Austin Nguyen is an energetic, organized, and approachable tutor who has helped countless students find academic success since 2014. In his free time, he loves to play all types of sports (mainly basketball, golf, and tennis) and hang out with friends. He enjoys traveling the world and has been to over 20 different countries.
Through his experience as a top percentile USMLE Step 1 & 2 scorer, Alpha Omega Alpha member, and someone who has honored every clinical medical school rotation, Austin learned the importance of early and effective preparation. He is confident that all students can score well on their exams with the right tools, guidance, and mindset. He views tutoring as an opportunity to serve as a mentor and he has enjoyed helping students navigate their academic journey and triumph both inside and outside the classroom. As a tutor, he utilizes open-minded questioning, real-life connections, and teach-back opportunities to engage students.
His past students describe his "hands-on style that ensures the student is engaged" and ability to "meet students where they need it most and cater to their unique academic perspective" as key components in Austin's excellence as a tutor.
Kailash Panchapakesan describes his tutoring style as dynamic, high-energy, and tutee-centric. Tutoring since 2014, he has experience with a variety of examinations, including ACT, SAT, and MCAT. Currently he focuses exclusively on USMLE and COMLEX. In his free time, Kailash enjoys the outdoors, watching & playing sports, and being with friends.
With a background as a Division 1 tennis player, Kailash also has extensive experience coaching. He feels this has broadened his insights into the different teaching paradigms one can implement. As a top percentile USMLE Step 1 and 2 scorer, Kailash recognizes that a good score doesn't guarantee a good tutor. Preparing for Step 1 is much like training for a marathon. Progressive overload, discipline, and a sustainable routine are necessities. This is why he makes it a goal to check in throughout the week with clients to see what is working, what isn't working, and what their mental state is like.
Prior students have described his sessions as "engaging," "interactive," and even "fun." Students have noted that they particularly appreciate that he provides needed emotional support at times, and they can tell he really cares.
Molly Aldred has enjoyed teaching and mentoring for many years. Her love of teaching initially began with teaching piano in grade school and progressed to becoming a teaching assistant for various classes at her undergraduate university. Her love and talent of teaching has led to tutoring at her medical school over pre-clinical subjects, shelf exams and USMLE Step 1.
She enjoys connecting with her students and excels at explaining concepts in different ways based on each student's learning style. Molly has a large fund of medical knowledge, represented by her USMLE Step 1 score of 263, USMLE Step 2 CK score of 269, and selection for Alpha Omega Alpha membership. However, she feels her greatest strength is her ability to teach core material in a simple manner and coach students on how to excel on these exams.
In her free time, Molly enjoys spending time with friends, trying new restaurants, and working out through barre and yoga classes. Prior students have complimented her patience, enthusiasm, continuous encouragement, and dedication to their success.
Mike Dybala has a passion for teaching and mentorship. After college, he tutored local students for college entrance exams and the MCAT with excellent results. He also headed a large student employment service at Harvard College, overseeing 300+ employees during the school year.
In medical school, Mike scored a 263 on USMLE Step 1 and 272 on USMLE Step 2 CK. He has honored each shelf exam, scoring >90th percentile on exams for all required clerkships and was elected a member of Alpha Omega Alpha.
In his free time, Mike enjoys playing soccer and running, spending time with his girlfriend Meg and their dog Ollie. His tutoring philosophy is founded on the long-term manifestation of everyday effort — day-to-day discipline is critical in achieving long-term goals.
A proud Massachusetts native, Sarah graduated from Harvard College, where she studied History and Neuroscience. She then attended University of California San Diego for medical school and is pursuing her combined Internal Medicine and Pediatrics Residency at Yale School of Medicine.
Sarah scored >96th percentile on her MCAT, passed Step 1 on her first attempt, and excelled on shelf exams (>90th percentile) and Step 2. She has extensive teaching experience across multiple disciplines, including academic tutoring, running coaching, and dance teaching.
In her free time, Sarah enjoys cheering on Boston sports teams, attempting to surf, and spending as much time as possible outdoors. She is incredibly honored to get to work with future physicians as a tutor!
Emma Lascar graduated Magna Cum Laude with a BS in Neuroscience from the University of Washington. She attends the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she passed USMLE Step 1 and scored 265+ on USMLE Step 2.
Emma believes in active, question-based learning and honing USMLE-specific pattern recognition skills. Her teaching experiences across a broad range of ages and subjects has underscored the importance of meeting each student where they are — no two students are the same.
In her free time, Emma loves working out, experimenting with her sewing machine, finding new vintage shops around Seattle, and spending time with her partner.
