, CA, but has lived everywhere from Texas to Japan. Most of her experience is from working at an animal shelter back in her hometown (for almost 3 years) as a veterinary assistant in a high volume spay/neuter clinic as well as part of the high volume in house team.
Currently, Stephanie works at the same shelter, as well as a blood bank technician, and an ER Technician at the UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital. She is mainly interested in Emergency Medicine and Shelter Medicine.
MD/PhD Student at Northwestern
Undergrad: University of Maryland, College Park
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
I am the king of budget traveling. I have spent time in 25 different countries and hope to add more!
Chris (he/him) is a medical student in the MD/PhD program at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He attended the University of Maryland, College Park on a full scholarship where he studied Psychology, Spanish, and Music Performance. After college, he was not sure what he wanted to do, so he worked as a teacher for 3 years before making the transition to medical school. Chris completed a yearlong Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Leticia, Colombia, and taught high school chemistry in New York City for 2 years. Teaching through a pandemic in the largest city in the United States reified the consequences of poor health delivery, and the policies that make these disparities possible. With this in mind, he decided to pursue medical training with an interest health policy and healthcare delivery. Thus far, Chris has completed research rotations at the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health & Wellbeing, the Gender Pathways Program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, and Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. He has published work with The Lighthouse Foundation - a Black queer-led justice collective - and he has attended multiple conferences including the 2022 American Medical Education Conference in Orlando, FL, and the 2022 AAMC Rise Leadership Conference in Washington, DC. He also serves as his medical school cohort's Class President, and is active in the process of meeting and recruiting MD and MD/PhD applicants to Feinberg. He is not sure of a speciality post-medical school, but he is currently interested in pulmonology/critical care, emergency medicine, infectious disease, and pediatrics.
Chris is a resident of Uptown, Chicago. In his free time he enjoys traveling, dancing, and cooking.
Neurosurgery Research Intern at Barrow Neurological Institute
Undergrad: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago
Elsa loves spending her free time playing badminton, volleyball, and archery as well as gardening and baking. Now that she's living in Phoenix, she's a novice hiker and loving every moment of it!
Elsa grew up in Naperville, IL; however, she was born in Albania and is fluent in Albanian and Spanish. She is a medical student at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. She is currently on a gap research year conducting clinical and translational cerebrovascular neurosurgery research under Dr. Michael Lawton at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ. Her clinical work involves risk stratification and outcomes of various hemorrhagic cerebrovascular diseases while her translational research focuses on novel single-cell RNA sequencing of these same pathologies. In addition to cerebrovascular research, Elsa has extensive experience in global neurosurgery, pediatric brain tumors and epilepsy, and the relationship between domestic violence and traumatic brain injuries.
While attending UIC College of Medicine as an Alumni & Friends Scholarship Recipient, Elsa has been involved in many research, advocacy, and volunteering efforts. She has over 30 publications and oral presentations at national conferences in neurosurgery, neurology, urology, obstetrics & gynecology, and female sexual medicine. She has served as a digital media intern for the Center for Global Health, a medical student advisory board member for Safe Living Space - an organization raising awareness of brain injury secondary to domestic violence, student ambassador for the AANS/CNS section on Pediatric Neurosurgery, student leader of Women in Medicine Summit, and President of the Chicago Cancer Society.
Prior to attending medical school, Elsa spent a gap year at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine working as a clinical research coordinator on a peripheral artery disease clinical trial. Even before that, she graduated first-generation with General and Neuroscience Departmental Honors from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Furthermore, she completed her entire sophomore year of undergraduate studies at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom studying under the Biochemistry Pre-Medicine Program.
With respect to her tutoring experience, Elsa has helped high school, undergraduate, and medical students with their courses and throughout various application cycles since 2013. At Johns Hopkins University, Elsa served as a study consultant for Academic Advising helping undergraduate students improve their academic skills. At UIC College of Medicine, Elsa continues to work as a Peer Education Program Tutor and Block Lead for the Office of Student Affairs leading one-on-one and group review sessions of pre-clinical curriculum content as well as USMLE test prep. Additionally, Elsa has informally mentored many Johns Hopkins and UIC undergraduates throughout their medical school application process. She is very excited to help more pre-medical students navigate the medical school application process through Inspira Advantage!
MD/PhD Candidate at Yale School of Medicine
Undergrad: Rice University
Medical School: Yale School of Medicine
I am obsessed with cool houseplants; there are hundreds of rare tropical plants in my (tiny) apartment and I started my own plant company in medical school!
Ruchi Gupta 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.
Pediatrician
Undergrad: Howard University
Medical School: Howard University College of Medicine
I played soccer for 10 years and I would like to coach a girl's team one day. I enjoy hiking and would like to go to all of the US national parks. I like baking, working out/running (I recently made my local gym's top 3 mile run leaderboard), traveling and spending time with my family. I also like gardening (trying to get better at it!)
Amita Ghuman did a 6 year combined Bachelors/MD program at Howard University in Washington D.C and graduated with a Bachelor's in Biology and Doctorate in Medicine. She then went on to complete a 3 year pediatrics residency at the Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Amita's first job after residency was an oncology/bone marrow transplant hospitalist at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. From there, she worked at a community hospital pediatric emergency room in Columbia, Maryland. Currently, she is employed at a pediatric urgent care in Northern Virginia where she has been. Throughout these work experiences, she has enjoyed teaching and mentoring medical students and residents. Amita has a few publications which include case reports, posters, and qualitative research on topics that range from colon cancer research, Alzheimer's and pediatric oncology. She has also won scholarship awards in medical school and residency and was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha society in her fourth year of medical school.
Resident Veterinarian at the University of Washington School of Medicine- Department of Comparative Medicine
Undergrad: Presbyterian College
Veterinary School: University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine
I am working toward earning a Private Pilot Certificate at a local flight school here in the Pacific Northwest.
