Meet our Mentors
Our mentors can't wait to meet you
Dr. Alexandra Barnes
IMT Mentor
"I’m currently an IMT1 in Mersey deanery and
completed F1-3 in the North West. I have an interest in acute and respiratory medicine and over the last few years I have focused on developing my portfolio with this is mind.
I’m mentoring with The Portfolio Clinic because I enjoy teaching and want to help make the stressful IMT application process as easy as possible."
Dr. Heer Shah
IMT Mentor
"I am a LTFT IMT doctor working in central London with aspirations to combine my research focuses to positively influence the outcomes of our oncology patients. I trained at UCL and completed an MSc at the University of Oxford with my thesis mapping out the potential for oncolytic immunotherapy for patients with carcinoid tumours.
Alongside my research interests, I am motivated to improve medical education, access, and my own teaching styles. I have held teaching fellow roles at Bart’s and the London and GSTT whilst completing my formal foundation training. Moreover, I have worked closely over the last 8 years with UCLs largest widening participation scheme ‘Target Medicine’ and strongly believe that a student’s background, race or schooling should not constitute a barrier to entering the profession.
The portfolio clinic was particularly useful during my 2021-22 application cycle and I hope to share my experiences and offer helpful advice to my mentees. "
Dr. Ayesha Khan
IMT Mentor
"I am currently an IMT1 in the South East London Deanery. I graduated from Kings College London, where I also completed an intercalated BSc in psychology. I completed my foundation year training in Brighton and Kent, and took an F3 year, during which I undertook a PGCert in Medical Education. I am aiming to eventually pursue a career in gastroenterology, and have a particular interest in medical education, leadership and management.
The COVID pandemic caused huge disturbances to the training of junior doctors, with many uncertainties regarding the application process for all specialities. I feel my experience of applying for IMT during this time has inspired me to help others through this stressful process. I chose to mentor with The Portfolio Clinic because I am enthusiastic about my career and want to support and help others to achieve their goals."
Dr. Elizabeth Mabey
IMT Mentor
"I am an IMT1 working in the North West London
deanery where I also worked for F1-3. I have an interest in medical education
and mentorship and have acted as a mentor for both medical students and
doctors.
I have joined The Portfolio Clinic as a mentor as
I love helping others reach their full potential. Having recently gone through
the application process myself, I am very aware of how important it is to
optimise your portfolio in order to secure your desired job and I wish to share
what I have learnt with others."
Dr. Nihull Shah
IMT Mentor
"I am an IMT2 at East Surrey Hospital, KSS deanery. I graduated from King's and completed my Foundation years in KSS, at Frimley Park and St George's Hospitals.
I have a Dermatology ST3 number in Essex which I will start in August. I have wanted to pursue a career in dermatology since university and have built a portfolio to support this, including a number of publications, presentations and national prizes.
I regularly teach medical students and junior doctors and informally mentor juniors who are interested in specialising in dermatology. I hope to take on this formal mentoring role to support trainees in achieving their career goals."
Dr. Charlie Liu
IMT Mentor
"I recently returned from New Zealand where I have been working as a medical registrar in Auckland and I am now working in Bristol doing IMT training. I previously completed my foundation training in Manchester. My clinical interests include oncology and wilderness medicine.
Outside of work I enjoy hiking, badminton and travelling.
I am interested in teaching and medical education and believe that supporting junior colleagues benefits the profession and creates a good work environment which is happier and more productive. Looking ahead, I hope to have leadership and mentoring roles alongside my clinical duties to further help junior doctors with their career aspirations."
Dr. Hannah Ward
IMT Mentor
"I am currently working as an IMT2 at Barts Health NHS in London. I have a special interest in infectious diseases and am preparing my SpR application for this. I have recently passed PACES and MRCP.
I am mentoring with the portfolio clinic because I know how difficult it is to navigate applications and to build your portfolio. I hope that I can use my own experience to advise on ways to get involved in projects, QIPs and build your knowledge and learning in your chosen speciality! I have organised lots of teaching for both undergraduates and junior doctors in both bedside teaching, simulation and creating an online learning platform. I hope that I can help build your CV and make the IMT application process run smoothly!"
