Belal Badway

Belal Badway, Émigré Physician Program

Hello everyone! My name is Belal Badawy, and I am currently an EPP (Émigré Physician Program) student at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. I was originally born and raised in Cairo, Egypt, and I have been living in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn since 2017. Before coming to NYITCOM, I graduated from Cairo University School of Medicine in 2008 and worked as an orthopedic resident in Egypt before moving to the United States.

One thing about me is that family has always been at the center of everything I do. I am married, and my wife is also an EPP student here at NYITCOM, which honestly makes this journey both beautiful and challenging at the same time. We also have two children: a 13-year-old daughter and a 6-year-old son. When I first started school, my son was only four years old and could not understand why his father had to go back to school again. He used to ask me, “Why do you have to go to school? You are already a grown man.” That question always stayed with me and still makes me smile.

I chose NYITCOM because it gave me something very special: a true second chance. Not everyone gets another opportunity to return to medicine after graduating abroad, and the EPP program is something unique that I was very thankful to find. I also wanted to explore osteopathic medicine and learn more about the holistic approach to patient care. Coming from an MD background, it was exciting to discover a different philosophy of medicine that focuses not only on disease itself, but on the whole patient.

Before starting at NYITCOM, I honestly did not know what to expect. I did not know anyone in the program, and I was nervous about going back to school after many years. But once classes started and I saw how supportive the faculty, staff, and students were, I realized I made the right decision. It is definitely not easy, but it is worth it.

A typical day for me really depends on whether I have labs on campus or not. On school days, my day starts very early. I usually wake up around 4:30 a.m., take a shower, make my coffee

— and yes, I am definitely a coffee addict. I do not only drink coffee because of the caffeine; I genuinely love the smell, the taste, and the whole experience of making it. I like my coffee strong enough to wake up the entire neighborhood.

After getting ready, I usually leave home around 5:30 – 6:00 a.m. because if I leave later, New York traffic will completely destroy my day. My commute from Bay Ridge to campus usually takes around 60–70 minutes. During the drive, I listen to podcasts or music, which honestly helps me mentally prepare for the day ahead.

Once I get to campus, I usually go to Silent Study, settle down, and start reviewing material before lab starts. During my first year, my lab sessions were usually at 1 p.m. because I was in Group C. During second year, my labs were often at 8 a.m.. Depending on the day, we have

different sessions including Osteopathic Manipulative Medicine (OMM), Doctor Patient Relationships (DPR), anatomy, neuroanatomy, Integrated Clinical Competencies (ICC), and simulation activities.

One of my favorite parts of NYITCOM has been DPR. That class really reminded me why I came back to medicine. DPR teaches us how to communicate with patients, how to be professional, and how to truly connect with people. It is not just about memorizing information; it is about learning how to become the kind of physician patients can trust. I also really enjoyed OMM because it helped me better understand the human body in a completely different way than I learned before.

The simulation labs and ICC sessions were also incredible experiences. The standardized patients are extremely professional, and the simulations make everything feel real. Some of my favorite memories were learning hands-on procedures like intubation and IV placement. Moments like these make you stop and think, “Wow… I am really back in medicine again.”

After lab, I usually stay on campus studying until around 8 p.m.. Part of that is because my wife and I sometimes share one car, but honestly it also helps me avoid traffic while getting more studying done. I found that studying with friends or with a study partner helps me a lot. Medicine can become isolating sometimes, and group studying helps break the boredom while also making difficult concepts easier to remember.

For studying, I mainly focus on school lectures first, but I also use resources provided by the school like USMLE-Rx and TrueLearn, along with First Aid and UWorld. One thing I really appreciate about NYITCOM is how many resources the school provides to help students succeed.

When I finally get home at night, we usually have dinner together as a family and spend time with the kids before repeating the same cycle again the next day. On days without campus activities, my schedule is more relaxed. I usually wake up around 7:30–8:30 AM, have a light breakfast, and study from home. Around 2 p.m., I take a break to pick up my son from school, and we have lunch together as a family before I continue studying later in the evening. Weekends are usually family time for us. Sometimes we go out, and sometimes we just stay home and do a movie night together.

Outside academics, I have also tried to stay involved at NYITCOM. I joined the Student Ambassadors program, served as the EPP representative for the National Arab American Medical Association (NAAMA) from 2024–2025, and also served as the second-year representative during the 2025–2026 academic year. I also volunteered during orientation for the Class of 2029. One thing I truly love about the EPP community is how supportive

everyone is. We share resources, help each other study, and genuinely try to keep each other motivated. We became more than classmates; we became a support system.

The hardest part of medical school for me has definitely been balancing studying with personal life and family responsibilities. During exam periods especially, finding that balance can feel almost impossible. There were many moments where I felt stressed and asked myself, “Why am I doing this again?” But every single time, my family, friends, and classmates were there to support me and remind me why I started.

For me, this second chance means everything. Not everyone gets another opportunity to chase their dream again. I feel incredibly thankful for the opportunity NYITCOM gave me, and I truly hope to use it wisely. One thing that surprised me most during this journey is that I actually enjoy being a student again. It is not just a pathway to getting licensed — the journey itself became meaningful to me.

I am currently still deciding between two very different specialties: orthopedic surgery and psychiatry. Orthopedics has always been my first love because I enjoy the operating room, trauma, and seeing immediate results when helping patients. Psychiatry, on the other hand, attracts me because I enjoy understanding human behavior and helping people through some of the darkest and most difficult moments in their lives. Even though the two specialties are very different, both focus on helping people rebuild their lives in one way or another.

If I could describe what makes NYITCOM special, it would definitely be the people. The faculty truly care about students and do everything possible to help us succeed. The students are supportive, friendly, and always willing to help each other. NYITCOM became a place that honestly feels like home. It is the kind of place where you actually enjoy coming to school, and strangely enough, you feel sad when you stop going there.

If I could tell future EPP students one thing, it would be this: it is not easy, but it is absolutely worth it. The sooner you start, the sooner you move closer to your dream. Trust yourself, trust the process, and remember that everyone here truly wants you to succeed.

At the end of the day, I simply hope my future patients will remember me as Belal — someone who helped them and treated them like a human being first.