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YPS Board Members

GAUTAM KAMTHAN , MD

President

Dr. Gautam Kamthan is an ophthalmologist at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in NYC and in private practice in NJ.

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PRATIK KOTHARY, MD

President-Elect

Pratik Kothary is an Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist practicing in Long Island, New York. Pratik grew up in Long Island, completed his undergraduate

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JAYA MEHTA, DO

Vicec President

Dr. Jaya Mehta is a family medicine physician practicing in the Philadelphia area. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Lake Erie College of

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SONIA R. SAMTANI, MD

Secretary

Sonia R. Samtani, MD is an Interventional Cardiologist based in Washington, D.C. She earned her medical degree through a combined accelerated 7-year BS/MD

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RAVI PARIKH, MD

Treasurer

Ravi Parikh, MD, MPH is a retina specialist, healthcare delivery researcher, and academic leader based in New York. He is Chairman of Manhattan Retina and

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SHEFALI KOTHARY, MD

Past-President

Shefali Kothary, MD is a Musculoskeletal Radiologist in New York. She completed her undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College, after which she attended

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NITI PATEL

Convention Chair

Dr. Niti Patel is an Internal Medicine Hospitalist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

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Dr. Gautam Kamthan is an ophthalmologist at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in NYC and in private practice in NJ.

As president, he aims to help you develop a long-lasting community of friends and a professional network you can tap into wherever you go.

His interests include surfing, reading, socializing, and spending time with family.

School and training: NYU and Mount Sinai

Pratik Kothary is an Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiologist practicing in Long Island, New York. Pratik grew up in Long Island, completed his undergraduate degree in finance at NYU’s Stern School of Business and medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine. After completing his intern year in Internal Medicine at North Shore-LIJ, he did both residency and fellowship at NYU.

Following fellowship, he returned to North Shore University Hospital as a practicing cardiac anesthesiologist and is an Assistant Professor at the Zucker School of Medicine. Pratik’s passion is teaching, and he is active in mentoring both residents and medical students. 

Pratik has been an active member of AAPI since medical school, participating in both his local chapter, AAPI-QLI, as well as the national organization. As Vice President, he is excited to bring together and facilitate events for medical students, residents, fellows, and younger physicians.

Outside of work, Pratik is an avid New York sports fan cheering for the Yankees, Knicks, Giants, and Rangers. 

Dr. Jaya Mehta
Vice President, AAPI Young Physicians Section

Dr. Jaya Mehta is a family medicine physician practicing in the Philadelphia area. She earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine and is dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive care to her patients.

As Vice President of the AAPI Young Physicians Section, Dr. Mehta is passionate about fostering connections among Indian physicians, mentoring the next generation of medical professionals, and driving YPS initiatives forward to support career growth, collaboration, and community engagement.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Mehta enjoys swimming, traveling, exploring new cultures—and cheering on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Sonia R. Samtani, MD is an Interventional Cardiologist based in Washington, D.C. She earned her medical degree through a combined accelerated 7-year BS/MD program at The George Washington University, graduating summa cum laude and being inducted into the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She went on to complete her residency at Georgetown University Hospital, followed by Cardiology and Interventional Cardiology fellowships at the University of California, Irvine, where she served as Chief Fellow.

As Secretary of YPS, Sonia is excited to contribute to the AAPI organization—a community she has been connected to since childhood, when her mother served as AAPI Convention Chair. Outside of medicine, she enjoys traveling, swimming, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

Ravi Parikh, MD, MPH is a retina specialist, healthcare delivery researcher, and academic leader based in New York. He is Chairman of Manhattan Retina and Eye, and serves on the faculty at NYU School of Medicine as Director of Healthcare Delivery Research. A Harvard-trained public health expert, he has authored over 75 peer-reviewed publications and created the first Geographic Atrophy Treatment Calculator. Dr. Parikh serves as the AAO representative to the RUC and is a recipient of the Visionary Award by Real World Ophthalmology.

He has been an active member of AAPI and is the current Treasurer of the Young Physicians Section (YPS). Dr. Parikh is passionate about mentoring the next generation of physicians and volunteers with Orbis International. In his free time, he enjoys traveling, photography, and exploring global cuisines.

Shefali Kothary, MD is a Musculoskeletal Radiologist in New York. She completed her undergraduate studies at Dartmouth College, after which she attended medical school at Tufts University School of Medicine. She went on to complete residency in Radiology at Mount Sinai and fellowship in Musculoskeletal Radiology at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.  

Dr. Kothary has been an active member of AAPI since medical school. She has been involved with her local chapters as well as the national organization. She previously served as Treasurer, President-Elect, and President of AAPI YPS, and currently serves as Immediate Past President. She is excited to facilitate education and events to engage and bring together medical students, residents, fellows, and young physicians. 

In her free time, she enjoys traveling, sports and cooking.

Dr. Niti Patel is an Internal Medicine Hospitalist and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

As Convention Chair, her goal is to foster a meaningful connection through shared heritage and build a lasting community of friends and professionals.

Outside of medicine, she enjoys staying active (Orange theory), reading, photography, traveling, music, and spending time with family and friends.

Dr. Patel earned her medical degree from Rush Medical College and completed her residency at the Cleveland Clinic. Before becoming a physician, she trained and worked as a pharmacist.