Class of 2026

Sanathan Aiyadurai spent his childhood and mid 20s, calling various cities in Canada, USA, India and the Caribbeans Home. He was raised engulfed in diversity, where he understood and shared compassion towards different ethnic groups. Till this day he has a passion for building cars and racing. He continues to play active Basketball and Volleyball and had won multiple awards since being a part of his elementary and high school teams.

He started his Premedical journey at the University of Toronto and later went on to earn his MD at the Caribbean Medical University in Curaçao. Midst of his thriving medical school journey, his busy schedule came to a halt with the global pandemic, COVID-19, in 2020. He saw the opportunity to volunteer in local COVID testing centres and spent countless hours assisting his team at the United Memorial Medical Centre in Houston TX  to serve those affected with COVID.

Sanathan graduated from Caribbean Medical University in June of 2022 and had engaged in research where he has authored in a few publications. He is eager to practice family medicine, mainly to serve the community.

I’ve called Cleveland home since 2019 and this community is one I’ve come to love and feel deeply connected to. I hope to practice here after my residency training. My passions include social medicine, childbirth, sexual health, advocacy, community involvement, and LGBTQ+ care. The most meaningful part of medicine for me is creating a safe space for my patients to be vulnerable, be heard, and seek help.

Outside of work, my energy goes toward quality time with friends and family, creativity, and rest. I am excited for this next stage in my career and am thankful to anyone who is a part of it!

Jake underwent an unconventional path to arrive in charming Cleveland, Ohio. Born and raised near Toronto, Canada, he graduated from a local university and gained life experience working as a Canada Border Services Officer.

Knowing medicine was his true passion, Jake travelled across the world to pursue medical school in Australia. His medical training continued by working as a physician in a hospital near Sydney. His ultimate aspirations included returning to North America to practice medicine, and the unique opportunity to care for an underserved population with MetroHealth’s Family Medicine residency piqued Jake’s interest.

Jake has lived and studied in many countries including France, Spain, and Scotland, and has been fortunate enough to use his French and Spanish skills throughout his travels. Professionally, he has interests in family medicine and obstetrics, but recreationally, Jake loves being outdoors, animals, camping, and playing sports.

His future dreams include working for the United Nations in the area of Public Health, practicing medicine in rural Alaska and ultimately flying his own plane while doing so (this part is especially a dream). Jake has an unhealthy obsession with playing chess, and challenges anyone who wants to play a friendly game. He also loves playing tennis, but would never bet on winning that game… just the former.

Dr. Joey Daher, born and raised in Lebanon, came to MetroHealth to be a Family Medicine resident. While getting his education in his home country, he developed a passion for medicine and wanted to be one of the frontliners in the field of Medicine, a Family Medicine Physician.

Dr. Daher graduated with an M.D from the Lebanese American University in Lebanon before embarking on his journey to Cleveland, Ohio. Throughout his education, he published a review article on plant derived therapies for dyslipidemia, 2 papers on different possible chemicals that can be used as treatments for cancer, and a recent case report on stress fractures in professional athletes. In addition, while in Lebanon, he worked as a research assistant in a national project with collaborations from international NGO’s. This project’s target was to assess and then develop a mental health intervention that aimed at improving the mental health and quality of life for the refugees in Lebanon.

Aside from the scholarly activities, Dr. Daher volunteered in many events and healthcare centers that targeted the underserved areas around Lebanon for the past few years before applying to MetroHealth to be part of the Family Medicine team and further develop his knowledge and experience. As demonstrated by his scholarly and clinical work, Dr. Daher has many interests when it comes to the specialty of Family Medicine, most prominently being sports medicine, behavioral health, and women’s health. He ultimately plans on graduating as a Family Medicine physician from MetroHealth in 2026, specializing in one of his interests, and then serving the community to the best of his ability.

I was raised in Cambridge, Massachusetts where I attended a large urban public high school. I earned my BA in psychobiology from Yale University. While at Yale I became a certified sexual assault counselor, volunteered extensively at AIDS Project New Haven, and worked in the Yale New Haven Pediatric Psychiatric inpatient unit. I wrote my senior thesis on Differences in Healthcare Utilization Among HIV-Positive Women: The Influence of Sociodemographic Factors, Exposure Category and Attitudes Towards the Healthcare System. During my junior year, my father passed away in an accident, which led me to take a spiritual journey to Israel. I got married and had five children in eight years. For about 15 years we hosted up to 20 guests each week: people with special needs, families in crisis, people who just needed a place to go.

The year before medical school began we took in seven foster children, siblings whose parents were using heroin. 

As my children were getting older and leaving the house, my friend asked me "What do you REALLY want to do?" I admitted that what I really wanted was to be a doctor, but I knew that that was not possible at this point. She says, "Then you are going to be a doctor!" Acing the MCAT's and finding out my brain was still working was exhilarating. I graduated from Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2023.

Born and raised in Edinburgh, Scotland, Saima took a unique path to starting a residency in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to medical school, Saima completed a Bachelor's in Biomedical Science & Physiology at The University of Aberdeen. She then went on to work for Johnson & Johnson as a medical device representative, promoting the safe and effective use of surgical equipment. It was there her interest in medicine was sparked as she found herself working closely with physicians and other healthcare providers on a regular basis.

Furthermore, her passion for family medicine was invigorated with her frequent trips to Pakistan, where she witnessed firsthand the disparity in healthcare between the United Kingdom and Pakistan. Eventually Saima found herself applying to St. George’s University in Grenada, where she completed her medical school and elected to apply for a residency in the United States to complete her medical training. Saima recalls her rotation at MetroHealth as being an integral part in her decision to becoming a family medicine physician. Her passion for helping the underserved population resonated with MetroHealth’s mission, and it became evident this program was going to be a seamless fit.

Outside of work, Saima enjoys traveling, attending theatre at Playhouse Square, exploring the food scene in Cleveland and spending time with family and friends.

I'm Gina. I grew up in Cleveland, OH and am excited to be practicing medicine here. I spent a few years in Columbus for undergrad at Ohio State and medical school at Ohio University Dublin campus. Within family medicine, I am interested in palliative care but will see where life takes me! I come from a family with five siblings, one of which is a twin and my best friend.

I spend the majority of my free time surrounding myself with my husband, our two doodles and our friends. I love trying new restaurants, traveling to the beach, and online shopping - mostly on amazon.

Hi I’m Serena! I was born and raised in India and received my medical degree from St. Martinus University in Curacao. Serving at The Leprosy Mission Hospital in rural India, reinforced my passion in advocating for the enhancement of healthcare in underserved communities and Family Medicine helps bring that vision to life by allowing me to do just that while also using Medicine as my superpower.

I am looking forward to growing, loving, and serving the community in Cleveland while finding my focused interests or strengthen my love for a broad-spectrum practise. I love spending time at home with my family and three pet dogs (all whom I considerably miss since being here Cleveland) Cooking and baking are my other favorite things to do.