Untara Shaikh, MBBS, PhD

Dr. Untara Shaikh, MBBS, PhD, MPhil, ECFMG Certified, is a medical educator, clinician, and curriculum leader with over 12 years of international experience across the United States, the Caribbean, and Pakistan. She earned her MBBS from Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences and completed her PhD in Health Psychology at Walden University, where her research focused on medical student stressors and resilience in clinical training environments and contributed to improvements in medical academic practices and learner support systems. She also completed Stanford School of Medicine’s Mastering Medical Teaching Certificate, strengthening her expertise in competency-based and learner-centered medical education.

Alongside her academic career, Dr. Shaikh has clinical experience in outpatient medical settings, where she participated in patient care and applied foundational sciences in real-world clinical contexts.

She holds a senior leadership role at MedSmarter USMLE Test Preparation, where she directs the development of integrated basic science curricula, authors more than 2,200 NBME-style assessment questions, and mentors USMLE candidates across Step 1–Step 3. Her work has contributed to consistently strong examination outcomes, improved performance scores, and successful placement into competitive residency programs. She has also led initiatives in family medicine and pharmaceutical education in Pakistan supporting female physicians returning to clinical practice.

Her academic focus centers on evidence-based medical education, with emphasis on clinical reasoning, curriculum innovation, and learner wellbeing. She is recognized for bridging foundational sciences with real-world clinical application through integrated, systems-based teaching approaches.