Thank You

This project began when I was a Hematology-Oncology fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center. I had the good fortune of being the Chief Teaching Fellow during my 2nd year of fellowship. During this time, I developed a passion for education.

I wanted to thank several people who made this project possible. I would like to thank my Mom and Dad who are the best parents anyone could hope for. They supported me throughout my life. My older brother Sunir, who is an incredibly talented Retina surgeon at Wills Center in Philadelphia and is truly one of the most brilliant people I know. My wife Meetu, who, besides being an outstanding Internal Medicine physician, is a wonderful partner. Our greatest joy is spending time with our two young sons.

Dr. Tanuj Banker, who is a very talented Ophthalmology resident at Georgetown hospital, helped me so much with this website. This project wouldn't have been possible without his guidance and input. Dr. Bishal Bhandari and his programming team have been instrumental in helping maintain and improve this website.

Every teacher I have had from kindergarten to the present are true heroes. I am thankful to have been trained at the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, University of Chicago, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and MD Anderson Cancer Center. All 4 institutions are populated by brilliant students and faculty, and it was an honor to attend these places.

I am grateful to have attended the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine for medical school. It is truly an amazing medical school, and I am a proud 2003 graduate. I still think of all the talented group of medical students I trained with.

The University of Michigan–Ann Arbor was a great place for both college and my Internal Medicine Residency. It is a world-class university close to my home; I really had the best of both worlds!

MD Anderson Cancer Center was the best 3 years of my professional life. The institution, faculty, and Oncology fellows were just incredible to work with. I really hit my stride both as a person and a student when I was a fellow there. I also met and married my wife Meetu during this time. It was a special time in my life.

I would like to thank the Johns Hopkins Medical Oncology fellowship leadership, especially Dr. Ross Donehower, who has been very supportive of me with my educational efforts. The Johns Hopkins fellows and faculty are truly outstanding/brilliant and a pleasure to work with. One of my professional highlights is staffing the Oncology fellows clinic at Johns Hopkins on Thursday. I could spend the entire day discussing medical cases with superlative faculty like Dr. Rick Jones.

I would like to thank my practice, Maryland Oncology Hematology in beautiful Annapolis, Maryland. I work with an outstanding cadre of people and physicians. I don’t think I could have found a better, more fun, or academic-oriented group to have joined. My partners are brilliant and fun to work with. In addition to conducting clinical trials, we discuss cases weekly with each other, have dynamic tumor board discussions, and conduct journal clubs. 

Dr. Marc Lippman, Dr. Scott Gitlin, Dr. Sam Silver, Dr. Maha Hussain, Dr. Bob Wolff, Dr. Waun Ki Hong, Dr. Susan O’Brien, Dr. Hagop Kantarjian, Dr. Jorge Cortes, Dr. Tannir, Dr. Karin Hahn, Dr. Michael Kroll, Dr. Alex Phan, and Dr. Ross Donehower have all been exemplary mentors for me. I would like to thank Rajul Jain and Dr. Jay Rhee for being such great friends and colleagues. Dr. Jay Rhee is one of the smartest people I have ever met. Dr. Rhee was an outstanding colleague of mine for 8 years; I am a stronger person and doctor because of him. Dr. Marc Lippman is the most important mentor I have ever had. He is truly a brilliant and renaissance man who was always an advocate and believer in me.

I cannot stress enough what an amazing activity the high school quiz bowl was for me. Our team at Utica Eisenhower was very successful and it was so much fun to play. This activity more than any other spurred my lifelong interest in learning about various topics and being a lifelong student. I literally get chills learning about new things every day. Our coach, Ruth Tharp, was the most dedicated Quiz Bowl coach. I will always be forever thankful to her. Quiz Bowl changed the course of my life for the better.