Kristen Peagler is from Lithonia, Georgia. She received her B.S. from Presbyterian College where she played Division 1 soccer. Directly after graduating from Presbyterian College, she attended the University of Georgia College of Veterinary medicine and graduated. During her time at the University of Georgia, she was a mixed animal emphasis, became the first veterinary extern at NASA under the guidance of NASA’s Chief Veterinarian and was the first veterinary student to complete NASA’s Aerospace Medicine Clerkship. In addition, Peagler has taken part in several community initiatives through the college including Dawg Trails Tour, the This is How We Role Grant, as well as the Georgia National Fair. Peagler has also assisted Vets for Pets and People in a Lip Sync battle fundraising event for Project Safe.
Peagler is currently a resident in the Department of Comparative Medicine at the University of Washington and will return to NASA for an internship. She hopes to make significant contributions to the field of aerospace medicine as it pertains to laboratory animal medicine upon completion of the University of Washington’s residency program.
Outside of her Comparative Medicine interests, Peagler has been heavily involved in her community and has helped educate and guide future generations of veterinarians of all ages. She was recently accepted into the Washington Veterinary Medical Association’s “Power of 10 Leadership Academy”. She is also a mentor for students at a local Black Pilots of America chapter called “the Red-Tailed Hawks”. Peagler’s interests include aerospace medicine, neurology, musculoskeletal diseases, and translational research. She enjoys fishing, hiking, all things space, herpetology, and is currently working toward completing flight school training in the Seattle area.
Dr. Peagler has many connections and experiences within the field of Veterinary Medicine and aims to work with you to achieve your veterinary dreams and provide support in what can be a stressful, but exciting time.
President of the Mercer Veterinary Clinic for Pets of the Homeless
Undergrad: University of California, Davis
Veterinary School: UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine
I am trilingual! I speak Italian, Spanish, and English. I am a hiking enthusiast and love the outdoors. I also am an avid cook and baker!
Catarina graduated magna cum laude from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Animal Science and minor in Italian. She is currently finishing my first year at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine where I plan on tracking small animals. During her undergraduate career, she was involved in two research labs where she worked on correlating CRISPR knockout mouse model phenotypes to human associated diseases. During this project, she presented her research at an undergraduate research conference and completed a manuscript. She also performed research on dairy cattle in understanding how certain feed additives can mitigate greenhouse gases produced by dairy cattle. Along with her research experience, she was heavily involved with a student run veterinary clinic that provided free service for the pets of the homeless and she co-founded a club with friends that served to collect veterinary medical supplies and then donate them to underprivileged clinics abroad. Moreover, she also earned more veterinary experience as a technician at a specialty hospital over the summers and got exposure to wildlife veterinary care in Australia during a summer internship.
Currently, Catarina am the president of the Mercer Veterinary Clinic for Pets of the Homeless that she was a part of during undergrad and also am vice president for the Student American Veterinary Medicine Association for her veterinary school. This summer, she will be conducting orthopedic research on a specific breed of dog that suffers from a disorder called chondrodystrophy by analyzing their vertebrae geometry and disc mineralization. I am a recipient of the Students Training in Advanced Research (STAR) award which is a program for veterinary students to receive grants in order to conduct their own research project and become more involved in the research aspect of veterinary medicine. She is particularly interested in pursuing a speciality in small animal orthopedic surgery. Throughout her undergraduate career, she was a tutor and mentor within the Italian department at my university along with being a mentor for younger students pursuing veterinary medicine. I am very passionate about helping the incoming generation of vetmed doctors and sharing my knowledge of the process. Having recently gone through the application process myself, she is dedicated to aiding others navigate the application process. I am eager to work with students and look forward to it!
PA-S1 at Yale School of Medicine Physician Associate Program
Undergrad: University of Houston
PA School: Yale School of Medicine
I have been a dancer for many years(specializing in jazz and pom) and have a black belt in Tae Kwon Do!
Faith is a PA student at Yale School of Medicine. She grew up in Houston, TX and graduated with University Honors from the University of Houston with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Medicine and Society. During her undergraduate career, Faith served as a Junior Fellow with the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, as well as the Finance Branch Vice President and Accounting Director for the UH Delta Omega Chi Medical Service Society. She also worked with patients as an EMT and a PCT at MD Anderson Cancer Center, volunteered as a research assistant at UH, and was an avid volunteer in her community.
As a PA student, Faith serves as the Connecticut PA Foundation Chair for her cohort and volunteers at the HAVEN Free Clinic in the Lab Department. Her research interests include clinical research within medical dermatology. Faith hopes to pursue a career in a surgical subspecialty or dermatology after graduating from YSM.
Faith loves building relationships, and working closely with her mentees to make sure they shine on their application and in their interviews. She would not be here today without the guidance and encouragement of her mentors and is looking forward to giving back to future PA school applicants. She is excited to work with motivated individuals and can’t wait to help make their dreams come true!
Resident Physician, Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic
Undergrad: Johns Hopkins University
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
I am a big supporter of the veterans and it's one of my passions – I can talk about Green Berets and how amazing those men are all day long! Another fun fact is that I am a native French speaker.
Dr. Kessler was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA and attended the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD for her undergraduate studies in pre-med and French. While at Johns Hopkins, she led the JHU Medical Ethics Discussion Panel, and worked in a neurology and neurosurgery research lab. She then attended the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in NYC and graduated in 2021 with distinction in research. While at Mount Sinai, Dr. Kessler was the recipient of numerous awards, including a merit-based tuition scholarship all four years of medical school. She has authored almost 30 papers related to neurosurgery and neurology published in national medical journals (see pubmed.gov), and was the only US medical student to be awarded a national grant from the Congress in Neurological Surgeons in 2018–2019 for her work in spinal cord injury research.
While in medical school, Dr. Kessler founded the Special Forces Neurosurgery Collaborative (www.sfneurosurgery.org) with neurosurgeons from Mount Sinai, Cleveland Clinic, and the leadership of the US Green Beret Foundation, which is an organization that spearheads neurosurgery research initiatives geared towards addressing the unique healthcare needs of America's Special Forces warriors. Dr. Kessler has given over a dozen lectures on her research at national conferences and is currently a medical editor and reviewer for the Journal of Special Operations Medicine and MyHealthTeams, LLC.
She was previously a reviewer for World Neurosurgery journal and has authored five textbook chapters in major neurosurgical textbooks. In 2021, Dr. Kessler matched into neurosurgery residency at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. She has extensive experience teaching and tutoring undergraduates, and assisting in medical school and residency applications. I look forward to working with you and helping you to achieve your goals in a career in medicine!
