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Reza and Rabih (RR), who were co-residents at UCSF, shared a strong passion for clinical reasoning and were brought together by their mentor, the legendary Dr. Gurpreet Dhaliwal. Dr. Dhaliwal not only shared his extensive wisdom in clinical medicine with RR but also embodied humility, kindness, and a focus on the learner. Inspired by these values and after Reza made a guest appearance on the popular podcast, the Curbsiders, RR decided to share their schemas and clinical reasoning knowledge through a podcast. With the addition of the inimitable Sharmin Sherkachian and Arsalan Derkashan, CPSolvers was born in December 2018.

At CPSolvers, we are committed to creating a culture of compassion and community to disseminate and democratize the stories and science of diagnostic reasoning. Check out our podcast, come learn with us on our virtual morning reports, and explore our diagnostic frameworks, and illness scripts. Meet the members behind our daily virtual morning report, the CPSolvers Academy, here. 

Our Team

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Founding Members

Reza Manesh

Reza was born in Tehran, and grew up mostly in Pittsburgh. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and completed internal medicine residency at UCSF. He works as a hospitalist, primarily taking care of patients with medical students and residents. Reza’s passions include lifting heavy weights, eating at chipotle, and studying at coffee shops. His life hero is his grandfather. His ultimate goal is to share his excitement and love of clinical problem-solving with others.

Rabih Geha

Rabih was born in Lebanon, and grew up mostly in Pakistan before coming to the US to attend Boston College and then Brown for medical school. He completed residency and chief residency at UCSF. Rabih splits his time between the Emergency Room and the inpatient teaching wards. Within diagnosis, Rabih enjoys creating diagnostic schemas; this interest in crafting logical solutions dates back to the good old days of high school math, most of which he learned from his dad.

Sharmin Shekarchian

Sharmin was born and raised in Iran before moving to the Bay Area. She finished her internal medicine residency at UCSF and now works as a hospitalist with a focus on medical education. Her interests include clinical reasoning and curriculum design. Sharmin is an avid tennis and soccer fan and loves traveling and spending time with family and friends. She knows every episode of Friends by heart, thinks there is never a bad time to drink coffee and she’s a big fan of a good laugh.

Arsalan Derakhshan

Arsalan was born in Iran and moved to Atlanta, Georgia as a young child. He loves to travel and considers himself a global citizen. After graduating from Emory University, he attended the Medical College of Georgia and completed internal medicine residency at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He was an academic hospitalist at University Hospital Case Western Reserve for a couple of years and served as the global health track director before pursuing Cardiology and Electrophysiology Fellowship training at The Cleveland Clinic. He enjoys working with medical students and residents to help them discover their passions.  He enjoys listening to hip-hop, drinking tea, and having lively discussions with friends.

Leadership

President

Co-directors of Internal Operations

Rabih Geha

Rabih was born in Lebanon, and grew up mostly in Pakistan before coming to the US to attend Boston College and then Brown for medical school. He completed residency and chief residency at UCSF. Rabih splits his time between the Emergency Room and the inpatient teaching wards. Within diagnosis, Rabih enjoys creating diagnostic schemas; this interest in crafting logical solutions dates back to the good old days of high school math, most of which he learned from his dad.

Madellena Conte

Maddy was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. She completed her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, her Master’s of Science in Global Health at UCSF, and her MD degree at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in New York. She is an incoming PGY-1 at the University of Colorado in Denver. Outside of medicine, Madellena loves to travel, meet new people, run, figure skate and really do anything outdoors.

Youssef Saklawi

Youssef was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. A proud #IMG, he transitioned to Emory University, where he is currently immersed in his residency training in internal medicine and hoping to pursue a career in hospital medicine. Driven by his passion for clinical reasoning, Youssef is committed to serving underserved populations and embracing the humanitarian aspects of medicine. Outside the realm of medicine, he finds joy in watching and playing football (soccer), trying new restaurants, travel and open-mic storytelling.