Sienna grew up in Texas and attended the University of Texas at Austin, where she studied neuroscience and held a teaching assistant position for a biochemistry course. She is a fourth-year medical student at UTHealth Houston, scored >95th percentile on her MCAT, passed Step 1 on her first attempt, scored 270+ on Step 2 CK, and is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA).
Sienna works with students to pinpoint and address weaknesses through test-taking strategies, deep analysis of thinking patterns, or content review. She believes balance is pertinent to excelling in medical school.
Outside of medicine, Sienna enjoys speed-puzzling with friends, running, cooking, and dancing. She has taught dance classes in college, at summer camps, and through school organizations.
Mary Li grew up in Colorado and earned her degree in Neuroscience with highest honors from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a fourth-year medical student at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, a member of Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) and Gold Humanism Honor Society (GHHS).
Mary passed USMLE Step 1 on her first attempt and scored 265+ on USMLE Step 2. She enjoys helping students break down complex concepts and develop personalized study strategies that align with their unique learning styles.
In her free time, Mary loves watching Korean dramas, solving jigsaw puzzles, playing board games, pickleball, and flag football. She hopes to eventually visit every U.S. national park.
Courtney Cleary has been involved in teaching and mentoring since high school. Her passion for teaching progressed to becoming an organic and general chemistry tutor for 4 years at her undergraduate university where she was promoted to Lead Tutor and Training Supervisor. Her love of teaching extended into medical school where she tutored students in pre-clinical subjects, shelf exams, USMLE Step 1, and USMLE Step 2.
Courtney's academic success on USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 with scores of 256 and 267 respectively, Alpha Omega Alpha, all pre-clinical honors, and all clinical honors demonstrate her broad medical knowledge.
In her free time, Courtney enjoys walking her dogs, spending time with friends, and hiking. She is described by her peers as calm, outgoing, and positive.
Nate Hunter graduated summa cum laude from Oral Roberts University in Molecular Biology, finishing at the top of his class. He is a fourth-year medical student at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. He passed Step 1 on his first attempt, scored 265+ on USMLE Step 2, and was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA). He honored every preclinical module and all of his third-year clerkships.
Nate's tutoring style is highly individualized — he takes time to understand each student's goals, learning style, and schedule to create an approach that works best for them.
Outside of academics, Nate enjoys powerlifting, cooking with his wife, spending time with his dog and cat, attending concerts, and reading classical history and philosophy.
Michelle Guo grew up in the Bay Area and completed her undergraduate studies at Northwestern University. She graduated from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, completed all core clinical clerkships with Honors, passed USMLE Step 1 on her first attempt, and scored in the 100th percentile on Step 2 CK with a score of 279. She is completing her General Surgery residency at Rush University Medical Center.
Michelle's focus as a tutor is building students' confidence, tailoring the test preparation process to individual learning styles, and ensuring adequate time for rest. She believes studying for board exams can feel empowering — even fun — when approached from the perspective of better caring for patients.
A Chicago lover through-and-through, Michelle enjoys picnics in the park, beach days on Lake Michigan, attending concerts, and figure skating.
David Wu is an alumnus of the GPPA Medical Scholars program at the University of Illinois Chicago and is now an Ophthalmology resident at The Ohio State University. He graduated summa cum laude with a BS in Biological Sciences. He has tutored high school subjects, calculus, physics, biology, ACT, SAT, and MCAT with 99th percentile exam scores, and successfully passed USMLE Step 1 on his first attempt.
David finds strong fulfillment in empowering his students to make impactful goals and achieve them with teamwork. His past students describe his mentorship style as "motivating, encouraging, and charismatic."
Formerly an Illinois high school tennis state champion, David enjoys playing tennis, working out, and weightlifting. When not in the hospital, he can be found reading, working through his movie watchlist, or going through a YouTube spiral.
Internal Medicine Clinical Instructor & Specialty Advisor
Joshua Dang, D.O. is a board-certified Internal Medicine physician who completed his residency at Summa Health Akron City Hospital, where he was recognized as Outstanding Student Educator of the Year. He currently practices as a Hospitalist.
Dr. Dang brings an energetic and engaging approach to tutoring, drawing from his clinical training and real-world experience. He emphasizes a comprehensive approach integrating academic success with sound clinical reasoning and professional growth.
Outside of medicine, Dr. Dang enjoys staying active through exercise and hiking, exploring new ideas through podcasts, and traveling with friends. He is known for his approachable demeanor and welcoming learning environment.
Alexa Ryder loves teaching, mentoring, and coaching others to achieve their goals. She started tutoring in various subjects in high school and furthered this through college, working as a TA and mentoring pre-medical students. She scored a 267 on USMLE Step 2.