Dr. Arun Raghuraman
IMT Mentor
"I am an Internal Medical trainee (Year 1) currently based in Surrey, with a specialist interest in Gastro-enterology. I studied at St George's, University of London, graduating in 2018 and completed my foundation training in 2020.
I have always had a keen interest in Internal medicine, and I took an F3 and F4 year to pursue this interest by working in a number of different medical specialties including acute medicine, gastroenterology and Liver transplant medicine. My special interests lie in Gastroenterology/hepatology, I am a member of the British society of gastroenterology and actively participate in events..."
Dr. Divolka Ganesh
CST Mentor
"I am an ST1 Surgical Trainee in Yorkshire and the Humber. I studied Medicine at the University of Leeds and completed my foundation training in North West London before returning to the North.
When applying for Core Surgery last year, I had lots of unanswered questions. Looking back on the struggles of specialty applications, I'm sure that having someone to provide some insight and support would have alleviated a lot of stress and improved my experience. Knowing the value of this support, I am looking forward to getting to know my mentees and working with you to tailor our sessions so you can get the most out of them."
Mr. Ben Finch
CST Mentor
"I am a current CST2 in the Wessex deanery with a specialist interest in General Surgery. With CST becoming more and more competitive each year, the importance of having a strong portfolio and good preparation for interview is key to success - which is why I believe the Portfolio Clinic will be crucial in helping trainees getting a training post they desire.
Teaching has been a strong interest of mine throughout my training thus far. Having set up and led a Surgical Society within my Trust, I have been able to provide regular surgical teaching and practical skills sessions to junior doctors, whilst also providing 1-to-1 practice for interview preparation. Alongside this, creating and leading QIPs which help improve patient safety has been another passion of mine, with some projects going on to win national prizes and being nominated for a prestigious BMJ Award in the 'Prevention and Lifestyle' category.
Having recently successfully done the CST application, I hope that my knowledge of the process and my teaching experience will help guide and mentor those soon to be going through the same process, providing help along each step of the way."
Dr. Hafizul Haq
CST Mentor
"I am a Core Surgical Trainee within the London Deanery. I completed my medical degree from the University of Leeds, then completed my Academic Foundation Programme (Medical Education) within the EBH Deanery.
I have a keen interest in medical education and mentoring juniors from all backgrounds. In my experience, I would not have progressed as far in my career without the support of mentors to provide me support along every step of journey within medicine.
I am keen to support juniors as a mentor, particularly those who have an interest within the field of surgery. Having completed the rigorous process of the CST application, I understand the stress of the application process from portfolio all the way to ranking and results day. It would be my pleasure to support you along your journey, and provide the support to you that I was fortunate enough to have during my journey."
Dr. Ayda Borjian Boroojeny
Anaesthetics Mentor
"I’m due to start anaesthetics training in August in Bristol. I graduated from Norwich Medical School, and did Biomedical Science degree prior. I stayed in Norfolk for my foundation programme and moved to Bristol afterwards. For F3, I did a clinical fellowship in anaesthetics and ITU. For F4 I did locum, mainly in General Surgery and ED.
I have a passion for research. I’ve also done several QIPs and have presented in international conferences. Currently, I’m focusing on developing my simulation training skills. I faced uncertainties and challenges at several stages of my career and with the application process. I found the support and guidance of other colleagues invaluable. That’s why I’m passionate about helping others with their career path; in particular in pursuing anaesthetics. Having gone through the increasingly competitive application process, I am keen to help others in their journey and to develop myself alongside."
Dr. Miraj Patel
Anaesthetics Mentor
"I am an anaesthetic CT2 working at the Royal Cornwall Hospital. I studied Biomedical Science prior to studying medicine, firstly spending a year at Semmelweis university in Budapest before completing my studies at Barts and The Royal London. Since qualifying I have worked in Wessex and Cornwall.
I've always been interested in teaching and have previously helped applicants applying for anaesthetics in an informal setting. The portfolio clinic will provide an excellent tool for mentorship in a more formal way. I look forward to meeting the mentees and providing the help needed for a successful application."
Dr. Chintan Vora
Anaesthetics Mentor
"I am currently an ACCS Anaesthetics trainee at the Bristol Royal Infirmary. I started my training initially in Basingstoke in Hampshire, and completed foundation training and a 6 month ICU fellow job there.
