Dr. Sonia Pothraj, MD

Dr. Sonia Pothraj has been an incredible mentor throughout my interview journey. She invested so much time in me, spent hours with me preparing for each interview, paying attention to every detail and helping me refine my answers with intention. As an IMG, navigating the expectations of the American system felt overwhelming at times, but she gave me clarity and confidence in how to approach it and guided me till the end. Many of the compliments I received during the interviews were a direct reflection of her guidance. I am truly grateful for her mentorship, her patience, and her encouragement. Thank you so much for everything you have done for me. It is priceless. You are an amazing mentor and an amazing person.

My USMLE journey as an IMG with a 9-year-old YOG has not been conventional. This match cycle, after application, my hope of matching wasn't great, with only a couple of interviews till December. I honestly focused on giving my best with whatever I had. A week before my scheduled interview, I came across your Instagram videos. The way you addressed commonly asked interview questions, common mistakes made, and how to respond was very clear and crisp. I reached out to you just a week before my second interview. I had completed my first interview a week before, which I felt I did give my best, but looking back, I realized my responses weren't concise and hence felt disorganized. That choice of scheduling a one-hour mock session turned out to be one of the best decisions I made. Three days before the interview, you scheduled a mock session during which you listened to my responses, recorded them, and with just three quick questions, you were able to identify my strengths and setbacks and restructure my responses to be clearer. You had me draft my responses to commonly asked questions, and in our next session you reviewed them and gave your thoughts. By the next interview, I definitely could see a difference, and that improvement I carried into my other interviews as well. After each interview, you asked what went well and what could be improved, and you kept encouraging me to stay focused and take care of my health. You had strong confidence in me — you believed in me even when I didn't, and from day one, you kept telling me I would match into my top choice. As I always say, you are not just a mentor but someone who genuinely cares.

Dr. Pothraj has been one of the most impactful mentors in my journey. After I reached out to her, she helped me rebuild my confidence at a time when I genuinely needed it. What sets her apart is her precise understanding of what IMGs need to improve and, more importantly, what program directors are actually looking for. Her guidance is practical, focused, and directly aligned with real expectations during an interview. She knows exactly how to bridge the gap between where you are and where you need to be. Beyond that, she has been consistently supportive and flexible, which made the entire process much less stressful. I am genuinely grateful for her mentorship and the role she played in helping me match at my number one choice program.

I reached out to Dr. Pothraj while preparing for my residency interviews, and I'm incredibly grateful that I did. From the very beginning, she was open and willing to take on new students, especially those from minority and international backgrounds like myself. Her mentoring style is thorough and direct in the best way possible. Dr. Pothraj challenged me with thoughtful, sometimes tough questions that pushed me to refine my answers and communicate more clearly and confidently. This made a huge difference in how I approached my interviews. Beyond our sessions, Dr. Pothraj was very supportive and consistently followed up after each meeting, showing genuine interest in my progress. That level of dedication really stood out to me.

I came across Dr. Pothraj on Instagram, where she posted that she'd be hosting a Zoom call for ERAS applicants who were interested in techniques to strengthen their residency interview skills. I immediately reached out for the link, and was amazed by how helpful she was. She took time out of her weekend to mentor students, especially IMGs and MS4s without any home programs. She stayed on for an additional hour for students who had more questions, and encouraged us to ask her as much as we wanted without worrying about the time. I was touched by her dedication to making sure that my thoughts, fears, and concerns about everything I was going through in the application cycle were not only heard, but addressed with compassion, honesty, and encouragement. By the end of that first call, Dr. Pothraj scheduled 3 more mock interviews for me with her. As the cycle went on, each mock interview served as a deeply valuable opportunity for practice, but also for bonding with a physician who had been through the process herself, knew what it's like to be on the other side, and cared about making this kind of guidance accessible to students around the globe without access to this kind of mentorship. After each interview, Dr. Pothraj made sure to reach out and debrief the experience with me, reassuring me about what I did well and helping me practice what to improve on for next time. She continued to be there for me even as interview season ended, helping me think through my rank order list and continually serving as a source of moral support through it all.