Akanksha Gupta
Pathologist and Medical Director at McLaren Central Michigan Laboratory, McLaren Bay Region Hospital, , Michigan, USA; Founder and CEO of Ace My Path
Professional ambitions? My motto is - "There is nothing that you can't achieve. Dare to dream, dare to struggle, dare to fail, dare to persist, dare to succeed, and then, dare to dream again!" Apart from being a great diagnostician, I want to soar Ace My Path to extraordinary heights.
Since its formation, Ace My Path has become a beacon of hope for aspiring and practicing pathologists worldwide and our current team of 150 individuals are dedicated to creating exceptional resources for the community. We've published 21 books and sold over 6000 copies globally in just 5 years. Our YouTube channel has garnered over 347k impressions, with our videos being watched for more than 5000 hours. This growth and dedication continues to inspire me and others – it's a driving force behind our success.
Our journey has shown that when we are determined, the universe helps us succeed. I have seen this happen many times, and it always amazes me. I believe our platform has great potential, and I am eager to continue pursuing my passions, chasing my dreams, and inspiring others to do the same.
Controversial opinion? Whereas many see AI as a high risk tool that could devalue pathologists’ expertise, I see it as a revolutionary tool for improving accuracy and efficiency. I believe in the potential of this technology and its ability to help pathologists rather than replace us.
Inspiring mentor or educator? I owe a lot of my success to various mentors in my life. My parents are my biggest mentors, sharing values and motivating me to study at an early stage in my career. Some days, my mother would stay awake until 4am to keep me company while I studied and support me through crucial 12th grade and pre-medical entrance exams. My husband has also inspired me as a passionate NICU physician and businessman to follow my dreams.
During my career, I’ve had many inspiring and supporting teachers, including Rajendra Singh, founder of Path Presenter. His passion for education and innovation is unparalleled and collaborating with him on various projects has been a joy. The QR codes he suggested for virtual slides in our books has provided a revolutionary way of teaching and trainees have expressed their enjoyment of this feature.
Another incredible presence has been Kamran Mirza, who surprised us by joining our Hemepath book club one day. He quickly became one of our note-takers and his presence was very motivating. Without his suggestions and support, we wouldn’t have turned our notes into books.
Additionally, Joseph DiGiuseppe at Hartford Hospital was instrumental in shaping my passion for hematology, which led to me pursuing a fellowship. And finally but certainly not least, Mr Shetty was a very inspiring and passionate teacher throughout my 12th grade exams. His support (especially with math equations) was greatly appreciated.