PRESIDENT · Petar Martinovski
petarm@wayne.edu
I am pleased to meet you and greet you warmly by the virtual hand. I went to the University of Michigan for undergrad and then spent two gap years working in elementary education before coming to medical school. I am passionate about pursuing a career in academic medicine and administration, all the while giving back to my local community. I am currently serving as the Executive President for the Wayne State University School of Medicine Student Senate where I seek to advocate for my fellow students. I have also served in other official capacities with roles on the WSUSOM Alumni Board of Governors, WSUSOM Professionalism committee, WSUSOM Admissions Committee, and as President of the Board of Student Organizations.
Throughout my time at medical school, I have sought ways to support and advocate for underserved communities. Most recently, I co-founded an organization after noticing an unmet need when I joined Wayne State School of Medicine. Specifically, the unique and diverse healthcare needs of individuals that have recently been released from prisons or jails. It is my hope that through this organization the inequalities and needs of this patient population will begin to be addressed, so as to come closer to making the ideal of equal healthcare a reality for all individuals in our community.
VICE President · Peter Zakaria
ez5284@wayne.edu
I was born and raised in Metro Detroit, and thus I have one unrealized dream that towers over every other desire; to see a Detroit sports team win a championship. As someone who never watches hockey, know that I’d even put a Red Wings bumper sticker on my car if it meant having them win again. Secondary to my addiction to watching the Pistons and Lions lose, I love to travel, cook, read, and run long distances. Despite these healthy habits I also manage to harbor a lifelong obsession with all things Star Wars. No matter how busy I get there will always be time to watch and rewatch Star Wars. I spent my undergraduate years at Michigan State University and graduated with a Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Now I am more than happy to be back in Detroit to study medicine!
SECRETARY · Tariq Kermalli
hp8235@wayne.edu
Tariq was born in the beautiful city of Orlando, Florida. However, he spent much of his life growing up in Toronto, where he learned to embrace the coolest parts of Canadian culture such as ice skating, BeaverTails and Nanaimo bars! An avid explorer, Tariq has traveled to several places around the world such as Mexico, Tanzania, France and Turkey, with Italy, Singapore and Australia being next on his bucket list.
Having spent a lot of his childhood playing different sports, Tariq developed a passion for tennis and badminton, and whenever he’s not studying, chances are you’ll catch him playing on a nearby court! Tariq is also a HUGE fan of movies, with his favorite genres being action, comedy and thriller. His most prized possession is a Dark Knight poster featuring the Joker and his infamous quote, “Why so serious?”
As someone who enjoys the thrill of life, Tariq is always looking for his next adventure. He is excited to grow into his role as a future physician, and he is always striving to give back to various communities around the world.
treasurer · John Hayrapetyan
hl5245@wayne.edu
John is from Los Angeles, where he went to UCLA as an undergrad and majored in molecular, cell, and developmental biology. At first, a little hesitant about the big move across the country for med school, he quickly settled in and thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and making many great friends in Detroit! As a nice adjunct to the medical degree, John is also pursuing an MBA in Healthcare Management with the goal of getting involved in improving the quality of care as well as advocating for better work conditions for healthcare personnel. In his free time, John enjoys reading, hiking, working out at the gym, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
BSO PRESIDENT · Dominic Sacca
dsacca@med.wayne.edu
Hey, there! Save yourself the oxygen and call me Dom. I'm your guy if you have any questions about student organizations. I'm from Novi, Michigan and went to Michigan State for undergrad. My degree is in Economics but I somehow found my way to medicine-- ask me about the journey! I love eyeballs, loud music, and lists of three things. If you want the best shot at finding me on campus, go wherever you hear the most noise. I am easily excited by discussions or disputes and am very bad at using my inside voice. I'm working on it, I promise.
I am a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant by trade and have loved not being able to utilize that skillset in the medical school curriculum. I keep my skills sharp by volunteering with a student-run eye clinic, Sight Savers, and dropping in (unannounced) on my old co-workers at the Kresge Eye Institute.
Exec House Rep · Elise Turke
eliseturke@wayne.edu
Elise is from Beer City USA… Grand Rapids, MI! She has a B.S. in Neuroscience and a minor in Spanish from Michigan State University (go green!) where she also dove on the varsity diving team and sang in an a cappella group. When she’s not studying or dancing around her apartment, you can find her at the rock climbing gym, hiking/kayaking/generally spending time outdoors, or curled up reading a fantasy book. She also loves to draw/paint and watch singing competition TV shows. She finds most specialties to be pretty cool, but is currently most interested in OBGYN or Neurology! She also holds the role of House Coordinator, so please come to her with any ideas about student community building events.
MD/PHD REPRESENTATIVE · Amanda Paskavitz
amanda.paskavitz@med.wayne.edu
Born in Colorado, Amanda is really from Massachusetts in her heart and soul. No, but actually, she did live in Massachusetts for most of her life and won’t stop talking about it, lest you forget. From a young age, Amanda always loved school (and data). In fact, after graduating from college, she missed school so much she decided she needed to acquire as many doctorates as possible. Thus, she settled on the MD/PhD to occupy at least 7+ years of her life, though she is already worrying about which additional degrees she should get after that.
In her spare time you can find Amanda getting swole at the gym, being a devoted and loving (cat) mom of two, growing vegetable crops in her backyard, and complaining about how far Michigan is from the ocean (and before you say anything, no, the Great Lakes don’t cut it). Despite all the talk about the East Coast, she really does love Detroit and its people, and enjoys exploring its hidden gems with friends.
Exec Webmaster · Mina Juma
minajuma@med.wayne.edu
Mina has lived in a couple different countries before her family eventually settled in Metro Detroit 14 years ago! She attended the University of Michigan and received her B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience. When she is not rotating at the hospital or studying, Mina likes to spend much-needed quality time with friends and family, catch up on books she started but never finished, and watch Friends for the millionth time.
Sr AAMC OSR · RiYA sHAH
riya.shah@med.wayne.edu
Riya is a proud lacto-vegetarian from the exotic town of Farmington Hills, MI (if you consider a scenic 25-minute drive down M-10 “exotic”). She spent four years in Orlando, FL at the University of Central Florida but decided to forego the humidity and return to the great state of Michigan—four seasons are a must! As an only child, she’s had to stock up on hobbies so you can find her reading (Goodreads is her favorite social media app), learning a new language (rocking a 215+ day streak on Duolingo), dancing (talent ranges from classical to folk to the macarena), knitting (novice), painting (also novice), and hiking (does one hike/year count?). Riya’s always down to gush about Harry Potter, Parks and Rec, and any/all Bollywood movies, so be sure to stop her anytime you see her!