Virtual Morning Report Leadership

Rabih Geha

Rabih was born in Lebanon, and grew up mostly in Pakistan before coming to the US to attend Boston College and then Brown for medical school. He completed residency and chief residency at UCSF. Rabih splits his time between the Emergency Room and the inpatient teaching wards. Within diagnosis, Rabih enjoys creating diagnostic schemas; this interest in crafting logical solutions dates back to the good old days of high school math, most of which he learned from his dad.

Şeyma Yildirim

Şeyma is a final-year medical student at Charité University Berlin with a deep passion for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, particularly enjoying Clinical Reasoning. Beyond her studies, she delights in spending time with friends, exploring museums, watching true-crime documentaries, and savoring cuisine from diverse cultures.

Ravi Singh

Ravi (Ravitej) Singh is originally from London U.K
Currently, he is the Interim Program Director for Sinai Hospital Internal medicine residency program in Baltimore and medicine clerkship director for GW School of medicine regional medical campus. He is a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
In his free time he enjoys watching and playing soccer, NFL and doing DIY projects and learning new crafts and hobbies.

Madellena Conte

Maddy was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. She completed her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, her Master’s of Science in Global Health at UCSF, and her MD degree at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in New York. She is an incoming PGY-1 at the University of Colorado in Denver. Outside of medicine, Madellena loves to travel, meet new people, run, figure skate and really do anything outdoors.

Débora Loureiro

Débora was born in Brazil where she graduated from UNICEUB University of Law. After passing the Brazilian Bar to become a lawyer, she soon realized her passion was medicine and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina to study at the Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Her interests include clinical reasoning, pulmonary and critical care. Outside Medicine she enjoys a variety of exercises including Crossfit, running and cycling. She also loves to travel and indulge in wine tasting. 

Jas Bajwa

Jas is born and raised in Toronto, Canada. After completing medical school in Tennessee, he completed family medicine training in Rochester, NY. He is passionate about hospital medicine, primary care, and medical education. He currently practices at Rochester Regional Health. Outside of medicine, he loves playing multiple sports, traveling and outdoor activities such as mountaineering & kayaking. He also loves making (but not as much he loves eating) homemade gelato and has made strides on making an excellent Pistachio gelato.

Youssef Saklawi

Youssef was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. A proud #IMG, he transitioned to Emory University, where he is currently immersed in his residency training in internal medicine and hoping to pursue a career in hospital medicine. Driven by his passion for clinical reasoning, Youssef is committed to serving underserved populations and embracing the humanitarian aspects of medicine. Outside the realm of medicine, he finds joy in watching and playing football (soccer), trying new restaurants, travel and open-mic storytelling.

Yazmin Heredia

Yazmin Heredia, a Mexican graduate from the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, cultivated a profound interest in Public Health, Medical Education, and Health Equity during her medical training. In her spare time, she finds joy in nurturing her plants, honing her skills in the fine arts, or immersing herself in learning a new language.

Ibrahim Omer

Born and raised in Saudi Arabia to Saudi and Sudanese parents, Ibrahim is a medical student driven by a passion for clinical reasoning and public health policy. His view of Global Health and medicine is shaped by his upbringing in Jeddah, home to the most culturally diverse communities in the Middle East and North Africa. In his free time, Ibrahim explores his cultural heritage through Arabic calligraphy and playing on the Oud.

Mark Heslin

Mark was born and raised in southern New Jersey and attended Cooper Medical School in Camden, New Jersey. He is a current third-year internal medicine resident at the University of Pennsylvania. He is an incoming academic hospitalist at Stanford. His clinical interests include medical education, clinical reasoning, diagnostic error, and the use of innovative technology to disseminate the teaching of clinical reasoning. Outside of medicine, Mark loves to travel (he recently came back from a global health trip to Botswana), cook (and eat!), and spending time outdoors.

