About Us

NICE TO MEET YOU

I'm David Avarbock, MD/PhD

Chief Instructor

My greatest passion is teaching, and I do it in quite different disciplines: science and mixed martial arts.  I have learned that what it takes to achieve success in any discipline comes down to the same strategy, and I'm here to share that with you.  

My science journey began as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, where I earned my B.A., summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with an honors distinction. I tutored math and science all four years of college as well as the SAT and MCAT.  

I completed the MD/PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.  My PhD was in cell and molecular biology, and my work focused on the development of vaccines and therapeutics for TB, malaria, HIV, and cancer. I have always tried to work on diseases that have a profound impact on the pediatric population and underdeveloped countries. I taught extensively while I was at the medical school, both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

My interest in combat sports started at a young age. I represented the United States in amateur competition in multiple combat sports for over 20 years, traveling to over 30 countries for international events. I relentlessly pursued my dream of making the olympics.

When my amateur career was over, I began competing in mixed martial arts and coaching fighters. I have served as a coach and scientific consultant for over 100 professional athletes.

My experience as a coach—training athletes for 4 years for one moment at the olympics and helping athletes through the anxiety of fight day—probably best prepared me to get students ready for USMLE test days. It is a similar experience: years of dedicated work leading up to one critical day.

Having now tutored hundreds of students to successfully pass the USMLE and shelf exams, I am laser focused on delivering you essential information for the exams, identifying common test-taking pitfalls and preparing you to perform at your peak on exam day.  

I am unique among tutors in that my goal is to have a long-term tutoring relationship with my students, tutoring them in their subject exams in year 1/2, followed by Step 1 preparation, shelf exams during clinical rotations, followed by Step 2, and Step 3 during residency. I assist my students with their residency personal statements and applications, interviews, and placement.  I am determined that no exam should prevent you from getting the residency of your choice.  It is very rewarding for me to help students along this journey and to help produce outstanding doctors.

I appreciate your trust in allowing me to prepare you for one of the most important moments in your medical career. 

Let's get started!

 NICE TO MEET YOU

I'm Andrew Avarbock, MD/PhD

Curriculum Coordinator

Educating the next generation of doctors has always been a passion of mine.

My journey began as an undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania, where I was both a Benjamin Franklin Scholar and University Scholar, the two highest honors for an undergraduate.  I completed the MD/PhD program at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, with a PhD focus in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics.

After medical school, I completed my internship in internal medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, and my Dermatology residency at Columbia University/New York-Presbyterian Hospital. I was full-time faculty for 10 years as an Assistant Professor in Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City.  During this time I was site director for Dermatology Consultations at New York-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital.  I was very involved in educating medical students and residents and was Chair of both the Dermatology Resident Curriculum Committee and Dermatology Clinical Competency Committee.

Currently I am in private practice and I am a Clinical Assistant Professor of Dermatology at FIU Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine.

Over the past 15 years I have taught and advised hundreds of medical students and residents about the steps that enabled me to achieve my goals.  I am here now to share with you what is needed to get the top scores and residencies.

Let's get started!

 NICE TO MEET YOU

I'm Paola Chamorro, MD

Medical Instructor

My journey began as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt University followed by medical school at Ponce School of Medicine.   I completed my Internal Medicine residency at Columbia University/New York-Presbyterian Hospital in New York City.  After residency, I was an Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at Columbia and worked as a Hospitalist for 3 years taking care of admitted patients and teaching residents and medical students.  

I then decided to pursue Dermatology and completed both a research fellowship and my Dermatology residency at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, where I was the chief resident.  I am now double boarded in Internal Medicine and Dermatology.

I have been involved in training medical students and residents for nearly 15 years.  I believe it is the responsibility of a physician to both take great care of patients and train the next generation of physicians.  I look forward to helping you achieve your goals.

Let's get started!