Internships

Al Jalila Children’s Hospital:

Kiara worked as an intern at Dubai's Al Jalila Children's Hospital in August 2023. She spent two weeks shadowing physicians in emergency medicine, orthopaedics, and plastic surgery, among other disciplines. She had early experience with both surgical and rehabilitative treatment by helping fit casts for paediatric patients and observing a rotationplasty procedure.

NMC Hospital, Abu Dhabi, Cardiology Department:

Kiara also finished a two-week internship in the cardiology department of NMC Hospital in Abu Dhabi in December 2024, where she was supervised by renowned cardiologist Dr. Saeed Jasem Alteneiji. She spent six to eight hours a day watching consultations on post-surgical follow-ups, cholesterol control, and hypertension. Additionally, she observed and aided with procedures including treadmill stress tests, echocardiograms, and ECGs. In addition to writing a Diagnostic Processual Report on gender identity discrepancies in cardiovascular care and learning how to evaluate diagnostic data, she also suggested methods to enhance patient outcomes by implementing more inclusive practices.

Manor View Clinic, United Kingdom (Borehamwood and Bushey):

Kiara completed a week-long internship at an NHS general practice, where she had the chance to shadow GPs and nurses. This experience gave her a valuable peek into primary care and the workings of the UK healthcare system. She got involved in patient consultations, watched how clinical decisions are made, and learned about handling a variety of acute and chronic conditions. She also engaged in patient communication and took on some administrative tasks. Observing the teamwork among different professionals helped her grasp the concept of holistic, community-focused healthcare within the NHS.

Pre-Medicine Enrichment

In December 2023, Kiara took part in the Harmony House Medical Camp in Delhi, where she observed physicians caring for patients with Tuberculosis and other illnesses in marginalized areas. While using simple medical equipment, she learnt how to measure vital signs, such as blood pressure, and helped with patient evaluations.

Kiara joined the Future Doctors Level 1 Program in October 2024, where she studied genetics, medical ethics, and a group project about cystic fibrosis. In December 2024, she also volunteered at Thumbay Hospital's Doctors' Meet, which brought together more than 1,000 doctors. She made connections with medical experts there and attended a panel on future advances in medicine.

Kiara was chosen to serve as an Ambassador for the UAE Aspiring Medics Conference in March 2024, where she assisted with logistics and went to workshops run by experts from the UK. She was then named Conference Lead for the UAE Aspiring Medics Society Committee in January 2025, where she was responsible for managing outreach, supervising weekly meetings, and making sure the one-day, seven-hour conference ran smoothly.

To broaden her clinical exposure, Kiara has also completed virtual shadowing programs with MedSchoolCoach across seven specialties and participated in Premed Projects’ Virtual Post-Mortem Experience, where she learned about pathology, clinical decision-making, and the role of post-mortem analysis in patient care. 

Leadership Roles and School Engagement

Kiara took part in weekly strategy sessions to plan events after being named Student Leader of the Math Society Committee in September 2024. Under the guidance of Assistant Head Ms. Paice, she took on the role of DC Liaison that same month, coaching Year 7 and 8 pupils on academic strategies, including effective revision, time management, and conquering procrastination.

Since September 2022, she has been a member of the Medical Society, where she attends weekly meetings where students talk about the ethical aspects of medicine, its specialties, and its practical applications. Since 2021, she has also been a frequent participant in training sessions for the Model UN Club. In March 2022, she represented the USA in a Recent Crisis Committee at AUD MUN, where she debated the Taliban crisis and its worldwide ramifications.

More recently, Kiara has also Co-founded PancreaSmart, a student-led biomedical initiative developing a non-invasive early detection test for pancreatic cancer using biomarker analysis. Her work involves researching pancreatic cancer pathophysiology and diagnostic delays, designing prototypes, and collaborating with mentors to validate and scale the innovation, with the long-term goal of filing for a patent and improving early cancer detection rates.

Piano

Kiara is extremely passionate about playing the piano and has passed the Trinity Grade 4 (2021) and Grade 6 (2023) exams and practices for an hour every week. She has participated in a few concerts and likes music that combines elements of current and classical music.

Pilot License

Beyond Kiara's academic achievements she is also very keen on flying. She started flying training in July 2022, and as of July 2024, she has accumulated 20 hours of flight experience, including recent training on Cirrus and Cessna planes. With Advantage Aviation, she is presently pursuing her pilot's licence, which calls for 40 hours of solo flying.