She believes school is a balance with real life and is happy to be a sounding board, to motivate, to coach students on testing strategies, to help develop plans for success, to explain difficult concepts, and to celebrate when students achieve their goals.
In her free time, Alexa loves exploring parks with her Australian Shepherd Archie and playing pickleball with friends. She believes all students are capable of much more than they even realize.
Perry Lim completed medical school at Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University, studying Chemistry at UIUC summa cum laude. He completed research fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School and UCSF. He is an orthopedic surgery resident at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
Throughout his professional basketball career on the Malaysian Men's National Basketball team, he reinforced skills in coaching and effective communication. Perry passed USMLE Step 1 on his first attempt and achieved a top percentile 260+ score on Step 2 CK.
In his free time, Perry loves trying a new cuisine weekly, partaking in any sport with a ball, and baking sweet desserts. He prioritizes spending quality time with friends, family, and his Finnish partner, Laura.
Marina Aweeda is from Queens, NY and completed an Otolaryngology Research Fellowship at Vanderbilt University Medical Center before completing medical school at the Sophie Davis/CUNY BS/MD program. She is currently an ENT resident at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, PA.
Marina describes her mentoring style as interactive, energetic, and dynamic. She passed USMLE Step 1 on her first attempt, is a 90th+ percentile scorer on USMLE Step 2 CK, and has honored every clinical medical school rotation. Her motto: "a little bit each day."
In her free time, Marina enjoys working out, playing sports with her brothers, reading romance novels, and spending time with her friends and family.
Michael Fritz graduated summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky with a BS in Biology and continued at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He has experience working with students from pre-medical and MCAT through all USMLE exams (Step 1, 2, & 3) and matching into a highly competitive Dermatology residency.
His strong work ethic led to academic success scoring 250 on USMLE Step 1, 266 on USMLE Step 2 CK, and 253 on USMLE Step 3. Students describe him as someone who "goes above and beyond."
In his free time, Mike enjoys playing the guitar, weight training, golfing, snowboarding, cooking new recipes, coffee, and hiking.
Alexis Strahan is a Dermatology resident with a passion for medical education, teaching, and mentorship! Her unique background as a nurse practitioner gives her extra practice excelling on standardized examinations. She has a long history of teaching as a guest lecturer for PA programs and a preceptor for nursing and PA graduates domestically and internationally.
Her well-rounded approach helped her attain 260+ on USMLE Step 1 and 275+ on USMLE Step 2. She was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha as a 3rd year student, Pi Kappa Phi (top 10%) and Gold Humanism Honor Society.
In her free time, Alexis loves planning adventures with her husband Jack and golden retriever Magnolia. She is a candy-fanatic and Taylor Swift super fan.
Alexis Saunders pursued a major in neuroscience and graduated summa cum laude in college. She continued at SUNY Upstate Norton College of Medicine, where she scored 240+ on USMLE Step 1 and an exceptional 270+ on USMLE Step 2 CK.
She is an inductee of the Gold Humanism Honor Society and served as president of the Association of Native American Medical Students (ANAMS). She is now an Emergency Medicine resident at SUNY Upstate.
In her leisure time, Alexis likes to spend time with her significant other and pets, playing board games, listening to podcasts, and HIIT workouts on Peloton and OTF.
Mia Andreoli attended both college and medical school at Northwestern University. She served as a teaching assistant for Biology Laboratory courses and provided tutoring in the preclinical years. Mia is now in her Internal Medicine residency at Weill Cornell Medicine. She passed USMLE Step 1 and scored 268 on Step 2 CK.
Mia's primary objective is to help students create study schedules, develop test taking skills, understand challenging concepts, and build testing confidence. She recognizes that each student has a unique learning style and adapts each session accordingly.
Outside of school, Mia enjoys running on the lakefront, playing water polo, trying new restaurants, and spending time with family and friends.
Christina (Tina) Shehata studied Neuroscience at Northwestern University and completed medical school at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. She successfully passed Step 1 on her first attempt and achieved a top percentile 270+ score on Step 2 CK. She is completing her Diagnostic Radiology residency at Northwestern McGaw Medical Center.
Tina combines evidence-based learning techniques with a deep understanding of her students' learning styles — utilizing interactive question-solving sessions, real-life connections, and teach-back exercises to instill confidence.
In her free time, Tina takes walks along Lake Michigan, is captain of a competitive skeeball team, and plays violin in the Northwestern Medical Orchestra.