Medical Student at Northwestern University - The Feinberg School of Medicine
Undergrad: Middlebury College
Medical School: Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Two truths and a lie: had a pet squirrel as a child she would put in her sweatshirt hood after soccer practice, had several staples placed on her head after her sister ran her into a staircase, was lost in a heavy snow day while on ski team and had to be dug out by snow patrol dogs.
Skylar is medical student at Northwestern applying to surgical residency. Previously, at her undergraduate institution she studied molecular biology and biochemistry, graduating Magna cum laude with highest honors, and the department award. She presented her thesis at international conferences including Aruba and London.
At Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine she was placed in the distinguished tier of the class with highest performance and evaluation, and awarded the Gold Humanism award. She was involved in the Middlebury College admission process, and continues the practice of mentorship in medical school, serving on the admissions committee of the medical school. She has mentees from her hometown of San Francisco and college community who have gone on to goal MD and PA programs.
Skylar is excited to work with motivated candidates who have a passion for medicine and the practice of caring for patients.
M.D. Candidate at Tufts University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Emory University
Medical School: Tufts University School of Medicine
Jasmine is from Cleveland, and loves to support her home team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, wherever she goes. Outside of school, she also enjoys going to spin classes, cooking, and baking.
Jasmine is a medical student at Tufts University School of Medicine. At Tufts, she serves as her class’ alumni representative and volunteers with the NICU cuddling and advocacy program at Tufts Medical Center. She is also a Sam W. Ho Health Justice Scholar and a volunteer and researcher at the Center for Black Maternal Health and Reproductive Justice. She hopes to enter a career in obstetrics and gynecology.
Prior to Tufts, Jasmine attended Emory University where she obtained her bachelor's degree in human health. While at Emory, Jasmine was involved in The Student Educational Experience Development program, where she served as a volunteer and president of its many high school mentoring programs. She was also involved in numerous other volunteer and service opportunities through her sorority, the Emory admissions office, and her service as a Wonderful Wednesday moderator. She completed three summers of research at Case Western Reserve University exploring gamma delta T cell biology and their potential role in cancer immunotherapy.
After graduating from Emory, Jasmine obtained her Master of Science in biomedical sciences from Tufts University. While in that program, she also completed a thesis continuing her undergraduate work on gamma delta T cells and their role in cancer immunotherapy. While completing her thesis, she worked full-time at Cleveland Clinic’s Hillcrest Hospital in the surgery center.
Jasmine understands how challenging it is to gain admission to medical school. She worked hard to become a well-rounded applicant and gain a full tuition scholarship to her dream school, Tufts University. She is excited to help her clients develop strong applications and gain admission to the medical school of their dreams.
Medical Student at Stanford University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Medical School: Stanford School of Medicine
I am an organist and pianist and enjoy mountain climbing.
Khristian is a MD/PhD student in his second year of research at Stanford School of Medicine. He was born in Puerto Rico and grew up in Stamford, CT. He attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and majored in General Mathematics minored in literature. He spent most of his undergraduate along with three gap years working as a research associate investigating the role of diet in intestinal stem cell function and co-authored high-level publications.
Khristian applied as a regular candidate to Stanford, but he realized very quickly that he wanted to do more research and so joined the MSTP program internally. Currently, he is studying the role of fibroblast heterogeneity in inflammatory bowel disease. In addition to research, he was president of Medical Students with Disability and Chronic Illnesses (MSDCI) and regularly mentors middle and high school students in Palo Alto. His dream is to become a colorectal surgeon.
Khristian is a very enthusiastic mentor at Inspira who offers a unique perspective on "non-traditional" candidates or candidates with disability. He is very interested in spending time understanding his clients' stories and journeys and helping the final application package reflect the uniqueness of each client. His ultimate goal is to help his clients unleash their full potential to become part of the next generation of physicians.
Medical Student at Yale University School of Medicine
Undergrad: University of Nevada, Reno
Medical School: Yale School of Medicine
I once bungee jumped 228 meters off of a bridge spanning 2 cliffs!
Samip is an MD student at Yale School of Medicine. He is originally from Nepal and has lived in many places throughout his life, including Thailand, Switzerland, and 5 U.S. states. He completed his Bachelors degree at the University of Nevada, Reno, where he studied neuroscience, tutored MCAT students, and did research in Drosophila olfaction and learning. He spent his gap year working and saving money to apply to medical school, becoming an EMT, and volunteering in a Las Vegas emergency department.
Samip brought his lifelong interests in technology and global medicine to Yale, where he has led the global surgery and otolaryngology student interest groups. He is also involved in providing preclinical surgical exposure to first- and second-year medical students, teaching point-of-care ultrasound, and has sat on the Medical School Council’s Clerkship Review Committee. He performs clinical research in the Department of Otolaryngology examining outcomes in head and neck surgeries and craniofacial traumas, and provides primary care to un- and under-insured patients at HAVEN, a student-run free clinic on the weekends.
As a first-generation medical student, Samip understands the difficulty of navigating medical school applications. He looks forward to working closely with students of all backgrounds, and helping them tell their unique story in an insightful and effective narrative through their application.
Outside of medicine, Samip has many hobbies, including hiking and being outside, powerlifting, chess, playing guitar, and ink/digital art.
MD/MBA Student at Duke University
Undergrad: University of California Davis
Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine
I rescue dogs in my free time
Alex was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area. She attended UC Davis as an undergrad where she got her Bachelors of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology. After college, she spent three gap years as a research coordinator at a community hospital.
Throughout medical school, Alex has developed an interest in plastic surgery and has been involved in various leadership positions and research projects within numerous specialties. She decided to additionally pursue an MBA while in medical school after witnessing the evolving responsibilities in the role of a physician.
As the daughter of immigrants and the first person in her family to go to college, she found the medical school application process challenging and convoluted. She is passionate about making the process more accessible to students, and brought this passion into her role on the admissions committee at her medical school.
