MEDITALKS & THOUGHTS
A Youth-Driven Nonprofit Organization
Meet our teams of dedicated and hard-working high school students who aim to achieve our mission:
ABOUT OUR FOUNDERS
Our Story
Suhana Jain and Aashi Jhawer have been friends since they were only two years old. Since the beginning, they have attended school together, and both now attend UCLA. Coming together in their freshman year of high school, Aashi and Suhana decided to start an organization that would help themselves and their peers find their passions and interests through leadership and collaboration. Today, MEDItalks & Thoughts has multiple international chapters that inspire many students to fulfill their goals in the near future.
OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The Board of Directors oversees the actions of all MEDItalks & Thoughts branches and committees. Connect with us at any time to learn more.
Suhana Jain
Co-President
Hello, I'm Suhana! Now a first-year student at UCLA I am thrilled to continue to lead this program that brings together driven students in a single network that thrives on education, experience, and growth. Throughout my high school journey, MEDItalks & Thoughts has been proved to be an excellent learning opportunity, opening my eyes to the various career possibilities out there and what I have to offer. I look forward to our future meetings and forming connections with every member at M&T!
Aashi Jhawer
Co-President
Hi! My name is Aashi, and I'm a first-year student at UCLA studying Human Biology & Society and Environmental Science. It has always been a goal of mine to start a platform where aspiring students that share future interests in healthcare can come together to debate some of its most enticing and challenging topics. While I started MEDItalks with the intent to become a doctor, this organization has shown me the much wider array of fascinating professions in this field. Now, I hope to become a health lawyer in the future and to work on developing and advocating for healthcare policy!
Co-Vice President
Rayhan Jain
Hi, my name is Rayhan Jain and I am a junior at Calabasas High School. I am vice president, web designer, and Co-President of the West Coast Chapter of MEDItalks and Thoughts. I have always been passionate about the medical field and other careers outside of it. In the future, I want to pursue the field of computer science and Meditalks and Thoughts allows me to learn more about the field and how great it is. I am dedicated to continuing to grow this organization and can't wait to help others pursue their passions.
Jay Patel
Co-Vice President
Hi, my name is Jay Patel, and I’m a junior and the Co-President of the West Coast Chapter of MEDItalks and Thoughts. As the son of two doctors, my passion for medicine started from a young age. I love everything about the medical field and have a rich passion for the human anatomy. With MEDItalks and Thoughts, I have refined my speaking skills and, most importantly, advanced my medical knowledge in the hopes of one day becoming a Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon. I can’t wait to help orchestrate the future expansion of the MEDItalks and Thoughts community and benefit the people who have the same love for medicine as me!
Mia Ben-Ami
Treasurer
Hi my name is Mia Ben-Ami and I am the Treasurer. During my free time I love to read and play the cello. In the future I would love to pursue a career in either the medical field or biotechnology.
Deshan Weeratane
Co-Secretary
Hi! My name is Deshan, and I’m a freshman at USC. I’ve always been passionate about pursuing a career in the medical field, particularly cardiology. MEDItalks & Thoughts has supplied me with an insightful, valuable experience to explore potential careers through interactive MEDdebates, enlightening case studies, and community service events. As Co-Secretary, I’m looking forward to exploring more opportunities in this incredible program and interacting with you all!
Nicole Mazaheri
Co-Secretary
Hi! My name is Nicole, and I am a freshman at UCLA. I am so excited to be Co-Secretary for MEDItalks & Thoughts! Throughout my life, medicine has always been my passion, and in the future, I hope to pursue a career in Pediatrics. MEDItalks and Thoughts gives me the opportunity to learn more about the field of medicine by debating about key medical topics and collaborating with other wonderful students. I also genuinely have a passion for helping others, and the community service aspect of MEDItalks & Thoughts truly allows me to explore this passion of mine even more. I am looking forward to getting to know everyone!
OUR HEAD COMMITTEE
Our Head Committee oversees the various functioning aspects of MEDItalks & Thoughts.
Leighton Westerberg
Social Media Manager
Hi, my name is Leighton Westerberg and I am a freshman in high school. I recently joined MEDItalks & Thoughts and I am very excited to work with the team as the Social Media Manager. I have been interested in the medical field for years and wish to pursue gastroenterology. Health and wellness are very important to me and have increased my interest in the medical field. MEDItalks and Thoughts provides an amazing opportunity to advance my knowledge of the medical field through debates, meeting with professionals, and conversations with peers.
Ashi Bhatia
Chapter Coordinator
Hi! My name is Ashi and I am a sophomore in high school. I have always been interested in biology and MEDItalks was a great way for me to explore that field. I particularly enjoy learning about the various research projects, new types of medicine, and the benefits or disadvantages of all of them. Debating and seeing every topic from different points of view while examining the scientific explanation behind it is what I most like. I am so excited to join this group as co-chapter coordinator and cannot wait to work with everybody!
Maral Jarahzadeh
Co-Marketing Director
Hi, my name is Maral Jarahzadeh and I am a junior in high school. I am so excited to participate in MEDItalks and Thoughts as the Co-Marketing Director and love to see the program evolve. I am extremely passionate about all fields of medicine and am so grateful to be a part of this organization to coordinate with people who share my interests and meet professionals who I can learn from. I can't wait to share my experience with others in the program and see what the future holds!
Lev Verpukhovskiy
Co-Marketing Director
Hello my name is Lev Verpukhovskiy and I love to play tennis, cook, and better myself at the gym. I’m in 12th grade and I joined meditalks to learn more about the beautiful art of medicine and the various career paths that involve the practice of medicine.
