Medical Student Leadership
Debra Leizman, MD
Division General Internal Medicine
Director, Undergraduate Medical Education
Director, Internal Medicine Clerkship Program
Dr. Leizman is a general internist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and faculty member at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. She received her ScB degree from Brown University, attended medical school at University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and completed her residency at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She stayed on as faculty in the Division of General Internal Medicine at Temple and then joined the Northwestern faculty in Chicago before finally settling back in Cleveland at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
Dr. Leizman splits her clinical time between her private ambulatory practice and supervising residents in the outpatient resident clinic. For the medical students, she runs the Internal Medicine Core Clerkship and she is the physician preceptor for the medical school Internal Medicine Interest Group. Additionally, she serves as the physician coordinator for the MD/PhD students helping them to maintain a clinical connection while completing their PhD work. Her interests are medical student and resident education, women's health, patient communication and patient safety and quality issues. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three daughters, exercising and cooking.
Abbas Mandviwala, MD
Division General Internal Medicine
Director, Internal Medicine Acting Internship Program
Dr. Mandviwala is a Oncology-Hospitalist at UH-Seidman Cancer Center and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He completed both his undergraduate studies and medical school from the University of Kentucky, as a member of the Rural Physician Leadership Program. He joined the UH/Case Western Reserve University Internal Medicine Residency Program in 2016 as a resident in the Leadership in Medical Education pathway. After graduating in 2019, Dr. Mandviwala joined as faculty at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, serving as a Clinical Instructor of Medicine, before returning to Cleveland in 2020. He now serves as Director of the Internal Medicine Acting Internship Program along with a variety of other academic and entrepreneurial roles. Dr. Mandviwala's academic interests include the business-of-medicine, POCUS, and student/resident wellness. He grew up in Kentucky, and is a die-hard UK college basketball and Los Angeles Lakers fan. In his free time he enjoys planning social events, playing basketball/golf, and spending time with family and friends.
Aaron Kistemaker, MD
Division General Internal Medicine
Associate Director, Internal Medicine Clerkship Program
Dr. Kistemaker is a hospitalist at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center and a faculty member at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He earned his medical degree at the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine and completed his residency at University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.
Dr. Kistemaker helps run the Internal Medicine Core clerkship where he does direct observation of students on the hospital wards. He also is a primary attending on the inpatient teaching medicine services at the hospital. He is committed to providing outstanding healthcare as well as educating medical students and Internal Medicine residents in delivering quality healthcare to patients.
When he is not in the hospital, he will be at home being entertained by his daughters Ansleigh and Everleigh. Coming in a close second in the entertainment department are his dogs Dobby (Great Dane), Pheobe (Mastiff), Stormy (Terrier mix) and Dudley (French Bulldog). And when there is time, he works out and does DIY projects.
Shikhil Kharotia, MD
Division General Internal Medicine
Associate Program Director for Internal Medicine
Dr. Kharotia is an academic hospitalist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VA Medical Center and faculty member at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is also the Associate Program Director for Internal Medicine at UH/VA. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Health and Diseases with a minor in physiology from The University of Toronto and then went on to complete his medical education from Wayne State School of Medicine in Detroit. He did his residency training at UH Cleveland Medical Center and joined the ranks of faculty in July 2021. Most of his clinical time is spent as a hospitalist on the VA Medicine Services or as an attending in the VA Emergency Department. His interests include medical student and resident education.
Cindy Neczypor
Coordinator, Internal Medicine Clerkship
Associate Director, Visiting Medical Student Program
Cindy Neczypor is the Clerkship Administrator for Core 1: Inpatient Internal Medicine, Medicine Extension (Ambulatory and Night Float) and Geriatrics as well as the Administrative Contact for the UH and VA Acting Internship Program. She also helps facilitate the Internal Medicine Interest Group as they spread the word about Medicine and its specialties to the 1st and 2nd year medical students. Her goal regarding the clerkship students is to make sure the details are set so that the students can learn medicine by taking care of their patients.
When she isn't busy organizing everyone's life, she enjoys time with her dogs (Isabelle, Casimer and Gracie), her cats (Maks and Fiona), reading, playing computer games and when possible quilting and gardening. She is currently working on two "Mystery Quilts". She can be reached at 216-844-7421.