Medicine Resident at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Undergrad: University of Florida
Medical School: University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Outside of yoga and medicine, Scott also thoroughly enjoys to travel. In his lifetime, he has traveled to over 18 countries. Amongst his adventures, Scott has climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Mt. Everest Base Camp in Nepal, worked a volunteer on an elephant refuge, and stayed on a silent retreat in Sacred Valley Peru.
Scott is currently an internal medicine intern completing his preliminary year of medicine in New York City. After the completion of his intern year, he will continue to live in NYC and pursue a residency in Dermatology. Scott completed his medical education in Miami but prior to matriculating to medical school, he chose a non-traditional path to physician-ship: he worked as an English teacher in Madrid, Spain. Living abroad provided Scott with a strong foundation in cultural competency, empathy, and confidence. Scott's medical education in Miami was further supplemented by the addition of a Master's in Public Health. Each day, Scott implements the knowledge he acquired as public health physician to address the concerns of his patients from a multidisciplinary approach. When Scott isn't working at the hospital, he enjoys exploring NYC with his partner and practicing yoga. He finds peace in moments of silence and hopes to further integrate his passion for mindfulness and meditation in his practice of medicine.
UCSF Ophthalmology Residency at University of Michigan and Harvard alum
Undergrad: University of Michigan
Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School
I love to spend time outdoors, including skiing in the winter and hiking or surfing when it's warm.
Ajay is a resident physician in Ophthalmology at the University of California, San Francisco. Previously, he attained his MD degree from the University of Michigan and his MPH from Harvard University. Given the geographic diversity of the institutions he has attended, Ajay is well equipped to assist applicants interested in schools in any region of the country.
At the University of Michigan Medical School, Ajay achieved 100th percentile scores on the USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 board exams, received the Charles and Phyllis Lowe Merit Scholarship (awarded to fourth year medical student of highest academic standing), was inducted into the Gold Humanism Honors Society, and Graduated with Distinction in Research Honors. At Michigan and Harvard, he has conducted a wide array of research, with numerous publications and academic conference presentations in the fields of ophthalmology, epidemiology, and health economics, amongst others. Ajay has also worked as a consultant in the biotechnology industry, helping move new drugs towards FDA approval. He also co-founded The Lens, a widely used educational resource for medical students interested in ophthalmology. Given these experiences, Ajay is well versed in helping applicants with a broad array of academic interests and backgrounds. He is passionate about helping applicants tell their personal story by weaving a cohesive narrative about all of their prior experiences.
M.D. Candidate at Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Undergrad: Texas A&M University
Medical School: Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
I love public speaking and was my undergraduate university’s commencement speaker at graduation!
Sunjay is a medical student at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, he graduated from Texas A&M University with a degree in business. Sunjay has dedicated his educational career to studying health policy and is passionate about the intersection of business and medicine. He has written and published multiple peer-reviewed research articles in the fields of health policy and biology, having also worked in a spinal cord injury lab for 4 years at Texas A&M. During undergrad, he served as a health policy intern on the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, and he will go back to work in the Senate as a health policy fellow during the summer of 2023. Sunjay has helped numerous students with their medical school applications, and he is excited to help more students realize their medical school dreams.
Medical Student at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Duke University
Medical School: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Aryaman backpacked in Italy, Switzerland, and France during college!
Aryaman Gupta, BSE is a merit scholar medical student at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. He graduated with departmental distinction and Summa Cum Laude from Duke University in Biomedical Engineering. Aryaman worked as a bioengineer before coming to Johns Hopkins and continues to throughout medical school. He has co-founded 3 startup companies that focus on developing devices to fill technological gaps in interventional specialties.
Aryaman is an expert at carving a niche for applicants and highlighting their experiences to create a cohesive story. He has guided numerous students through the medical school application process and serves as an alumni interviewer for Duke. He has mentorship experience with students ranging from middle school to medical students. Outside of school, Aryaman loves his dog, dark chocolate Oreos (much superior to regular Oreos), watching sports, and grilling/baking.
Because of Aryaman’s own non-traditional interests and experiences in medicine, he is especially well suited to guide students with their own unique stories. Aryaman is eager to work with Inspira students to help achieve their medical school admission goals and find their personal journey in medicine!
Urogynecologist
Undergrad: New York University
Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School
I pride myself on my ability to pack light for almost any trip (carry-on only club)!
Parisa Samimi is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist, with fellowship training in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery. Although raised in the Northeast, her training has taken her around the country. After graduating from medical school at the University of Massachusetts in 2014, she moved to Los Angeles for her residency training in
Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. During her residency, she developed a deep interest in complex vaginal surgery and pelvic floor disorders. She pursued a three-year fellowship in Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, known for its dual-specialty training in both Urology and Obstetrics and Gynecology. Over the last 10 years, she has authored multiple publications focused on quality improvement and peri-operative care. She has worked with medical students and junior physicians for many years. She takes pride in her ability to be detailed-oriented, punctual, and enjoys motivating others to reach their goals.
Medical Student at Duke University School of Medicine
Undergrad: Northwestern University
Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine
Hailey won a sweepstakes for a year of free Chipotle!
Hailey is a fourth year medical student at Duke University School of Medicine. Hailey was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, but her family has since relocated to Arizona. She graduated magna cum laude from Northwestern University in 2018 with a degree in biomedical engineering. Prior to medical school, Hailey spent one year at the National Institutes of Health working on leukemia research. Hailey is passionate about biomedical research and is pursuing a residency in internal medicine.
At Duke, Hailey has been involved with a variety of research, teaching, and volunteer opportunities. Her most notable accomplishments in medical school have been in research. Her dedicated third-year research project in benign hematology garnered international attention, and Duke sponsored her travel to give presentations on her data in Rhodes, Greece and London, UK. In addition, Hailey has informally mentored several Duke undergraduates as they navigate the medical school application process. She has enjoyed getting to know and sharing advice with her mentees and ultimately watching them succeed!
Hailey is excited to work with pre-medical students to help them achieve their full potential! She is dedicated to building personalized applications that showcase each applicant’s unique strengths and working to find the medical school that is the best fit for their career goals.
Medical Student at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Undergrad: Washington University in St. Louis
Medical School: University in Miami Miller School of Medicine
Born in Medellin, Colombia. Studied abroad in Rennes, France and Santiago, Chile. Cultural competency is extremely important for life and medicine! Ran a marathon in St. Louis and love working out as a way to relieve stress and stay healthy!
