Resident Doctor + UCL Postgrad Scholar providing MLA (SBA), OSCE, UK graduate medicine examinations and PLAB 1 & 2 Lessons.

Find out more about Dr Maarib

• When did you develop an interest in your chosen field and in private tutoring?

  I have been engaged in teaching for a couple of years and during my work as a doctor, found teaching to be an extremely rewarding part of the job. I enjoy relaying concepts in a friendly and thoughtful approach and have 3 years of teaching experience with young doctors, allied health professionals and nursing colleagues. I love making session interactive and ensuring we focus on a conceptual understanding rather than a rogue discussion of abstract ideas.

• Tell us more about the subject you teach, the topics you like to discuss with students (and possibly those you like a little less).

  I enjoy teaching medicine, which includes PLAB 1 and PLAB 2 or the UK-MLA to British medical graduates as well as International medical graduates. I have also taught students for their GCSE's, A'levels and undergraduate courses across biology, microbiology, chemistry, epidemiology, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and genetics. I am not particularly fond of organic chemistry.

• Did you have any role models; a teacher that inspired you?

  I think I was lucky enough to find some brilliant mentors in medical school and during my MSc at UCL who have further encouraged me to explore my love for teaching and mentoring. I used to struggle to align medical concepts when I first started out in medical school and it was the brilliant mentoring I found that helped me learn new strategies, solidify concepts and do well on exams.

• What do you think are the qualities required to be a good tutor?

  I believe a good tutor is someone who listens to their students, understands the breadth of the exam or subject they are teaching and is resourceful. It is important to sit down with your students and collaboratively discuss weak areas they need to address that you can work on together. A tutor and their student are a team and good communication can help achieve great results no matter what the examination or assignment might be.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to your subject or your days at school.

  I was never a note-taker but what has helped me most has been active listening during class and making my own notes from self-study. I scored a 94% on my epidemiology module at UCL just from self-made notes because they allow personalisation of ideas, visual learning and are the best source of pre-exam reflection if you have ample time to make them.

• What were the difficulties or challenges you faced or still facing in your subject?

  I would think since I am currently sitting my MRCP 1, I would not feel confident tutoring something I have not completed myself first so I focus on exams I do have a very good grasp of such as the UKMLA (PLABs) and postgraduate, undergraduate medicine, surgery and life sciences or below.

• Do you have a particular passion? Is it teaching in general or an element of the subject or something completely different?

  I am passionate about medicine and teaching so teaching naturally comes to me as an instinctive devotion. I love to teach because it allows me to help students that I can relate with because I was I in their shoes just a few years ago. I think good tutors can make a massive difference in not just your grades or understanding of the subject but also help change how you feel about a subject. If you understand it better, you will enjoy it so much more!

• What makes you a Superprof (besides answering these interview questions :-P) ?

  I am a dedicated doctor, masters scholar and passionate teacher who truly enjoys teaching, communicating concepts and getting feedback. To me a SuperProf is a teacher who truly understands their subject, is knowledgeable and loves to teach. I feel, I definitely meet that standard and am grateful for all my students and this platform that makes education convenient, accessible and enjoyable for all.