Changing Lives Through Medicine

Why did you choose medicine as your career path?

There’s nothing more impactful and fulfilling than helping someone else feel good. Now, there are obviously many ways to do so, and many jobs can bring about this feeling, but I feel that there is no better profession than being a doctor where you can accomplish this daily. Ever since I was in middle school, I’ve felt a strong connection to biology. I enjoyed my first classes learning about the human anatomy and understanding the beauty of G-d’s creations. As I was able to learn more and more about biology, it was clear to me that I wished to continue on this  path and make this my life’s mission—to improve the lives of others through medicine.

What is your ultimate career goal?

When I first began to get interested in medicine, I knew I wanted to work with a young population. As the oldest of five siblings and many cousins, I’ve always been around the excitement and energy of young children. Over time, I realized that I wanted to help couples bring children into this world, but more specifically, I wanted to be able to help couples who are unable to conceive naturally and to assist them in raising families of their own. Therefore, my goal is to become a reproductive endocrinologist, aka a fertility specialist. My dream is to see patients of mine grow up and reach the same stage as their parents: starting families of their own. I especially hope to be a much-needed liaison for the Jewish community to help bring more Jewish souls into this world as we bridge the gap between the halachic and medical aspects of reproductive medicine.

You volunteer at a hospice and hold leadership roles with National Conference of Synagogue Youth—can you share how those experiences are impacting your personal and professional development?

It’s integral for Jewish young men and women to recognize that when they enter the world, besides representing themselves, their families and their schools, they are also representing the Jewish nation as a whole, especially given the world’s current state of affairs. Therefore, I’m extremely grateful for Touro’s guidance and the opportunities LCM provides to foster an awareness of what it means to be an Orthodox Jew in and out of yeshiva. For the past year, I have worked at a fertility clinic in Manhattan, and people would comment that I handled myself professionally and maturely at work. I do not doubt that this relates back to my experiences at Lander. For example, every major in Lander has a  chaburah, or club, and I have the privilege of leading the one for bio majors. I am thankful not only for this opportunity to be a leader, but also to be able to see firsthand how dedicated we can all be to our Judaism and our academic studies. It’s inspiring to see the dedication of my friends and fellow students to both Judaism and medicine, and it’s a very positive sign for what’s to come for the next generation of Jewish doctors.

Why did you choose Lander College for Men?

Choosing Lander College for Men was a simple and obvious choice for me. Returning from yeshiva in Israel, I was looking for a place to continue my Jewish studies education while beginning my pre-med journey. Having a Rosh HaYeshiva like Rav Sacks, whose reputation traverses continents, made the decision to join Lander an easy one. Every class, event and extracurricular that happens in Lander goes through our Rosh HaYeshiva and dean, and they work together to make our college and yeshiva experience the most enjoyable one possible. Simultaneously, going to school under the Touro University umbrella is very helpful in getting closer to medical school because of our affiliation with Touro’s medical school, New York Medical College.

Once you finalize your decision and actually step foot in Lander, it’s abundantly clear you made the right choice. You don’t feel like you’re just another student in a massive university. When you look around you see many students who are like-minded and driven towards similar goals in both Judaic and general studies, which is so helpful at this critical maturation period in life.

How do you feel Lander is preparing you for your chosen path?

I am very thankful for all the help that Lander is giving me in preparation for my career path. The Rosh HaYeshiva and all the rabbis are always there for guidance in all aspects of my life. And working alongside them, Lander has a great team of professors and deans who are also there to help the students out whenever necessary. For me specifically, the biology department led by Dr. Shinnar and Dr. Danishefsky has been a tremendous help in preparing for the road to medicine. The classes that they give are very helpful for MCAT preparation, both in terms of intensity and relevancy, which are invaluable as my classmates and I prepare for our next step of schooling. Whether you are aiming for medicine, dentistry or becoming a PA or PT, or a lawyer or software engineer, the professors are always available to help and answer your questions. The fact that we have such strong resources on both sides of our daily schedule is what I believe separates Lander from other institutions.