Mengyu Zhou

Mengyu grew up in Beijing, China. In medical school she met a visiting professor from UCSF that would inspire and shape her career forever. She completed residency at Tufts in Boston and worked at UCSF for a year as a hospitalist, before joining her family in Portland, Oregon. In the pursuit of a clinician-educator career, she finds joy in the lifelong journey of learning and teaching in clinical reasoning. She is a POCUS enthusiast, and has a part-time role in clinical informatics. Outside of medicine, as a mom of three, she enjoys spending time with her family, as well as listening to audiobooks and learning Spanish.

Parisa Abedi

Parisa was borned and raised in Iran, is deeply involved in innovative cancer research at Yale Medical School. She loves clinical reasoning and is excited to apply for an internal medicine residency soon to continue making a difference in patient care. Parisa finds joy and peace in nature, often spending her free time outdoors. She’s a true coffee lover, relishing the simple pleasure of a good cup of coffee. Cooking is another passion of hers, giving her a way to connect with family and friends over delicious meals.

Maryana Mendonça

Maryana, a Brazilian medical graduate, is pursuing her dream of becoming a physician in the US. Besides her passion for clinical reasoning and medical education, she volunteers with the diabetes education team at Duke Raleigh Hospital and advocates for patients. Her interests include internal medicine, disease prevention, and improving quality of life. She enjoys story-telling podcasts, discovering new coffee shops, cooking Brazilian dishes, exploring cities by scooter, and pilates.

Elena Storz

Elena is a final year medical student from Berlin, Germany. She has a strong passion for medical education and clinical reasoning. Outside of medicine she loves being outdoors, hiking, cycling and being with friends and family.

Ethan Chiu

Ethan was born in Canada and raised in Taiwan. He is currently in his final year of medical school and plans to undergo an additional two years of general medicine training before pursuing a residency in internal medicine in the United States. His passion lies in clinical reasoning, gastroenterology, and rheumatology.Outside of medicine, Ethan enjoys long-distance running, watching basketball and baseball games (he is a huge fan of the New York Knicks and the New York Yankees), and spending quality time with friends and family.

Podcast Team Members

Schema Series

Jack Penner 

Jack Penner was born and raised in Los Gatos, CA (a small town about an hour south of San Francisco).  He is now a general internist at the San Francisco VA Medical Center where he sees patients and teaches residents and medical students in the urgent care clinic, emergency room, inpatient wards, and morning report. Outside of residency, he is a fan of brewing coffee, reading, and spending time in the ocean whenever he can.

Madellena Conte

Maddy was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. She completed her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, her Master’s of Science in Global Health at UCSF, and her MD degree at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in New York. She is an incoming PGY-1 at the University of Colorado in Denver. Outside of medicine, Madellena loves to travel, meet new people, run, figure skate and really do anything outdoors.

Youssef Saklawi

Youssef was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. A proud #IMG, he transitioned to Emory University, where he is currently immersed in his residency training in internal medicine and hoping to pursue a career in hospital medicine. Driven by his passion for clinical reasoning, Youssef is committed to serving underserved populations and embracing the humanitarian aspects of medicine. Outside the realm of medicine, he finds joy in watching and playing football (soccer), trying new restaurants, travel and open-mic storytelling.

Sharmin Shekarchian

Sharmin was born and raised in Iran before moving to the Bay Area. She finished her internal medicine residency at UCSF and now works as a hospitalist with a focus on medical education. Her interests include clinical reasoning and curriculum design. Sharmin is an avid tennis and soccer fan and loves traveling and spending time with family and friends. She knows every episode of Friends by heart, thinks there is never a bad time to drink coffee and she’s a big fan of a good laugh.

Andrew Sanchez

Andrew is a rising hospitalist-educator at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Meeting inpatients and working with them to achieve diagnostic clarity is his primary clinical passion, and his interest in diagnosing the undifferentiated patient is the driving force behind deep interest in learning and teaching diagnostic reasoning. On X/Twitter (@ASanchez_PS), he is known for creating and sharing schemas for both common and uncommon clinical dilemmas, and he is currently developing a new podcast space for Dx enthusiasts: Diagnostic Atypia.