Manuela is a current fourth year MD/MPH student at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. Manuela attended Washington University in St. Louis for her undergraduate degree where she majored in Romance Languages and Literatures and minored in Biology. She took a gap year between undergraduate and medical school where she did research on intermittent theta burst stimulation for depression and executive dysfunction and scribed for a hepatologist in St. Louis. She believes that the best way to succeed in the medical school process is to be a well-rounded applicant. During college and throughout medical school, she has been involved in various volunteer, clinical and research experiences focusing primarily on helping underserved communities. Her research experience is focused on public health and gastroenterology. She has also dedicated time to student groups and organizations that foster a sense of community and well-being at these institutions. She is currently interviewing for internal medicine residency with the plan to specialize in gastroenterology during fellowship.
M.D., M.P.H. Candidate at University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
Undergrad: Cornell University
Medical School: University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
In my free time I love to go to the beach, play volleyball, paint, hang out with friends and go for long runs. Currently training for my first full marathon in Miami!
Tara Tardino is a fourth-year medical student at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She grew up in Massapequa, NY and attended Cornell University as a first-generation college student. There she studied Human Development, Spanish and Gerontology. While at Cornell she completed a public health study abroad program in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and became fluent in Spanish.
After graduating she took a gap year and worked as an Emergency Department Medical Scribe in Houston, TX. While living in Texas she also volunteered her time teaching weekly ESL classes to recent immigrants and refugees. She was then accepted to the competitive, combined 4 year dual degree MD-MPH program in Miami.
During her medical school career she was involved in multiple community service projects and leadership roles. She spear-headed a COVID-19 hotline volunteer effort during the pandemic, launched a free mobile wound care clinic for patients who inject drugs, and serves as president of the Emergency Medicine Student Interest Group. During her senior year she was inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society and actively participates in her school’s admissions committee.
Tara is eager to help students achieve their dreams of becoming physicians. You can trust her to make sure you shine throughout the application process.
Medical Student at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
Undergrad: University of Southern California
Medical School: University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
I love watching football! I’ve been a Bengals fan all my life and try to watch every game. I got to see their first playoff win in 31 years in person last year.
I also love trying new food and have recently started cooking more. So any food recommendations are always welcome.
Arjun is a fourth year medical student at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He attended undergraduate at the University of Southern California as part of the prestigious Resident Honors Program. This program allowed 20-30 high school juniors to attend college one year early with a partial tuition scholarship. Arjun graduated Summa Cum Laude with a bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience and a minor in Business Finance. Arjun is currently one of the youngest students in his graduating medical school class.
During medical school, Arjun was president of an organization in charge of 150 premedical students and organized events to help guide them through the premedical process. He has personally guided several of his mentees through successful application cycles and is excited to continue his passion for mentorship through Inspira Advantage.
MD-PhD Student at Harvard/MIT
Undergrad: Columbia University
Medical School: Harvard Medical School and MIT
I love biking around Boston-- it's an underrated form of public transport!
Arya is an MD-PhD student at Harvard Medical School and MIT. She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Columbia University in Biochemistry and Computer Science, with honors. As an undergraduate, Arya captained the Women's Water Polo Team, played saxophone, sang opera, worked as an EMT, and conducted scientific research. At Inspira, Arya is eager to help applicants reach their goals and discover their passions in medicine.
Undergrad: Tufts University
Clinical Research Coordinator at BIDMC
I was a competitive ballroom dancer in college and I still love to dance salsa and bachata!
Nicole graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University where she studied Community Health and French.
While at Tufts, Nicole taught weekly health education workshops to local high school students and trained health educator volunteers. She spent her junior spring studying French language and global health in Senegal, where she interned at a Red Cross clinic. Currently, Nicole is currently working as a Clinical Research Coordinator at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center where she runs clinical trials for the Gastroenterology Motility team. She has presented research at two major national conferences and had four first-author publications.
She loves to train research assistants, mentor Tufts Community Health students, and work on teams with ambitious goals. She is looking forward to collaborating with MCAT students to meet their unique testing goals and identify study strategies to serve them throughout their health career!
Undergrad: University of Georgia
Lead Tutor at the University of Georgia
In my free time I enjoy long-boarding, jamming out to Metallica, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.
Tom has worked at his university's Division of Academic Enhancement as a multi-subject STEM Peer Tutor for the past two years. In addition to his major, Tom is pursuing minors in biomedical physiology, cell biology, general business, and pharmaceutical sciences. He was selected as the top senior in his major at the university.
Undergrad: Arizona State University
Post-Masters Fellow at Berklee Valencia
I love to dance!
Joe’s teaching career began in high school, where he tutored friends in math after school and sometimes took the lead teaching the class while their physics teacher was too busy playing fantasy football at his desk. He completed a B.S. in medical microbiology from Arizona State University where he took classes in cell bio, public health, virology, bacteriology, immunology, and, his favorite, physiology. Shortly after receiving the Mouer award for graduating in the top 1% of his class, he scored a 519 on his first MCAT and since then has been tutoring MCAT for two years.
During undergrad, Joe worked in the Laryngeal Regeneration Lab at Mayo Clinic AZ where he assisted in the 3D printing of larynx scaffolds. His dream is to be an otolaryngologist and help patients perceive the world in the best way possible!
Outside of medical study, Joe is an avid musician. He plays cello professionally and studied music abroad in Spain. He even curates an electronic music playlist for Spotify! He joined Inspira because he wants to help students get their top scores and springboard them into the medical schools of their dreams.
Undergrad: University of Notre Dame
Medical School: Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Medical Student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine
Brian has been to 14 countries and wants to continue to add to that list.
Brian, originally from Massachusetts, attended the University of Notre Dame where he majored in Science Pre-professional Studies and had a minor in History. During this time, he conducted research in the Moral and Adolescent Psychology lab, volunteered St. Joseph Regional Medical Center, and had a few internship opportunities like working for a Member of the UK Parliament. After graduating in 2021, he began conducting research in an Anesthesiology Lab at Mayo Clinic. Brian is currently a first-year medical student at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Rochester, MN, where he is pursuing his interest in surgery.
