About Us

We believe that access to preparing for medical education should be accessible to all. On the face of things, this is an uncontroversial statement, in line with many of the principles and aims of major medical organisations, such as the AAMC, with recent years seeing an increased focus on underrepresented minorities(URM). Although these efforts have increased the absolute number of URM medical students and physicians, these groups are still under-represented relative to shifting US demographic trends.

Attrition from the medical field happens at levels. Access to highly ranked high-school and undergraduate education, including pre-medical advising; implicit bias amongst admissions committees; application and testing fees; and expensive private advising and tutoring plans all chip away at making medicine a more diverse and welcoming space.

Here at Sliding Scale, our mission is to increase access to medical school by providing high-quality advising, tutoring and resource development services. A lack of support should not be a barrer to a student who wants to be a physician. Some students have access to tutoring and advising companies; we aim here to make those same resources to as many as possible, through the principles of mutual aid and equity.

How it works

Guiding Principles

Mutual Aid

Mutual aid is a collective practice whereby a community comes together to solve problems together, for the people, by the people. Mutual aid is at the heart of who we are, students and advisors working for other students. All our programs will be built on principles of direct action, solidarity and cooperation.

Pay What You Can

Profit will never be our aim. We want to make resources as widely accessible as possible to students everywhere. As such, all our products will be free. If you’re in a position to make a contribution, all funds will be used to expand and support more students.

Equity Focused

Society and medicine perpetuate inequities along lines of race, class, gender and dis/ability. Here, we aim to build and disseminate resources and support that actively affirm all marginalised groups and stand against bigotry in all its forms.

No “Zero-Sum” Thinking

The limited number of spots in medical schools encourages “zero-sum” thinking, e.g. that one student's wins are personal losses for another. Here at Sliding Scale, we reject this thinking totally - there’s much more we can learn when we work and achieve together than working against one another.

Our Services

Meet our team

Ishaan Kumar

President

Ishaan is a first-year medical student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. Originally from London, England, he moved to America in 2018, where he met Ethan and Cynthia at Duke University. Ishaan has dedicated his career to breaking downbarriers to education for underrepresented students and is passionate about helping all students reach their full potential.

Ethan Bott

Vice-President, Director of Tutoring Services

Ethan is currently a first year medical student at Harvard Medical School. Growing up in rural Alaska, and as the first in his family to graduate from high school, Ethan has encountered various barriers in both his personal and professional life. With these experiences, he has fostered a special interest in the educational barriers that many underrepresented and/or underserved groups face along their journey to medical school. Ethan aims to holistically support individuals through his role as Vice President of Sliding Scale, with an emphasis on academic success as our Director of MCAT Tutoring.

Cynthia Broderius

Director of Advising Services

Cindy Broderius brings over 40 years of experience in various professional settings, helping individuals advance in their careers. She recently worked at Duke University, advising students and alumni in the Office of Health Professions Advising and the Career Center, particularly those pursuing medical school. Cindy collaborated on creating a holistic advising system and tailored her support to each individual’s needs. Now retired, she continues to share her expertise as Sliding Scale's Director of Advising.

Originally from a farm in Minnesota, Cindy was the first in her family to attend college, earning a bachelor’s in Medical Technology and a master’s in Counselor Education. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor and member of several professional organizations. In her free time, Cindy enjoys hiking, gardening, reading, making music, and spending time with loved ones.

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We're here to help on your path to medical school