Having left medical school wanting to do infectious diseases and public health, anaesthetics was a big detour! I relied heavily on the advice of the anaesthetists when I was working on my intensive care job and getting more of an insight into what anaesthetists actually do. Without the help and support of my seniors I would not have gotten this job, and I definitely want to pay it forward and help others who are interested and thinking about a career in anaesthetics."
Dr. Jake Cowen
Radiology Mentor
"I am currently an ST1 in Clinical Radiology in the Wessex deanery. Having graduated from Brighton & Sussex Medical School in 2018, I completed the Foundation Programme in Liverpool before working as a Junior Clinical Fellow in Oncology in London.
Having applied in the 2021-2022 cycle, I ranked 33rd out of 2231 Clinical Radiology applicants and managed to secure my 1st choice deanery. I am passionate about helping others to achieve their goals and am keen to share the hints and tips that enabled me to be successful in my application. I hope that through The Portfolio Clinic I can help trainees interested in Radiology secure the training number that they are hoping for!"
Dr. Emily Phillips
Foundation Mentor
"I'm currently a GP Trainee in the Bristol area and have an interest in medical education. I completed medical school in Birmingham and worked in both London and Mersey before starting my training programme. Between foundation and GP training, I completed the Diploma of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Liverpool and following this I had a fantastic year as an Undergraduate Teaching Fellow in London.
I fully support the ethos of The Portfolio Clinic and personally feel near-peer mentorship is an incredibly valuable tool to help support trainees during the challenging foundation years. I'm looking forward to meeting my mentees, exploring their career goals or uncertainties and hope to provide support covering a variety of topics."
Dr. Rishil Patel
Foundation Mentor
"I am a Foundation Year 2 Doctor working in the East Midlands. I trained at the University of Nottingham and have an ongoing interest in Medical Education and Anaesthetics.
I’ve had a keen interest in mentoring and education throughout my time at medical school. I’ve taught on a number of in-person skills courses aimed at medical students and junior doctors, as well as having 1000 hours of experience tutoring and mentoring both individuals and small groups in an online capacity. Especially at the beginning of my foundation years, the advice and guidance by my peers was absolutely invaluable. I fully support the fact that the Portfolio Clinic helps to provide this on as wide a scale as possible."
Dr. Aidan Clack
Foundation Mentor
"I am a Foundation Year 2 Doctor working in the East Midlands. I trained at Cardiff University and I am currently interested in acute and cardiology medicine. I am also interested in medical education, leadership and management in healthcare and quality improvement.
I have joined The Portfolio Clinic as a mentor because I enjoy teaching and want to help others to achieve their goals. I have experience of teaching medical students and junior doctors from medical school and work in a variety of capacities, including small group, online and one-to-one teaching.
The near-peer mentorship scheme is an invaluable resource to help support the ongoing professional development of trainees. Many foundation doctors are unsure of what they want to do in the future and which career path to pursue. Having struggled with this myself, I am passionate about helping others to navigate through their careers and how to optimise their portfolios. The first year of work is often challenging and I am keen to support new doctors through this!"
Dr. Anuj Gupta
Foundation Mentor
"I'm an FY3 doctor working in A&E in Melbourne, Australia. I completed medical school in London, prior to completing foundation training in Wessex.
Throughout medical school, I was always interested in medical education – helping to deliver both formal and informal teaching sessions for other students. Since finding out about the Portfolio clinic, I have been keen to join the programme – and help support doctors through their foundation years. I look forward to meeting the mentees, and helping them in any way that I can. "
Dr. Anne Chua
Foundation Mentor
“I’m a current F3 doctor working as a locum. I graduated from Barts and the London and completed my foundation training in Wessex. During my foundation training, I was the Wessex foundation doctors’ lead rep which gave me a much clearer understanding of what the foundation curriculum is and the problems trainees encountered. The importance of a near-peer mentoring system was regularly mentioned, however, was implemented with limited success.
Having a mentor who can guide you through the next steps would make training/future applications a lot less daunting. Therefore, I fully support the Portfolio Clinic as a means for trainees to gain more insight and advice on their current or future training programs. I look forward to providing as much guidance as possible to mentees!”