Undergrad: Point Loma Nazarene University
Medical College Admissions Test Instructor
I love chess, kayaking, ping pong, huskies, and travelling.
Lincoln researched organofluorine chemistry as part of a team as an undergraduate, helping publish two papers--one in the Journal of Organic Chemistry, and one in Synthesis. Later, with Kaplan Test Prep, he taught the MCAT for a number of years before designing his own private MCAT course. The University of California system picked up this private course to use as their curriculum for pre-med students with Lincoln as the content designer. National and international corporations have syndicated portions of his digital content to help out MCAT prep students nationwide. With a full bank of prep resources on virtually any MCAT topic (or the capacity to build one from scratch given some direction) and a solid grounding in systematically answering MCAT questions, Lincoln is dedicated full time to taking students to success on the MCAT from Day 0 to Test Day!
Undergrad: University of Missouri - Columbia
Medical School: American University School Of Medicine Aruba (AUSOMA)
Med Student, Adjunct Instructor, USMLE Tutor
I grew up in Berlin, Germany and love to travel. In one way or another, I have found myself involved in dancing activities since the age of 5.
Sandy graduated with a B.S. in Biological Sciences and later her Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of Missouri Columbia.
Before starting medical school, Sandy studied the effects of hormones on breast cancer and enjoyed sharing her research at multiple national scientific meetings. Throughout her graduate studies, Sandy also developed a passion for teaching. She has since tutored many medical students taking the USMLE Step1 exam and is currently teaching Anatomy & Physiology at Georgia State University as an adjunct instructor.
Sandy is no stranger to test anxiety and the overwhelming feelings that can accompany the seemingly vast amount of information tested on the USMLE Step 1 exam. However, through implementing strategies specific to her style of learning, she scored within the 86th percentile and is now passionate about helping others master this important exam. Her goal for test day is for you to approach each question confidently while drawing from a solid knowledge base.
Undergrad: University of Central Florida
Medical School: Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine - Auburn Campus
Internal Medicine Residency Applicant
I am an amateur pickleball player and enjoy watching sports. I also like hanging out by the pool and boating in the Florida Keys.
Matthew Gold is a fourth-year medical student currently applying for internal medicine residency with aspirations to pursue a fellowship in the future. He will be graduating at the top of his medical school class in 2023. Notably, Matthew honored all of his clerkships during his third year and received Student Doctor of the Year Award of his hospital and Distinguished Internal Medicine Scholar Award. He has extensive experience tutoring students for the CBSE, USMLE Steps 1 and 2, COMSAE and COMLEX-USA Levels 1 and 2. Matthew ensures that he caters to the individual client's learning style. He emphasizes the use of Anki, attempting a consistent amount of daily board questions and other board prep resources that work for the client. Matthew welcomes clients in an approachable and friendly manner with the client's success in mind at all times.
Undergrad: SUNY Plattsburgh and Union College
MCAT Tutor
I love sunshine and beaches, and I have recently begun dabbling in acrobatics on the beach!
Kirsten graduated from Union College in Upstate NY with a B.S. in Biological Sciences. This past year she moved to San Diego, and worked as an epigenetic Research Associate before transitioning into full-time MCAT tutoring, which she has been doing for a little over a year now. She is matriculating into medical school in the Fall of 2023, and looks forward to continuing to tutor until then.
Kirsten has extensive experience tutoring, instructing, and developing content for MCAT preparation for some of the largest test prep companies on the market, and she is excited to target her expertise toward supporting Inspira Advantage students. She understands everyone's MCAT journey is different, and she is here to support you, and your unique needs!
Undergrad: New Jersey Institute of Technology
Lab Manager at the Rutgers Cancer Center
I have been weightlifting for over 8 years! Aside from hitting the gym, I love playing volleyball with my friends, exploring niche documentaries, and getting wrapped up in a new self-taught endeavor.
Waleed has been tutoring almost as long as he has been a student! He began in middle school helping his classmates with mathematics assignments and continued officially with the National Honors Society in High School. At NJIT, Waleed tutored General and Organic Chemistry for 3 years. As a tutor of so many years, of course he has mastered studying himself, graduating Summa Cum Laude (with a 4.0) and achieving a 100th percentile score on the MCAT (524). On top of these achievements, Waleed has broad clinical and research experiences. He has been involved in research since high school, a certified EMT for almost six years, and teaches CPR on the side. Waleed's diverse experiences reflect the flexibility he brings to his tutoring and his willingness to adapt his teaching to bring the best out of each student!
Undergrad: Binghamton University
Medical School: SUNY Downstate Medical School
MS4 at SUNY Downstate Medical Center
José loves soccer, running, and sports in general. He is a foodie and dreams of visiting all continents: he has been on three so far.
José is a graduate of Binghamton University where he double-majored in Biological Sciences and French language and literature. At Binghamton, he began building his impressive teaching credentials by holding many positions such as molecular biology TA, Biochemistry tutor, and Mechanisms of Evolution tutor. He is currently a 4th year medical student at SUNY Downstate where he has further expanded his teaching experience as a medical knowledge and anatomy tutor, as well as an MCAT tutor. As a member of the Medical Educator Pathway, he has extensive experience in curriculum development. He has also served as a member of the admissions committee for applicants to the medical school. The extent of accomplishments at Downstate, which also includes numerous publications, has seen him inducted into the prestigious Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.
Medical School:Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
Undergrad:UC Davis
MD Candidate at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine
Abhishek loves animals especially dogs and also enjoys playing tennis.
Having found his passion for medicine and biology early, he quickly got involved in a committed research position during his first week of undergrad at UC Davis where he soon become the Lead Undergraduate Researcher and supervised a group of other undergrads while studying the genetic associations of meiotic recombination in the murine model. He then progressed to a large multidisciplinary ocular research lab where he gained significant experience and connections. He also joined the Phi Delta Epsilon Pre-Medical Fraternity where a few years later he became the President of the chapter. The professional network he maintained and expanded upon during this time in the organization helped him get involved in various community service activities such as his time volunteering at several underserved clinics in the Sacramento area. During the latter half of his time at UC Davis, he also worked as a scribe for a vitreoretinal surgeon and as a Student Brand Ambassador for Kaplan Test Prep.
