During the summer of 2024, Alex Menachery studied for the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT)—part of the process for life sciences/osteopathic medicine (B.S./D.O.) students. But a few years ago, this standard exam for prospective medical students wasn’t on his academic horizon.

“I hated the idea of studying medicine,” he says. Growing up, Menachery was surrounded by many relatives working in the medical field, all pushing for him to follow in their footsteps. At first, he was put off from joining their line of work. It wasn’t until he studied Advanced Placement Biology in high school that he discovered a love for science, and his perspective on his future career shifted.

“Now, I’m pursuing medicine with the goal of not only helping others achieve healthier lives but also progressing healthcare as a whole by improving the quality of physician-patient interactions,” he says. “Many illnesses are misdiagnosed due to physicians’ overloaded schedules. Through scheduling less, but longer patient appointments, those patients might have higher quality interactions during their office visits.”

Menachery is excited to take advantage of New York Tech’s accelerated degree program, so he may potentially become a physician at the end of just seven years—a major reason why he chose the university for his higher education.

As he begins his third year as an undergraduate—the final two semesters before shifting to study at the College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM)—Menachery is also embarking on a leadership journey as the newly elected Long Island Student Government Association (SGA) president.

While he has served on the executive boards of other on-campus organizations, including vice president internal of Delta Epsilon Psi and president of the fundraising group Project Sunshine, none have challenged Menachery to be involved on campus and step out of his comfort zone more than his new role with the SGA. Now, he does not represent just a small group of peers but rather an entire student body as he communicates with administration and faculty to bring positive change to campus.

“One of my biggest goals is to increase events that students can enjoy outside of the classroom,” he says of his presidential to-do list. “I see many students who come to school just for class and then leave because they aren’t aware of on-campus events. Having more school-wide events as well as informing students about such events is important to me.”

As he balances his academic pursuits and extracurricular responsibilities, Menachery finds joy in the simple pleasures of life, like cooking, playing card games, and unwinding with a round of golf. These hobbies help keep a level head on the future physician’s shoulders as he aspires to work as a pediatrician with a subspecialty in immunology or endocrinology.

“Be open to all new experiences,” Menachery advises. “In college, I took a leap and started to take part in activities I enjoyed, and it has been working out well. And don’t be afraid to talk to others, especially those outside your major—you never know who you might meet.”