Sophia Greenblatt always knew she wanted to become a physician. Growing up in Teaneck, New Jersey, as one of six siblings—including a set of triplets—Sophia was deeply inspired by her mother, a practicing psychiatrist. Witnessing firsthand the difference her mother made in patients’ lives sparked Sophia’s early interest in medicine and set her on a clear path toward a career of service and healing.
“Science—especially biology—was always my favorite subject,” she says. “But what inspired me most was the opportunity to help people in a meaningful way every day. Medicine combines my love for science with my passion for connecting with people.”
Sophia chose Touro’s Lander College for Women (LCW) for her undergraduate education, drawn to the college’s strong academic environment and its structured support for pre-med students. As a high school senior, she was accepted into the highly competitive Medical Honors Pathway Program, a collaboration between Touro and New York Medical College (NYMC), which offers conditional acceptance to NYMC’s School of Medicine.
“Having the reassurance of early acceptance was invaluable,” she says. “It gave me the peace of mind to focus on my academic and personal growth, knowing that my future in medicine was already taking shape.”
At LCW, Sophia thrived in a rigorous curriculum that prepared her for the demands of medical school. She credits her success at NYMC in part to the solid foundation she built during her undergraduate years.
“Touro’s coursework gave me the scientific base I needed,” she explains. “And writing an honors thesis in biology helped me develop research and academic writing skills that I continue to use today.”
Now a student at NYMC, Sophia is thriving and particularly enjoys her time learning at the hospital. “Whether during shadowing or preceptorship, I love seeing how what we learn in class directly applies to real patients. It’s one thing to study a concept, but it’s another to see how it impacts care in the real world,” she says.
Sophia has already made strides in medical research. Early in her training, she worked with NYMC and Westchester Medical Center’s OB/GYN department on a project analyzing social media discourse around endometrial cancer and presented her findings at the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology Annual Clinical & Scientific Meeting in Minneapolis. Now she is working on a quality improvement project in the Emergency Department at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, aimed at reducing contaminated urine samples to improve diagnostic accuracy and patient outcomes.
While she hasn’t yet decided on a specialty, Sophia is excited to begin clinical rotations and gain deeper insight into the different fields of medicine.
“I want to find a specialty where I feel fulfilled and where I can make the greatest impact on patients’ lives,” she shares. In the meantime, she is grateful for the hands-on training and comprehensive clinical education she’s receiving at NYMC.
“At the Clinical Skills and Simulation Center, we’re constantly developing our patient interaction and examination techniques. Small-group case discussions help us apply what we’re learning in real time. It’s been the perfect environment to grow as a future physician.”
Sophia’s journey is not only a personal one but also part of a family legacy—her sister also completed the Touro/NYMC Medical Honors Pathway, paving the way and inspiring Sophia’s own path. Now, Sophia is forging ahead with dedication, heart, and a clear vision: to become a physician who combines scientific rigor with compassionate care.
Learn more at touro.edu/excellence