During his time at UC Davis, Abhishek also engaged in leadership through chair positions of the Student Health Insurance Plan Committee and Health Fee Oversight Committee, in which he guided decision making for the student body's needs regarding healthcare and insurance provided by the school. Upon graduating early in three instead of four years, he joined a health tech startup where he worked as an Operations Associate full time. To maintain his clinical experience and be more hands-on, he also worked part time as an Eye Recovery Technician where he independently surgically recovered corneas from organ donors in hospitals across the Bay Area. Before applying to medical school, he also worked as a Research Associate at biotech startups.
During his recently completed first year of medical school at Loyola, Abhishek has gotten heavily involved in many research projects in the fields of orthopaedic surgery and ophthalmology. He has also partaken in volunteering at ocular clinics for the undeserved and COVID-19 vaccination clinics. He has been awarded both the Summer Training in Approaches to Research scholarship for as well as the Zale Scholarship for his work in research and passion for ophthalmology.
Med School: New Jersey Medical School
Undergrad: The College of New Jersey
BS/MD Candidate at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
I love to bike, play badminton, travel, and binge a great comedy show when I have the time!
Saahil Patel is a determined, focused, and studios student in an accelerated 7-Year BS/MD medical program. Saahil has a stellar academic record, having been bestowed the title of Valedictorian of one of America’s best STEM public high schools. Despite his program being accelerated, Saahil was able to finish his undergraduate studies in two years, earning him a rare gap year before medical school with a guaranteed seat. As a 99th percentile MCAT scoring-student and professional tutor of several years, Saahil is able to cooperatively work with his clients to boost their scores, strengthen their confidence, and instruct them on needed content. Saahil is also keenly aware of the difficulty of landing a BS/MD program, so he can work with clients interested in these programs and shepherd them through the arduous process. Furthermore, having conducted longitudinal research work at a young age, served as a hospital intern, and volunteered in his community as an EMT, Saahil understands the multiple facets of medicine and can connect with clients on their interests and aspirations. Please do get in touch! He is more than happy to meet!
Medical: University of Connecticut
Undergrad: Swarthmore College
MD Candidate at University of Connecticut
Jacob is an incoming first year MD/PhD student at the University of Connecticut interested in both the clinical and basic science neurosciences. He graduated with High Honors from Swarthmore College in 2020 where he studied neuroscience and political science. He conducted his senior thesis research on using memory reconsolidation to manipulate retention of fear memory. Jacob played cello and bassoon in numerous musical ensembles and also played on Swarthmore's Ultimate Frisbee team. In addition, he served as a sportscaster for Swarthmore College's athletics teams.
Jacob recently completed a two year research position at NYU Grossman School of Medicine's Neuroscience Institute where he worked in James Salzer's lab studying the role of Schwann cells and macrophages in animal models of myelin disorders. Jacob has extensive experience tutoring students and looks forward to helping prospective medical student's realize their maximum potential.
Undergrad: Vanderbilt University
Med School: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
MD Candidate at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
I am a huge sports fan (mostly basketball, football, and tennis) and played tennis for most of my life growing up. My teams are the Chicago Bears and Bulls and Roger Federer is my favorite athlete. Also, I love listening to music, mostly hip hop, and my favorite artist is the Weeknd.
Ashwin is an incoming M1 at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He also had acceptances at Northwestern University School of Medicine and Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, waitlists at Washington University in St. Louis, Columbia University, and the University of Pennsylvania, and interviews at Harvard, Yale, NYU, University of Chicago, Mount Sinai, and more. He is originally from Springfield, IL, and also attended Vanderbilt University for his undergraduate studies. He majored in Medicine, Health, and Society and minored in Business, and earned a 522 on his MCAT, which places him in the 99th percentile of test-takers. He finished his studies in 3.5 years with a 4.0 GPA with summa cum laude honors and was on the Dean's List every semester. He has experience as an MCAT tutor with Kaplan and worked at Varsity Tutors to help students aged from middle school to graduate students in STEM subjects. As a student at Vanderbilt, he was the president of multiple service organizations to help communities in Nashville and abroad. Additionally, he had vast research experience, including five first-author publications, seven total publications, a CDC internship, and awards from the American Society of Hematology, the International Society of Blood Transfusion, and Vanderbilt University.
Undergrad: Concordia College
Cancer Researcher at North Dakota State University
Bretton is based out of Minnesota, where he was educated on a full-ride scholarship at Concordia College in Minnesota.
Bretton is an MCAT expert who has helped over 500 students achieve their MCAT goals and has dedicated thousands of hours to understanding, mastering, and simplifying the test. He has received training from and provided MCAT expertise to the leading test-prep company, Kaplan. He has extensive practice providing online tutoring and curates a world-class experience for each student. Each lesson will be tailored to the individual's needs to make sure they reach their goals, he will respond to all communications within 24 hours (typically sooner), and stack the odds in your favor.
Bretton is based out of Minnesota, where he was educated on a full-ride scholarship at Concordia College in Minnesota. He pursues a triple science major in neuroscience, chemistry, and biology. He applies his multidisciplinary expertise to make difficult to understand MCAT topics into something easily understood. He has represented his college’s research output to the state of Minnesota and participated in Mayo Clinic’s exclusive Mayo Innovative Scholars Program on behalf of Concordia. Bretton currently works part-time in a research laboratory where he conducts groundbreaking cancer and neuroscience research. He plans to pursue a Ph.D. in biochemistry with an emphasis on neuroscience. Bretton’s passion for science and dedication to his students makes him an ideal MCAT tutor for students at all levels.
Undergrad: University of Alabama
Master's: University of Alabama
Research Specialist at Medical University of South Carolina
When I am not working, I am working on my antique truck, cycling, cooking, or watching Alabama football!
Harrison graduated summa cum laude with a 4.0 GPA from the University of Alabama in the spring of 2021. During his four years in college, Harrison completed his undergraduate degree while simultaneously enrolled in an accelerated master’s program, earning both a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology and a Master of Science in Biology in the same four-year stint.
