The Kaplan Team is often cited as why schools stay with Kaplan, year after year. At Kaplan, there’s an expert at the heart of everything we do, whether it’s leading a class or developing innovative tools to help your students achieve their career goals. With our “Meet the Kaplan Experts” blog series, we introduce you to Kaplan’s extensive network of faculty, medical, and educational experts and delve into their diverse areas of expertise so that you can learn even more about your Kaplan team. This week, we're pleased to introduce you to Anita Roy Desai MD, FAAP, Executive Director of Patient Simulation, i-Human Patients by Kaplan.

Tell Us About Yourself

Having completed my 9th week at Kaplan, I could not be happier or more excited with having pivoted my career.  I found the perfect opportunity to meld my love of teaching with the art of dynamic education, simulation, and experience optimization.  The i-Human Patients by Kaplan Team is phenomenal to work with and I am excited to bring my experiences of being a Pediatric Emergency Medicine Physician, directing simulation series, and working with healthcare consultancy firms to the team. 

What are your particular areas of expertise?

Pediatrics, Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Medical Education, Dynamic Learning, Simulation, Optimizing User Experience, and Mastering my Chopped skills using my pantry and fridge.

Is there a quote or saying that you live by?

~Believe in the Beauty of your Dreams~

Tell Us About Your Experience in Medical Education

How has your unique background prepared you for success in your field?

I value the idea of creating an experience.  Having worked with several healthcare consultancy firms, I learned how small things can have big effects.  Creating patient journeys to understand what patients see, hear, smell, touch, feel from the moment they set foot on hospital grounds to the moment they exit provided invaluable feedback.   This in turn showed the communities we served how we valued them and their input. 

I hope to integrate this same concept when designing the i-Human Patients experience―from the moment of landing on the webpage, to every client encounter, to using the product.  The i-Human Patients team is committed to putting the clients first, hearing their input, and improving continuously.

What is the most important issue that professionals in your industry should be talking about today?

There is nothing more paramount than the ability to have critical analysis reasoning skills along with conducting a solid history and physical. It is not just about making the correct diagnosis with new technologies and treating with advanced therapies, it is actually a process that takes skill, practice, and expertise.  Skipping this essential step leads to subpar knowledge and care for patients.  I am excited that i-Human Patients is really stepping up the game to holding clinicians accountable for this crucial step.  

What innovations at Kaplan are you most excited about?

I am amazed at how the collaborative efforts of the i-Human Patients team makes this an ever evolving, customizable, and adaptable product.  The amount of time, energy, and attention dedicated to student learning as well as to faculty mentoring is remarkable.  I am proud to be a part of this team and am eager to be a part of the innovative changes ahead.

What will the future of education be like for students and faculty? 

The COVID-19 pandemic has catapulted the need for adaptability and innovation to the forefront in education.  Everyone has been faced with how to use technology and integrate it into their curriculum.  Whether it has been used to engage students online or to meet the clinical hours nurses need, virtual simulation has found a way to make an impact.  This has set the stage for a new way of educating, and we have only begun.

What do you think is the most important innovation in the history of medicine?

The value of teamwork.

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