VOICES of HMSOM: Acoury Has Vision For Helping Through Emergency Medicine   

VOICES of HMSOM: Acoury Has Vision For Helping Through Emergency Medicine

Gabriella Acoury

As a child who was teased for wearing glasses and an eye patch due to her vision not developing normally, Gabriella Acoury really leaned into the relationships of those who cared for her - including her doctors. It literally allowed her to focus on a love for medicine and helping others from childhood into her late teens, eventually inspiring her to volunteer as an EMT during her sophomore year of college at Rutgers University.

Those experiences have Acoury at the cusp of becoming a doctor, pending her graduation from the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM) this June.

“In the ambulance, I had the opportunity to change peoples lives on arguably some of their worst days. It is that feeling that pushed me toward my path into medical school. I found value in helping others, especially while they were experiencing extreme pain, fear and worry,” said Acoury. “Emergency medicine is not only a really amazing, fast moving and exhilarating field that requires knowledge from every specialty, quick decision making, and procedural prowess, it also requires a caring touch that I identify deeply with.”

“Gabriella Acoury is a unique person, who has brought her own wealth of experience into becoming an outstanding M.D. candidate,” said Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., the president and dean of the school.

A Short Ride To HMSOM

In fact, it was while sitting in the passenger seat of an ambulance one Sunday night that the Wayne, N.J. native first heard about HMSOM.

“My EMS partner Nav turned to me and said, did you hear about that new school in Nutley? Little did I know that school would be where I would spend such a formative past three years of my life!” she recalled.

Acoury says one of the biggest reasons she applied to HMSOM was its vision to improve humanity in health care. As someone who believes in how far a compassionate touch can help a patient, she knew that this school aligned exactly with her values.

“I have felt so privileged to be able to fold in the determinants of health and really understand why patients seek care in the ways that they do, and how best to help them when they have barriers to health care. Our community health project during my M1 year with the Clifton Health department working on a maternal-child health fair was eye opening to how much change each of us can make to improve the lives and the health of others.

“The humanistic values the school has taught me will continue to carry on through my training, and I was recognized by peers and faculty for the Gold Humanism Honor Society,” she added.

Of course, HMSOM being just 15 minutes from the house where she grew up - and from the EMS squad that she rides for - made it the perfect fit. So it feels like home in more ways than one.

Acoury says even though she knew her calling was in emergency medicine, she tried to keep an open mind to other areas of medicine, fully immersing herself in every subject from anatomy and biochemistry to infectious diseases and women’s health. It all paid off, leading to a better understanding of how knowing about every specialty would lead to success in her chosen field.

Med School Memories

Throughout her years at the SOM, Acoury has been able to turn her passion for running (she’s been an avid runner her whole life, including as varsity athlete in high school in Wayne and captain of her club in college at Rutgers University) into a way to help benefit her community and bond with peers. She played a pivotal role in organizing the inaugural Bonita Stanton Memorial 5K Race, bringing several people from her cohort to the event, raising money to benefit the Bonita Stanton, M.D. Scholarship Fund – which provides scholarships to future physicians who want to attend the school.

“I remember the meetings leading up to it, as well as race day, where Dean Boscamp gave a lovely speech about Dean Stanton. We saw people from all walks of life and medicine – from students to attendings, coming together to celebrate one person's love for both medicine and running,” she said. “I loved all of the opportunities I had to inspire my cohort to come out for runs and race in 5ks together throughout the year.”

While medical school is demanding, Acoury has always been sure to make time to give back to her community, including participating in student run clinics, teaching emergency medicine skills at local community fairs with fellow students and mentoring others on their path to medicine.

Future Goals In Medicine

With all of her education having been done in NJ, this native New Jerseyan is hoping to continue her training in the area. She is considering pursuing a fellowship after her residency, either in critical care medicine or Emergency Medical Services. She hopes to become a medical director for a local EMS, helping to shape standard protocols and oversee our brave first responders.

Coming from a long line of engineers, accountants and businessmen, Acoury would be the first in her family to become a doctor. She says her parents and older brother have been nothing but supportive and excited for her – seeing the difference she’s already made for others.

“Sometimes as students, there isn’t much we can do for our patients. But one thing anyone should not underestimate is how far care and compassion can go. And that is something I identified with early on in my medical career as an EMT, and again in the emergency department, where I was able to make real change in people's lives just by listening and caring compassionately.”

We use cookies to improve your site experience. By using this site,
you agree to our Terms & Conditions. Also, please read our Privacy Policy. Accept All CookiesLearn More
X