Additionally, Harrison was awarded the University of Alabama’s Presidential Scholarship, a full-tuition scholarship; the Grantland and Louise Scholarship for outstanding performance as a microbiology student; and full funding for his graduate research project. Throughout his time in college, Harrison was involved in and led various integrative research projects that investigated topics such as deforestation and the neuroendocrine stress response, sex change in hermaphroditic fish, and the interplay of disease and microbiome assemblage.
His participation in these projects earned him first, second, and third authorship in prep on three different publications. Outside of the classroom and laboratory, Harrison co-founded an organ donation awareness club, obtained an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license while enrolled in classes, and tutored local students ages K-12. Throughout his preparation for the MCAT, Harrison focused on collecting a variety of high-value, low-cost resources and crafted a study plan that was unique to his needs.
After achieving his goal score in the 97th percentile on the MCAT, he decided to pursue tutoring as a professional endeavor. Harrison’s tutoring system centers around open communication with his students to work together to diagnose problems, curate detailed MCAT preparation plans, and compile pointed content reviews. He looks forward to working with you side-by-side as you achieve your goal score and gain admission into your dream medical school!
Master's: Washington University in St. Louis
Undergrad: Peking University
Full-time GRE tutor
I memorized all the elements in the Periodic Table in order before going to high school. I can reconstruct the periodic table in 2 minutes and 16 seconds on paper and 3 minutes and 16 seconds on the whiteboard.
Medical School: Perelman School of Medicine at UPenn
Undergrad: Columbia University
MD Candidate at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
I am an avid baker and love trying out new restaurants/dessert spots! I am a classical pianist and amateur biker!
Katherine graduated summa cum laude from Columbia University with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2020. She is currently in her first year at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Katherine was inducted into the engineering honor society, Tau Beta Pi, and received the Robert Edward Reiss Award in Chemical Engineering for outstanding promise in biochemical engineering.
In college, Katherine conducted clinical research at the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center and the New York-Presbyterian Neurological Intensive Care Unit. Katherine was a teaching assistant in the chemistry lab and led a clinical research program at the Mt. Sinai hospital system. She also served as president of her Greek organization and was a pianist in a classical chamber ensemble.
In medical school, Katherine has already joined clinical research projects, community clinics, and interest groups. She is interested in pursuing a career in a surgical subspecialty. Katherine is actively involved in the admissions process as an interviewer and has spent much of her time mentoring others applying to medical school. Over the years, through tutoring, teaching, and mentoring, Katherine has been passionate about helping others. Having just recently gone through the medical school admissions process herself, she is dedicated to helping others navigate applying, and she is very excited to work with students.
Undergrad: St. John's College
Full-time GRE tutor
I perform with the sketch comedy group Punchline Loading in New York City.
Audra is a GMAT/GRE tutor based in Brooklyn, New York. With over six years of experience teaching hundreds of students both one-on-one and in the classroom, Audra helps business school and graduate school applicants maximize their testing performance with personalized instruction focused on their areas of need. Audra has achieved a 98th-percentile score of 750 on the GMAT and a 335/340 on the GRE. She loves sharing her knowledge and helping each client reach their potential!
Audra received her B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, in 2013. The degree is equivalent to a double major in Philosophy and the History of Mathematics and Science and a double minor in Classics and Comparative Literature. She is currently attending the online Master of Computer and Information Technology program at the University of Pennsylvania. Audra enjoys reading and performing with the sketch comedy group Punchline Loading... in New York City in her free time.
Medical school - UT Southwestern Medical Center
Undergrad - University of Kansas
Grad student at University of Pennsylvania
I was the ranked as the fourth-best pole vaulter in the state of Kansas when I was a senior in high school.
Joseph grew up in a small town in Kansas, where he was the only student from his graduating class of ~70 to “make the leap” to a legitimate, 4-year university.
Four years later: Joseph graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Neurobiology, addended with an awkwardly long list of honors. For instance, he received the annual award recognizing the biology department’s top student in his junior and senior years, per faculty consensus. In addition, he was also honored with more than a handful of semi-redundant accolades for “excellence in biomedical research.” Outside of the biology department, Joseph was named as 1 of 20 University Scholars in my graduating class of >5,000 students. Concurrently, he worked jobs as a teaching assistant in biochemistry and physiology courses and played an integral role in establishing a pre-med advisor faculty position within the university’s honors program. Joseph also published a first-author study elucidating the molecular mechanism underlying a phenomenon of paradoxically prolonged vasoconstriction largely responsible for downstream infarctions secondary to vascular insult.
Three months after graduating from KU, he began medical school at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. This is where Joseph felt he really refined a lot of the studying and test-taking strategies he expects to explore en route to masterminding an individualized game plan with every nuance uniquely dedicated to identifying and exploiting the challenges (aka, opportunities) wedged between you and your full potential- which, in his experience, frequently exceeds students’ initial goals.
He has also been an MCAT tutor for three years, helping hundreds of students crush the overly lengthy exam and, ultimately, get into medical school. These years of MCAT tutoring have uniquely positioned him to guide future physicians along what is ubiquitously regarded as the most treacherous segment on the truly lifelong journey of medical education.
Medical School: University of Michigan Medical School
Undergrad: Amherst College
4th Year Medical Student at University of Michigan Medical School
I played cello on radio as part of an interview with WEMU about the University of Michigan Life Sciences Orchestra.
Whit is a 2020 graduate from the University of Michigan Medical School, where he was involved in student government, joined the Path of Excellence in Medical Ethics, and was Editor-in-Chief of the Michigan Journal of Medicine, among other activities.
Prior to medical school, he studied at Amherst College, earning a BA with Distinction while double-majoring in Mathematics and Economics. He conducted research at the University of Michigan's Michigan Cardiovascular Outcomes Research and Reporting Program (MCORRP), played in the Amherst Symphony Orchestra, and qualified for the NAQT National Tournament with Amherst College Quizbowl.
While in medical school, Whit decided to pursue a career in healthcare policy, electing not to continue to residency. While this puts him in a small minority of MDs without further clinical training, his nontraditional path affords a unique perspective on the key decisions facing students who may not know exactly what they want as they head into the medical school application process.
Whit enjoys board gaming, crossword puzzles, and cooking.