Meet the Team
Joanne Snapp, EdD
Founder and Advisor
For the past fifteen years, Joanne has helped pre-health students on their journey to a health career. After serving as the Director of Admissions at an allopathic medical school in New York followed by helping thousands of students as a pre-health advisor in California, Joanne gained the insight and knowledge needed to provide holistic, compassionate advising to applicants.
Joanne earned a BSEd and MA in English, and her strong writing skills paired with an ability to coach individuals through interview prep and difficult life decisions has led to almost every applicant she's worked with successfully matriculating into medical, dental, PA school or their residency of choice. Joanne is well connected to many schools and has spent a decade studying what schools want and who gets in where. Schedule a free consultation with Joanne to learn more about how she can help you on your journey.
Susana Kalish, MPH, PA-C
Pre-PA Advisor
Susana recently graduated with her PA/MPH dual degree from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. She was awarded the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. full-tuition graduate scholarship through Northeastern's African-American institute. Before PA school, Susana worked at an FQHC in Los Angeles, where she trained and became a certified medical assistant. She also worked part-time at a start-up clinic integrating primary care and preventative medicine where she monitored patient vitals remotely. She graduated from UC Davis in 2020 with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and a minor in Spanish, and completed a Pre-PA post-baccalaureate at Keck Graduate Institute in 2021.
Susana has over 7 years of pre-health advising experience and specializes in pre-PA advising. She was involved in the UC Davis Pre-PA club, is an active member of the National Society of Black PAs, and the American Academy of Physican Associates (AAPA).
Erin Smith
Pre-Medical & Residency Prep Advisor
Erin is a current fourth year DO/MHA dual degree student at Des Moines University. She graduated from UC Davis in 2020 with a B.A. in Anthropology, B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior, and a minor in Global International Studies. At UC Davis, she worked as a Student Ambassador through the Admissions Department for three years; prospective families frequently asked Erin questions regarding the pre-health professional tracks for traditional 4-year and transfer students. Erin volunteered with MEDLIFE, Special Olympics, and UC Davis Children's Hospital. Through MEDLIFE, Erin refined her Spanish with her peers and volunteered in Cusco, Peru. Here, she partnered with local health professionals to bring clinics to communities experiencing transportation barriers. Erin studied abroad twice; once at the University of Sussex in England (2017) and a second time at the University of Ghana (2018), Legon. The culmination of her experiences ignited her passion for bringing equitable health care worldwide. She is passionate about learning about global health, particularly orphan and endemic diseases that disproportionately affect developing countries and individuals with lower socioeconomic status in the United States.
After graduating from UC Davis, Erin worked as a dermatology medical assistant and at-risk youth mentor for two years. Here she gained invaluable knowledge about the intricacies of delivering patient care. Erin's ultimate goal is to become a physician who uses healthcare's business model to advocate for better patient care for underserved communities.
Gabriella Hunter
Pre-Medical & Residency Prep Advisor
Gabriella completed her undergraduate degree in Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior from UC Davis in 2019. Gabriella is familiar with the struggles of studying for the MCAT, having taken it twice herself. As a non-traditional, first-time applicant, she took several gap years before starting medical school. She is currently finishing her 4th year at Loyola Stritch School of Medicine and has applied into pediatrics. She is excited to help future student doctors on their journey to medical school, and looks forward to helping medical students navigate the residency application process!
Madeline Bright
Pre-Medical Advisor
Madeline is a fourth-year MD/PhD candidate at Zucker School of Medicine/Northwell. She graduated from UC Davis as the top graduating senior in 2021 with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior. At UC Davis, she was the OB/GYN co-chair for the Willow Clinic, a student-run clinic that serves people experiencing homelessness, volunteered with a Sacramento street medicine program, tutored biochemistry, and volunteered at the local VA hospital. In addition to her work with underserved communities, she worked in an organic synthesis lab for 4 years, developing her love for basic science and translational research. During her gap year, she worked in clinical research at the Stanford Cancer Institute in the Breast Cancer Group.
Madeline is currently in the PhD portion of her schooling, performing cellular and molecular biology research to investigate the underlying pathways of and potential treatment for endometriosis and chronic endometritis. In addition to her PhD research, she has been the co-chair for the ZSOM Medical Students for Choice (MSFC) chapter, where she pioneered projects for incorporating abortion doulas in clinics and restructuring medical school abortion/contraception curriculum. She is also a chair of the Free Clinic and chair of the social work committee, where she advocates for increased and accessible OB/GYN care. As the vice president of the Graduate Student Organization, she helps rising graduate student researchers in their research journey. At ZSOM, she has participated in numerous research activities, from endometrial cancer and case reports to preserving human specimens for museums in Germany.
Madeline has been with My Honest Advisor since 2023 and loves working with students to dig deeper into their stories and backgrounds to find unique ideas and the value they bring to medicine.
Roxanna Sharifi
Pre-Medical Advisor
Roxanna is a third year medical student at Keck School of Medicine. She graduated from UC Davis in 2022 with a B.S. in Neurobiology, Physiology, and Behavior and a minor in Spanish. At UC Davis, she was involved in Shifa and River student run clinics, Homeless Outreach Through Prevention and Education, research on diabetes, and tutoring. After graduating, she worked as a medical assistant and TMS technician at a psychiatry clinic in Los Gatos. She is now able to translate these experiences into serving and advocating for the diverse and vulnerable communities she works with in Los Angeles. At Keck, she was involved in street medicine, the Primary Care Program, the Human Rights Clinic, and mentorship for high school and undergrad students. She is also working on research in tattoo removal in incarcerated individuals as well as hepatology. She loves working with students and has been working as a tutor/advisor for 11 years, and now enjoys helping them achieve their next steps into becoming future healthcare providers!
Michaela Cortes, BS RN
Pre-Medical Advisor
Michaela is a current medical student at the Medical College of Wisconsin. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas Woman's University in 2017. Over the course of her eight-year nursing career, she worked in the neuroscience ICU at UT Southwestern Medical Center before transitioning to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where she served as a research nurse in the Surgical Neurology Branch. During her undergraduate years, Michaela participated in multiple research projects spanning both bench and clinical research. As a new graduate nurse, she quickly immersed herself in research at UT Southwestern and collaborated with physicians and nurses to publish high-quality work, including a publication accepted by a Nature journal.
At the NIH, she worked closely with the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She collaborated on multi-site research studies with leading institutions, including the Mayo Clinic. Michaela has authored an FDA-approved drug protocol for patients with recurrent glioblastomas and has managed several natural history and clinical trial protocols. Her recruitment materials helped translate complex research into accessible language, supporting patient understanding and enrollment in clinical trials.
Michaela is passionate about mentoring and looks forward to helping students achieve their goal of professional school.