Spaced Learning Series

Mukund Raguram

Mukund grew up in Hagatna, Guam, and Portland, Oregon. He studied Spanish literature and cell biology at UC Berkeley, worked as a housing navigator, and is now a medical student at UC San Francisco in the PRIME program. Mukund is interested in health systems advocacy, housing insecurity, and addiction medicine. In his free time, Mukund is an avid deep sky astrophotographer and visual astronomer.

Valeria Roldán

Vale is a recent graduate from Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia in Lima, Peru. She is hoping to pursue Neurology residency. Within medicine she is passionate about the intersection between neuro and trans health, medical education and clinical reasoning. Outside of medicine, she enjoys running, specially on trails, reading, writing, dancing and spending time with her family and friends by the beach.

Jas Bajwa

Jas is born and raised in Toronto, Canada. After completing medical school in Tennessee, he completed family medicine training in Rochester, NY. He is passionate about hospital medicine, primary care, and medical education. He currently practices at Rochester Regional Health. Outside of medicine, he loves playing multiple sports, traveling and outdoor activities such as mountaineering & kayaking. He also loves making (but not as much he loves eating) homemade gelato and has made strides on making an excellent Pistachio gelato.

Elena Storz

Elena is a final year medical student from Berlin, Germany. She has a strong passion for medical education and clinical reasoning. Outside of medicine she loves being outdoors, hiking, cycling and being with friends and family.

Women In Diagnosis Series

Sharmin Shekarchian

Sharmin was born and raised in Iran before moving to the Bay Area. She finished her internal medicine residency at UCSF and now works as a hospitalist with a focus on medical education. Her interests include clinical reasoning and curriculum design. Sharmin is an avid tennis and soccer fan and loves traveling and spending time with family and friends. She knows every episode of Friends by heart, thinks there is never a bad time to drink coffee and she’s a big fan of a good laugh.

Jane Hinkle 

Jane grew up in New Jersey and completed her undergraduate degree in Global and Public Health from Cornell University. She received her medical degree from Case Western Reserve University, and an MPH in Quantitative Methods from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is currently a Med-Peds resident at the University of Pennsylvania. She is interested in population health, epidemiology, and health advocacy. In her free time, she enjoys playing the NYT crossword (and even Connections!), hiking, and cooking. 

Kaylin Nguyen

Kaylin grew up in Southern California and completed her medical training at UCSF and Stanford. She is a non-invasive cardiologist and clinician educator at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, with interests in health equity, medical education, and women in medicine. Outside of medicine, she enjoys hikes with her pup, poppy seed bagels, and well-timed puns.

Rafael Medina Subspecialty Series

Rafael Medina dos Santos, a Brazilian medical graduate, harbored aspirations of becoming a teacher before pursuing medicine. Unsurprisingly, his love for teaching and learning naturally aligned with the mission of CPSolvers. Tragically, Rafa passed away in 2023 before commencing residency, leaving a profound impact on the CPSolvers team. Remembered for his unwavering passion for clinical reasoning and his talent for fostering community, the podcast series bears his name as a tribute to his enduring legacy. Rafa’s favorite quote, “One life, so many dreams,” continues to inspire those who knew him. Beyond medicine, he found joy in fiction books/movies, pop music, belting out Disney tunes and singing Taylor Swift’s newest releases. 

Şeyma Yildirim

Şeyma is a final-year medical student at Charité University Berlin with a deep passion for Internal Medicine and Dermatology, particularly enjoying Clinical Reasoning. Beyond her studies, she delights in spending time with friends, exploring museums, watching true-crime documentaries, and savoring cuisine from diverse cultures.

