Voices of HMSOM: Vanaria’s Positive Experiences Pave The Way

An influential vocation sparked a powerful combustion of development for Robert Vanaria.

Vanaria, a fourth-year medical student at the Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine (HMSOM), credits a chain reaction of positive experiences with mapping the course he’s plotted throughout his formative years of adolescence and into adulthood.

As an auto mechanic—a job he held from his teen summers through his college years—Vanaria developed a unique appreciation for acting with precision with the stakes a little higher in providing responsible care.

“You’re truly working for people’s safety, whether it’s with repairs or with patients,” Vanaria said.

When he’d tell customers and coworkers about his path through pre-med to his medical school aspirations, jokes would follow that the “doctor of cars” would soon be a doctor of people. While the jokes now seem prophetic, the lessons were road signs that still navigate Vanaria’s route toward physicianship.

“Some of my greatest takeaways involved using my skills to contribute to teamwork in service,” Vanaria said. “I was proud of perfecting the role I was given in doing my routine and basic repairs to add to the overall benefit of care provided.”

These acquired skills and earned takeaways would supplement the inspiration to become a physician that Vanaria first recognized in a 7th grade science classroom.

Always partial to math and science in school, an inspirational teacher ignited Vanaria’s passion for the life sciences.

“She was absolutely incredible,” he recalled. “I just remember enjoying her class so much that exploring science careers was going to be the path for me. I was magnetized towards that career.”

HMH Journey Becomes HMSOM Destination

While on the road to med school, a second and more profound experience would determine where Vanaria would learn the art of healing.

During his sophomore year in college, his mother, Marisa, was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Her subsequent treatment at the John Theurer Cancer Center (JTCC) at Hackensack University Medical Center (HUMC) became a pivotal moment for the family.

“Her experience with treatment was just so overwhelmingly positive and so supportive,” he said, recalling the compassionate care she received. “The nurses, the social workers, everyone who interacted with my mom really left a positive and lasting impact on us.”

Vanaria said the consistent and compassionate care from physicians Andre Goy, M.D., MS., and Lori Leslie, M.D., through Hackensack Meridian Health (HMH)—guiding, coaching, and cheering his mother and their family through cancer treatment—gave him unwavering faith in the Hackensack Meridian Health system and made his med school choice an easy one.

“I had it in the back of my mind, if Hackensack accepted me, I was going to attend there. If this is what they’re showing the patients on a day-to-day basis, the medical training has to be great.”

Marisa Vanaria—in good health today at age 65—gained her official survivorship from cancer in 2023, after five years in remission.

From Vision to Mission

Just as his mother’s experience with her HMH care team inspired his medical-school decision, his own experience with a single physician pointed Vanaria in the direction of his specialty.

During his gap year, Vanaria worked as a medical assistant to dermatologist Sam Kim, M.D., who took the fledgling, soon-to-be med student under his wing.

“Dr. Kim was a great mentor for me,” Vanaria said. “He showed me the ropes of dermatology, which translated to enhanced depth and breadth of knowledge within the specialty relative to peers in my field.”

That knowledge in dermatology has guided Vanaria through more quests for learning through his prolific research. From studying HIV-prevention efforts through international radio, to analyzing medical misinformation on social media platforms, Vanaria champions transparency as the most effective tool for hospital systems and healthcare providers.

“Being able to admit when information is uncertain, and encouraging people to seek out trusted sources and verify information,” he asserted, “builds trust with patients and populations through openness and honesty.”

Vanaria now embodies all the lessons of his journey as he prepares for a highly competitive and exclusive residency in dermatology.

“Robert Vanaria has fused such a diverse set of skills and philosophies to put him at the jump-off point of his career,” said Jeffrey Boscamp, M.D., president and dean at HMSOM. “He is uniquely equipped as an excellent M.D. candidate and physician-to-be.”

The vision for signs of positive experience as guides along his path now becomes a mission for Vanaria. He now seeks to help find similar signs for others and return more of his precious time to the people he loves most.

“I have a lot of different mentorship roles for pre-med students and younger cohorts,” Vanaria said. “They’re comfortable reaching out to me for studying and career advice, and balancing life with your schedule. I take pride in being a mentor because I’m trying to build the future of our field.”

“I have always been incredibly lucky to have such a tight-knit family,” Vanaria said about the support of both immediate and extended family, taking up residence closer to campus in Bloomfield, N.J., with his 96-year-old grandfather. “I always feel loved and supported through my career and life decisions. I wouldn’t have traded that support for anything.”