Harsha Voleti scored a 266 on USMLE Step 1, 272 on Step 2, and 251 on Step 3. He was ranked in the top quartile of his medical school class and selected for Alpha Omega Alpha. He completed a 6-year BS/MD program at Northeast Ohio Medical University and is currently a diagnostic radiology resident at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Harsha believes in a simple yet personalized approach to studying, exam preparation, and career guidance. Beyond content mastery, he emphasizes developing excellent study habits and test-taking strategies, and has helped dozens of medical students match into competitive radiology programs.
In his free time, Harsha enjoys football, soccer, golf, road cycling, hiking, reading, podcasts, and passionately following Cincinnati sports.
Vikram Tammana is an Alpha Omega Alpha member who achieved 265+ on USMLE Step 1 and 275+ on USMLE Step 2. He has been shaping his teaching methodology since 2014, beginning with martial arts instruction and expanding to academic tutoring, MCAT, medical school, and USMLE Step 1.
Vikram believes in a "simplicity first" mindset and utilizes historically proven study methods to develop broad understanding, prioritizing efficiency. Previous students regard him as "approachable," "patient," and "knowledgeable."
In his free time, Vikram enjoys Peloton, martial arts, video games, and recently fell down the rabbit hole of coffee and espresso.
Alex Wilkinson achieved a 265+ score on USMLE Step 1, 270+ on USMLE Step 2, honored every course in his third year, and is an Alpha Omega Alpha member. He has served on student panels for USMLE prep and coaches on time management, question strategies, and mental preparation.
In his free time, Alex enjoys spending time with his wife and two kids. His role as a dad has helped him hone his skills as an effective teacher. He can be found cracking dad-jokes and always finds a way to make others laugh and feel comfortable. He also enjoys road biking, baking, and sports.
Previous students regard Alex as "approachable," "patient," and "knowledgeable" with a track-record of excellence.
Samantha Holmes Seward graduated summa cum laude from the University of Indianapolis with a BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology and attended Indiana University School of Medicine. She is a top performer on all USMLE Step exams, scoring 257 on Step 1 & 266 on Step 2 CK, and matched at her first choice for Dermatology residency at Indiana University.
As a former Division-II cross country and track athlete, Samantha credits her strong work ethic, time management skills, and ability to deliver constructive feedback to her background in collegiate athletics.
In her free time, Samantha enjoys spending time with her husband, running, cooking vegetarian/vegan recipes, and playing with her two cats.
Erick Masias grew up in Chicago and attended Middlebury College. He completed medical school and a fully funded research fellowship at Northwestern University. After passing USMLE Step 1 but struggling with early shelf exams, he retooled his approach and scored in the 260s on USMLE Step 2 CK. This journey is central to his goal of emphasizing growth mindset with students.
Erick understands that with the right schedules, approach to difficult question stems, and patience, anyone can achieve their dream score. He adapts to each student's existing learning style.
Outside of medicine, Erick is a musician who plays gigs at local farmers markets and with a cover band. He loves spike ball, riding his bike on the lakefront, and recently started birdwatching.
Jackson Harvey has extensive teaching experience across many disciplines. He was an Organic Chemistry teaching assistant for two years and an independent MCAT tutor in college. In medical school he worked as a Peer Educator Program Tutor at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and scored 254 on USMLE Step 1 and 268 on USMLE Step 2 CK.
Jackson prides himself on helping students see problems from different perspectives, teaching complex concepts in a simple and easy-to-remember fashion. He tailors individualized study plans to meet the personal needs of each learner.
In his free time, Jackson enjoys running, golf, intramural sports, hiking/camping, and spending time with family, friends, and his significant other Paige.
Ryan Chiu attended both college and medical school at University of Illinois at Chicago through the GPPA accelerated 7-year BS/MD program. He is an inductee of the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Societies and scored 257 on USMLE Step 1 and 259 on USMLE Step 2 CK. In 2020, the American Medical Association named him a "Physician of Tomorrow." He is a neurosurgical resident at UT Southwestern Medical Center.
Ryan's diverse background spanning research, advocacy, and clinical excellence makes him an exceptional mentor for medical students navigating their careers.
In his free time, Ryan enjoys road trips and travelling, exploring the restaurant scene, and playing chess and board games.
Sam Schellenberg studied biochemistry at Calvin University and completed medical school at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He is completing his internal medicine residency at Northwestern McGaw Medical Center. He passed Step 1 and scored 270+ on Step 2 CK and is a Gold Humanism Honor Society inductee.
Sam works to help each student realize their full potential, building an intentional study schedule, monitoring progress objectively, and targeting weakest areas. He believes building pattern recognition skills through question-based learning is the most powerful method to achieve a top score.
