When Meechael Hizami was six years old, his grandfather had an accident that shattered the bones in his leg and severely limited his mobility. Watching his grandfather rely on crutches, walking canes and other assistive devices, Meechael decided he would one day become a doctor and fix his leg—a goal he has worked toward ever since.
Meechael’s journey to med school actually began at Touro College in Israel (TCI). While studying in Israel after high school, he decided he wanted to stay an extra year and enrolled at TCI while still learning in yeshiva. He then returned to New York, where he officially started at Touro’s Lander College for Men (LCM). “The intense courses of the pre-med track at LCM were tough. I had to work hard and spend many hours studying,” he said.
All of that hard work and studying certainly paid off! “I was lucky to have more than one acceptance to medical school,” he said. “I spent a lot of time comparing schools and New York Medical College (NYMC) came out on top.”
Meechael was drawn to the beautiful campus and the welcoming administration and community. “They offer town hall meetings to get feedback from students to see how they can improve. The professors care about you. The integrated curriculum, while still new, offers a more in-depth clinical understanding of the material being taught. And the student body is collaborative. I always thought medical school would be cut-throat, but students collaborate all the time at NYMC,” he explained.
Beyond textbooks and labs, Meechael is learning that more goes into being a good physician. “NYMC has a state-of-the-art clinical skills center where we do our training with patients. We learn how to connect with patients who may be different than we are,” he said. The many events hosted by the school also help to expose students to different fields and specialties within the medical field.
Though he was sure he wanted to be surgeon, Meechael recently started to think about other opportunities that may be a better fit for his future goals. “I love working with my hands and am a pretty decent handyman. Being a surgeon, you see G-d’s masterpiece every day. You see the arteries, nerves, organs working in front of your eyes. It’s magnificent! I started shying away from the idea of being a surgeon when I realized how much time you are away from your family. While no residency and fellowship are easy, surgery has a reputation as being one of the more intense training paths. I’ve always wanted to work with kids and the special needs population, so pediatric neurology started intriguing me. I think I’ll be drawn to most fields during rotations though. I guess we’ll wait and see what G-d has in store.”
[Music Plays]
[DESCRIPTION] Text over a blue background with chevron patterns, Touro University logo in the bottom left corner.
[TEXT] HEALTHCARE HEROES GET THEIR START AT TOURO.
[DESCRIPTION] Meechael Hizami speaks to the camera in a room setting, wearing a white coat.
[TEXT] Meechael Hizami, Touro’s Lander College for Men, Touro’s New York Medical College
[MEECHAEL HIZAMI] I've always wanted to be a doctor. When I was younger my grandfather fell off the roof and he shattered the bones in his legs, completely shattered them. And ever since that day, he hasn't been the same.
[DESCRIPTION] Close up of Meechael’s medical coat with a patch that reads “New York Medical College Chartered 1860”. Meechael walks through the hallway of school.
[MEECHAEL HIZAMI] My six year old mind was saying, You know what? I'm going to become a doctor and I'm going to fix Saba's leg.
[DESCRIPTION] Close up on students learning together in Beis Medrash.
[MEECHAEL HIZAMI] My undergraduate experience, At Lander College for Men taught me how to study better.
[DESCRIPTION] Student wearing blue gloves takes a sample from the lab cabinet. Vibrant classroom full of engaged students in Lander College for Men. The teacher illustrates concepts on a digital board to the class. A professor and several students gather around a table filled with lab equipment including microscopes and test tubes.
[MEECHAEL HIZAMI] And then thank God I did well on the MCAT. And I had a professor that really guided me through the process of getting into medical school.
[DESCRIPTION] A red sign outdoors with text that reads, “New York Medical College and University System Established 1860.” Meechael, wearing a white lab coat examines a specimen through a microscope, adjusting the knobs to get a clearer view. A digital image of the scan is seen on a computer screen as Meechael reviews alongside faculty and students.
[MEECHAEL HIZAMI] I love NYMC. I absolutely love it. We're not learning biochemistry and molecular biology separately. We're learning it all together so that when we are actually practicing, physicians will see a patient. I can incorporate all of these things together because I already learned that.
[DESCRIPTION] Jewish students wearing scrubs put on tefillin. Men in traditional Jewish attire, tallit and tefillin, are praying in Beis Yosef Synagogue.
[MEECHAEL HIZAMI] The Jewish life on campus is really helpful and really supportive.
[DESCRIPTION] Close up of several students praying, dressed in scrubs and tallit. Multiple video clips of NYMC students around campus.
[MEECHAEL HIZAMI] The community, not having classes on Chag, not having to make up an exam. The administration is very supportive here. At New York Medical College there is a very diverse and collaborative group of students.
[DESCRIPTION] Meechael speaks with fellow students outside. Meechael works with other students on laptop.
[MEECHAEL HIZAMI] When you're a physician, you're not competing with other physicians. You need to work with other physicians to get your patient better.
[DESCRIPTION] Meechael stands in his white coat and smiles at the camera.
[MEECHAEL HIZAMI] And so being in this kind of environment at New York Medical College is really, I think, preparing me to be the best physician that I can be and to have a strong, positive impact on my community.
[DESCRIPTION] Text over a blue background with chevron patterns, Touro University logo in the bottom left corner.
[TEXT] HEALTHCARE HEROES GET THEIR START AT TOURO.
[Music Fades]
[DESCRIPTION] Plain blue screen with Touro University Logo.