Aidan Zap
Co-Director of Community Service
Hey! My name is Aidan and I am currently a junior in high school. In my free time I enjoy playing tennis, and I have a deep interest in music and film. I am excited to say that I am a co-director of community service for MEDItalks & Thoughts, allowing me to take a deeper dive into medicine.
Ryan Kevani
Director of Applications
Hi! My name is Ryan Keyvani. I am a junior at Calabasas High School. Since elementary school, I have wanted to pursue a career in the medical field. I would like to enter the field as a neurologist as I am very fascinated by the brain and the vast variety of its functions that are still hidden from our common knowledge. Through MEDItalks and Thoughts, I can increase my interest and general knowledge of the field. I'm very excited to be the Director of Applications at this organization and I am looking forward to participating as much as I can in MEDItalks and Thoughts.
OUR CHAPTER LEADERS
Our Chapter Leaders have established MEDItalks & Thoughts branches both regionally and internationally. Learn more here.
Our goal with this program is to invite all students exploring a career in the medical field - be it a doctor, nurse, dentist, PA, EMT, or any of the hundreds of careers that this specialty inculcates - to discuss and debate challenging medical situations, meet and speak with medical professionals, and learn about various medical specialties and procedures through a virtual and distinct way.
Jay Patel
Co-Vice President
Chapter Leader, California
Hi, my name is Jay Patel, and I’m a junior and the Co-President of the West Coast Chapter of MEDItalks and Thoughts. As the son of two doctors, my passion for medicine started from a young age. I love everything about the medical field and have a rich passion for the human anatomy. With MEDItalks and Thoughts, I have refined my speaking skills and, most importantly, advanced my medical knowledge in the hopes of one day becoming a Sports Medicine Orthopedic Surgeon. I can’t wait to help orchestrate the future expansion of the MEDItalks and Thoughts community and benefit the people who have the same love for medicine as me!
Rayhan Jain
Co-Vice President
Chapter Leader, California
Hi, my name is Rayhan Jain and I am a junior at Calabasas High School. I am vice president and web designer of Meditalks and Thoughts, and have always been passionate about the medical field and other careers outside of it. In the future, I want to pursue the field of computer science and Meditalks and Thoughts allows me to learn more about the field and how great it is. I am dedicated to continuing to grow this organization and can't wait to help others pursue their passions.
ADITYA KOLLIPARA
Chapter Leader, India
Hi! My name is Aditya, and I'm an 11th Grader at Oakridge International School. It has always been my dream to become a doctor and help those in need, and I feel that the MEDItalks & Thoughts Program helped me in pursuing my path to becoming a doctor. I want to be able to provide students in India a similar opportunity and look forward to getting to know you in our first session (Jan. 2, 2021)!
PRATEETI REDDY
Vice-President, India
Hey! My name is Prateeti, and I'm an 11th grader at Oakridge International School. I've always been drawn to the medical side since I was a kid. There isn't a single doctor in my family, so I'm very glad to be the first pursuing this profession and hope to enter the field of Gynecology. I love singing, dancing, taekwondo, and food! I believe MEDItalks & Thoughts provides the right platform to gain knowledge about this noble profession and will be of great help to the future doctors out there. I look forward to interact with everyone!
Amirthavarshini Subburaman: President
Co-Chapter Leader, East Coast
Hello! I am the President for the MediTalks and Thoughts East Coast Chapter. I am a current senior. I want to pursue a degree in the field of Biomedical Engineering and Bioinformatics. MediTalks and Thoughts provides me with a platform to discuss medicine with like-minded people. I deeply enjoy learning science and I am so excited to be working with all of you!
Arnav Todupunoori
Vice President, East Coast
Hi! My name is Arnav Todupunoori and I’m a senior in high school. I am elated to be the Vice-President of Meditalks and Thoughts. Being part of Meditalks will allow me to get more exposure to the field thanks to MEDdebates and case studies. In the future I plan to pursue a career in medicine and continue to be an EMT during my undergraduate years. I look forward to getting to know everyone!
Varshitaa Karra
Co-Marketing Manager, East Coast
Hello! I am Varshitaa Karra and I am your marketing manager. I am a current Junior. I joined MediTalks in order to gain more insight into STEM related fields. I hope to continue my journey in the science fields and I am so excited to be working with all the members and the rest of the board team.
Kanisha Shiv
Co-Marketing Manager, East Coast
Hi, my name is Kanisha Shiv! I’m a freshman in high school. My passion for medicine started at a young age and since then becoming a doctor and helping others has always been intriguing to me. MEDItalks & Thoughts allows me to explore a field that I have deep interest in and allows me to connect with likeminded people! I have always had a deep passion for neurology and the brain. I hope that one day I can become a well known doctor that saves many lives. I also enjoy playing soccer and writing. I am dedicated to growing this program and helping others pursue their passions!
Shreyaah Iyer
Outreach Head, East Coast
Hi! My name is Shreyaah and I am a senior in high school. I am the Outreach Head and I am really excited to be on the board for MedITalks and Thoughts to bring service and learning opportunities for everyone interested in medicine! Personally, I am interested in the research aspect of the medical field, specifically epidemiology.
Secretary, East Coast
Hello! My name is Ramya! I’m a senior in high school. I have always loved biology and neuroscience in particular. I would like to pursue a career in either the medical field or in biomedical engineering. MEDItalks and Thoughts allowed me to better understand different medical topics and get a feel for how the medical field is. I am excited to share this club with others!
Ramya Prasanna
