John K.

John K.

5.0

Harvard MD-PhD Student | Extensive mentorship and coaching experience

Studied at Harvard Medical School

Worked at University of Cambridge

Available Wednesday at 11:00 PM UTC

Protected by the Leland Experience Guarantee

Available Wednesday at 11:00 PM UTC

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John’s Medical School Qualifications

Open to working with clients outside the U.S.

Welcome to my profile! As a current MD-PhD candidate at Harvard Medical School, I bring a wealth of experience in mentoring and coaching pre-medical students. My journey began at Case Western Reserve University, where I co-founded the Undergraduate Research Society and developed a successful Mentor-Mentee Program, which has facilitated over 100 pairings. My mentees have achieved remarkable success, gaining acceptance into top medical schools and securing prestigious fellowships such as the Barry Goldwater and Gates-Cambridge Scholarships. Additionally, my time at the University of Cambridge has enriched my understanding of the unique aspects of U.S. medical school applications, allowing me to provide targeted guidance on personal statements and application strategies. Let's work together to optimize your medical school application and achieve your goals!

John can help with:

Financial Aid & Scholarships

AMCAS Application Edit

Traditional Interview

MD PhD Essays

Waitlist Strategy

Personal Statement

School Selection

Application Strategy

Activities List Edit

Secondary Essays

View all of John’s categories

About John

Growing up, John ("Jack") developed a robust passion for food and cuisine which later evolved into a defined interest in the intersection of diet and disease. As an MD-PhD student in the Harvard/MIT MD-PhD Program at Harvard Medical School, Jack will integrate medical education with basic science doctoral training to eventually become a physician scientist. In addition to his acceptance to Harvard, Jack was accepted into numerous programs in the Top 20 (T20) including UCSF, Yale, Cornell, UCLA, and the University of Washington, as well as was awarded the highly-prestigious NIH Oxford-Cambridge MD-PhD Scholarship. Jack graduated from Case Western Reserve University in 2021, earning a BA in Nutritional Biochemistry and Metabolism (summa cum laude) as well as an MS in Nutrition through the Integrated Graduate Studies (IGS) program. Throughout his undergraduate training, Jack was a member of the laboratory of Professor Nathan Berger, Dean Emeritus of the CWRU School of Medicine, where he collaborated on studies investigating the impact of obesity and obesogenic diet on the development of acute promyelocytic leukemia. Following his graduation from CWRU, Jack relocated to the United Kingdom to pursue an MPhil degree in the group of Sir Stephen O'Rahilly at the University of Cambridge Institute of Metabolic Science. During his time abroad, Jack's research focused on genetic and neuroendocrine mechanisms regulating eating behavior and body weight in humans and mice.

Why do I coach?

While at Case Western Reserve University, Jack was involved in numerous mentorship and leadership experiences, each of which informing his passion for teaching. In 2019, he founded the CWRU Undergraduate Research Society, developing a Mentor-Mentee Program to assist students in identifying research positions at the Cleveland Clinic and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, as well as provide guidance in applying for medical and graduate school. To-date, Jack has mentored 20+ undergraduate students navigating the medical school application process. "After realizing my aspiration to pursue medical training, I found it exceptionally difficult to develop my application until I found supportive, knowledgeable peers who had undergone the process, themselves. Diverse perspectives - particularly those from competitive applicants to top medical programs - was the guiding factor in my successful application to numerous medical schools and Medical Scientist (MD/PhD) Training Programs (MSTPs) ranked in the Top 20 (T20) including Harvard, UCSF, Yale, Weill Cornell, University of Washington, and UCLA (amongst others). To this end, having gone through this process, myself, I hope to provide a similar resource to future applicants. Medical admissions can be a daunting challenge, but with the right coaching an application's quality can be dramatically improved."

Work Experience

Research Associate

University of Cambridge

June 2021 - May 2023

- Member of the University of Cambridge Institute of Metabolic Science Student Leadership Committee, serving as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Chair. - Designing and conducting in vivo (mouse-based) experiments investigating the role of gut-derived growth differentiation factor 15 (GDF15) in metformin action and energy balance. - Exploring the role of the melanocortin 3 receptor (MC3R) as a regulator of sexual maturation timing and lean mass accrual through functional characterization of GWAS-identified genetic variants.

Pre-Medical School Student Mentor

Case Western Reserve University

August 2019 - May 2023

- Provided personalized one-on-one sessions for pre-medical students applying to medical school. - Co-founded the Case Western Reserve University Undergraduate Research Society. - Assembled a Research Training Coalition with CWRU students and faculty to identify and resolve deficits in the university’s undergraduate research resources. Coordinated with CWRU School of Medicine, Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, and visiting faculty to provide bi-weekly speaker series with researchers across scientific disciplines. - Created a mentor-mentee program matching upperclassmen involved in research with students searching for laboratory positions. Current membership totals 170 mentor-mentee pairs. - Helped design a Research Scholars Program with SOURCE to provide more recognition and achievement opportunities for CWRU students involved in research.

Research Associate

Case Western Reserve University

August 2018 - May 2021

- Led a research study concerning the impact of obesity and diet on the progression of acute promyelocytic leukemia. - First student at Case Western Reserve University to have placed first in the CWRU Michelson and Morley Research Competition in the Biological Sciences as well as SOURCE Intersections Research Symposium within the same term. - Co-authored manuscripts on NAD metabolism in aging and cancer, published in Experimental Biology and Medicine (2020), and the obesity-associated development of acute promyelocytic leukemia, published in Obesity (2022). - Presented work at national meetings for the American Society of Hematology (2020) and American Association for Cancer Research (2021), receiving meritorious honors for presentation given at the AACR Annual Meeting.