Kirtan Patolia

Kirtan is a second-year Internal Medicine resident from John H. Stroger Jr., Hospital of Cook County, Chicago. He relishes being the CPSolvers team member, as solving cases and generating differential diagnoses are his biggest passions. You will frequently find him sharing clinical cases on VMR. Outside of medicine, he likes to read fiction, particularly Agatha Christie and Nancy Drew novels. He also loves kite flying, especially using various techniques and maneuvers to fly the kites.

Hui Ting Ruan

Hui Ting is an oncology research fellow at the Cleveland Clinic and an incoming IM resident at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. She is of Chinese origin but was born and raised in Venezuela. Hui Ting traveled around the world working as a physician onboard luxury cruise lines. She enjoys clinical reasoning and is interested in Gastroenterology. Outside of medicine, she loves to travel and spend time with her husband and two Golden Retrievers in addition to trying new food. When not working, she can be found working for local and national brands as a professional lifestyle model.

 

Youssef Saklawi

Youssef was born and raised in Beirut, Lebanon. A proud #IMG, he transitioned to Emory University, where he is currently immersed in his residency training in internal medicine and hoping to pursue a career in hospital medicine. Driven by his passion for clinical reasoning, Youssef is committed to serving underserved populations and embracing the humanitarian aspects of medicine. Outside the realm of medicine, he finds joy in watching and playing football (soccer), trying new restaurants, travel and open-mic storytelling.

Madellena Conte

Maddy was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. She completed her undergraduate degree at Dartmouth College, her Master’s of Science in Global Health at UCSF, and her MD degree at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell in New York. She is an incoming PGY-1 at the University of Colorado in Denver. Outside of medicine, Madellena loves to travel, meet new people, run, figure skate and really do anything outdoors.

#EndNeurophobia Neurology VMR

María Jimena Alemán

María Jimena Alemán was born and raised in Guatemala. After suffering from long-standing neurophobia, she has embraced her love for neurology and will soon be starting her neurology residency at the University of California San Francisco. She looks forward to dedicating her life to improving neurological care and education around the globe. Maria loves art and culture and is currently obsessed with textiles and flowers. 

Aaron Berkowitz

Aaron is a neurology professor at UCSF, where he works as a clinician-educator, general neurologist, and neurohospitalist at the VA and SF General. He enjoys teaching residents and students and is grateful to be part of the CPSolvers team, where he facilitates neuroVMR, discusses neurology cases, and mentors aspiring neurologists. Before UCSF, he taught neuroanatomy at Brigham and Women’s and Harvard. He provides neurology teleconsultation to Doctors Without Borders, helped start the first neurology residency in Haiti, and has taught in Malawi, Zambia, Japan, and Vietnam. Aaron has authored two popular textbooks and a book about patients with brain tumors in rural Haiti. In his free time, he enjoys hiking, backpacking, yoga, meditation, and vegan cooking.

Lea Bischof

Lea was born and raised in Austria and is a recent graduate from the Medical University of Graz. Her primary interests are Clinical Reasoning, Medical Education, General Internal Medicine, with a special interest in Rheumatology. She hopes to inspire others with her passion for teaching and deep thinking. Her goal is to contribute to improving medical education in German speaking countries and creating fruitful learning environments. Outside of medicine Lea enjoys good books, long hikes, dancing, meeting new people and discovering their stories. She loves traveling but always finds herself returning to places with proximity to mountains.

Clinical Unknown Series

Noah Nakajima

Brazilian by birth, physician by training. Proud CPSolvers team member. Incoming IM resident at WashU, in St. Louis! Passionate about all things clinical reasoning, medical education, videogames, and fantasy books.

Débora Loureiro

Débora was born in Brazil where she graduated from UNICEUB University of Law. After passing the Brazilian Bar to become a lawyer, she soon realized her passion was medicine and moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina to study at the Facultad de Medicina de la Universidad de Buenos Aires. Her interests include clinical reasoning, pulmonary and critical care. Outside Medicine she enjoys a variety of exercises including Crossfit, running and cycling. She also loves to travel and indulge in wine tasting.