Outside of medicine, Sam loses track of time playing guitar and piano. He also enjoys hiking, kayaking, and golfing with his wife, friends, and family.
Joe Bianco studied Electrical Engineering at UIUC, graduated with honors, worked as a hardware engineer at Northrop Grumman, and completed medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago. He passed USMLE Step 1 on his first attempt.
Joe believes adaptability is the most important skill a tutor can have — everyone learns at a different pace and with a preferred style. He believes standardized testing is a skill that everyone can improve on with the right guidance and time.
In his free time, Joe loves music, guitar, volunteering with Heartbeats (playing live music for pediatric patients), and staying active through volleyball and rock climbing.
Anitesh Bajaj graduated Summa Cum Laude from USC with a BS in Human Biology and is a medical student at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He passed USMLE Step 1 on his first attempt and achieved a score of 260+ on Step 2 CK.
Anitesh's tutoring style meets students where they are in the learning process while maintaining a supportive, encouraging environment. He has learned the importance of collaboratively setting realistic, individualized goals.
Outside of school, Anitesh stays active playing tennis, pickleball, basketball, spikeball, and skiing. He is also always on the hunt for the best boba.
Jacob Jamison graduated with honors from Brown University, majoring in German Studies and Biology and competing as a Division 1 rower. He taught abroad in Germany on a Fulbright scholarship before medical school. He is a third-year medical student at Weill Cornell Medical College, passed USMLE Step 1, achieved 90th-99th percentile on all shelf exams, and scored 270 on USMLE Step 2.
With over 10 years of mentoring and teaching experience, Jacob takes a student-centered approach, tailoring his methods to each student's strengths, weaknesses, and preferred learning style.
In his free time, Jacob explores NYC on his fixed gear bicycle, learns White Stripes songs on guitar, and crafts the perfect vegan chili.
Kirtana earned her undergraduate and master's degrees in biomedical engineering at Northwestern University and is a fourth-year medical student at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine. She passed USMLE Step 1 on her first attempt and scored 270 on USMLE Step 2.
Kirtana's approach is student-centered, focusing on developing mastery in challenging topics while maintaining areas of strength. She is also a strong believer in exam-day mindset and coaches students on how to boost their confidence in the weeks leading up to the exam.
In her free time, Kirtana enjoys dancing, pilates, learning to cook new cuisines, and exploring nature. Her most recent adventure was getting SCUBA certified in Cozumel, Mexico!
Vivian Jin completed medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine and is in her ENT Residency at the University of Texas Medical School. She received a Master's in Medical Anthropology from the University of Oxford. She is an Alpha Omega Alpha member and scored 260+ on USMLE Step 2.
Vivian's mentorship style is energetic and encouraging. She believes everyone has their own unique and optimal way of understanding material, and her goal is to identify and personalize each session to one's individual strengths.
Outside of medicine, Vivian loves reading contemporary & science fiction, yoga, Settlers of Catan, and exploring Chicago's indie and electronic music scene.
Caleb Shi grew up in Texas and attended Rice University, studying economics and conducting cancer research. He is a fourth-year medical student at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and a member of the Gold Humanism Honor Society. He scored in the 99th percentile on the MCAT and passed USMLE Step 1 on his first attempt.
Caleb enjoys helping students identify patterns in their thinking, turn weaknesses into strengths, and build the confidence needed to perform on high-stakes exams. He values supporting students not only in reaching academic goals but in developing a sustainable and balanced way of studying.
Outside of medicine, Caleb is a sailor and scuba diver. On land, he enjoys pickleball and traveling to experience new cultures.
Trey Sickler tutored peers in undergraduate coursework at Princeton, then taught for Kaplan as a classroom instructor for both the MCAT and SAT. Through his Division-I volleyball career at Princeton, he spent years coaching teammates and clinics for high school players. He attained 255+ on USMLE Step 1, 270+ on USMLE Step 2, honored every clerkship, and was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha.
Trey maintains a philosophy of making sure students always grasp the "why" behind answers. He works deliberately to build not just knowledge and test-taking strategies but also confidence.
In his free time, Trey enjoys volleyball, weightlifting, pickleball, and Minecraft sessions with friends.
Amanda Hunt graduated magna cum laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology and attended Western Michigan University Homer Stryker MD School of Medicine, where she was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA). She passed USMLE Step 1 on her first attempt and scored 265+ on USMLE Step 2.
Amanda excels at breaking down challenging material into digestible frameworks, empowering students not only to succeed on their exams but also to build confidence in their clinical reasoning and problem-solving skills.
In her free time, Amanda enjoys binging Bravo TV, spending time with friends, and running.
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