Where are they now?
At Improve Medical Culture, we take pride in the success of our former students and interns. Many have gone on to pursue medical school, residencies, graduate programs, and leadership roles across the country. From psychiatry and family medicine to biomedical informatics, public health, and clinical research, their achievements highlight the diverse paths that begin with hands-on experience at Improve Life PLLC. This “Where Are They Now” section celebrates their continued growth and contributions to healthcare, and serves as inspiration for current and future students exploring careers in medicine.
Future Healthcare Professionals
Ann Pongsakul, MD completed her Family Medicine residency at Unity Health in Arkansas and is currently pursuing a Geriatrics Fellowship at UT Health in Houston.
Reflecting on her experience, Dr. Pongsakul shares:
“My time rotating with Improve Life exposed me to an innovative practice model that prioritizes physician sustainability and patient-centered care. It also sparked my interest in the business of medicine. Policies that may appear small, such as patient payment structures and no-show policies, are essential to sustaining a high-functioning private practice.”
Riley Trainer is in her final year at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM). She is completing the majority of her fourth-year rotations in psychiatry while interviewing for psychiatry residency positions. She will learn her Match placement on March 20.
“My time at Improve Life PLLC clarified and solidified my passion for psychiatry. Observing Dr. Waggel’s therapeutic relationships with her patients helped me envision the kind of physician I aspire to become.”
Varsha Kumaravel is a second-year medical student at Duquesne University. She contributed to the Improve Life PLLC Reston, Virginia psychiatry research group and co-authored: The Psychological Impact on American Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Initial Scoping Review.
Megana Pradeep is currently a medical student at KHSU. A graduate of Virginia Tech, she previously served as both a medical assistant in dermatology and a pre-medical and marketing intern with Improve Life PLLC and Improve Medical Culture.
Riley Decker was recently accepted into an MD program. Prior to matriculation, she served as Clinical Practice Administrator at Improve Life PLLC, following her earlier role as a pre-medical intern. She co-authored a publication with the 2024 Improve Medical Culture Research team.
Benita Luke is a third-year medical student at VCOM-Virginia in Blacksburg. She has been affiliated with Improve Life PLLC since 2017.
Amy Wen is a third-year medical student at Rush Medical College. She was an active member of Improve Life PLLC’s 2017 cohort.
Keerthi Machiraju, MS earned her Master of Science in Biomedical and Health Informatics from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She currently serves as a Project Analyst at Wave Strategy, a biomedical technology commercialization firm. She contributed to the Improve Life PLLC Reston, Virginia psychiatry research group and co-authored: The Psychological Impact on American Healthcare Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Initial Scoping Review.
Anina Jojo graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a Bachelor of Science in Public Health and minors in Chemistry and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies. She will be pursuing a Master’s in Medical Sciences at Boston University before applying to medical school. She was an active member of Improve Life PLLC’s 2018 -2020 cohort.
Twinkle Desai serves as a Project Manager at the United States Department of Transportation. Twinkle joined Improve Life PLLC and Improve Medical Culture in 2017.
Vyasa Hari is an undergraduate neuroscience student at Johns Hopkins University. Vyasa excelled at his pre-med internship with Improve Life PLLC psychiatry in Northern VA.
Gitali Bhanot graduated from Virginia Tech and now works as a Clinical Research Coordinator at the Center for Computational and Integrative Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. She worked with Improve Life PLLC in both a pre-med and research capacity.
