Akhil Katakam

Akhil was raised in the Greater Chicago and Philadelphia areas. Beginning in high school, he worked as a tutor for Kumon Learning Center, performed research at the Baruch Blumberg Institute, and became certified as an EMT. He then attended Northwestern University and graduated with a degree in Economics and Biological Sciences with a Concentration in Neurobiology as well as a Certificate in Leadership. During his time at Northwestern, he participated in peer-tutoring, basic science research, and was the President of the largest cultural organization on campus. In addition, he was an active member of the dance community, serving as the captain for the University's bhangra dance team. During his senior year, he worked as a Business Analyst for ExplORer Surgical, a surgical startup in Chicago that solidified his passion for pursuing orthopedics in the future. Following graduation, he matriculated to the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University and is also pursuing his MBA at the Fox School of Business at Temple University.

In medical school, he continued to teach, mentor, and advise undergraduate students. He conducted interviews for prospective undergraduate applicants and served as an informal advisor for prospective medical school applicants. Throughout medical school, he pursued research at the Rothman Institute and Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush, and was able to publish his research and abstracts. He received a 257 on Step 1 and has started his clinical rotations.

Altogether, he has been teaching a wide range of subjects for more than 10 years and has tutored for several board exams including the SAT, MCAT, and USMLE Step 1. He has a strong commitment to education and believes that hard work, passion, and a willingness to ask for help are the keys to reaching one's goals. He understands the struggles of Step 1 prep, and wishes to work closely with his students to form an individualized study plan and provide personalized attention and guidance.

He is currently a third-year medical student and is interested in pursuing a residency in orthopaedic surgery. He has recently accepted an orthopaedic research fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital and hopes to use this year off to re-engage with tutoring. In his free time, he enjoys basketball, dance, rooting for the Sixers and Bears, and finding new coffeeshops in Philadelphia.