Physician Assistant Alumnus Aims to Provide Medical Care to Underserved Communities

“This component of the University’s mission was clearly apparent throughout my time with the program and I very much appreciated this,” said Mr. Meni, who earned a Master of Science degree in Physician Assistant from the University’s College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences.

Having spent most of his childhood within medically underserved areas, both in the US and in Israel, Mr. Meni, a resident of New York City who is from Tbilisi, in the Republic of Georgia, is passionate about working with underserved communities. He hopes to pursue career opportunities that allow him to improve access to health care throughout highly populated areas in New York.

“As a St. John’s graduate, I feel prepared to function as a leader within my industry,” Mr. Meni said. “I believe that I am very culturally competent and able to extend access to care to underserved communities—which is in line with the University’s focus on social justice.”

Noting his primary clinical interest is hematology-oncology, Mr. Meni said of his decision to attend St. John’s, “There are many resources available at the University, and it is a great community where you can be involved in a wide range of activities. The physician assistant program is in Queens, near the heart of New York City. I had access to many clinical sites directed toward my goal as a health-care provider to increase the provision of health-care services to underserved patients and communities.”

In January, Mr. Meni will start his new position as a physician assistant at New York- Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. He will work within the Inpatient Bone Marrow Transplant Service.

After completing his education in 2015 at Stony Brook University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology with minors in Biology and Health and Wellness, he worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he enjoyed working with pediatric patients. Mr. Meni also had the unique opportunity to conduct clinical research and contribute to several key peer-reviewed publications that aimed to explore novel therapeutic methods for pediatric solid tumors. 

In addition to clinical work, his longer-term goals include conducting more research and ultimately joining a physician assistant education program as an instructor.