St Matthew's University Graduate Success

Javier Zaglul

Javier Zaglul just matched into an Internal Medicine residency at Larkin Hospital in Miami.

Javier Zaglul, Internal Medicine photo

Javier Zaglul just matched into an Internal Medicine residency at Larkin Hospital in Miami, a hospital that he was familiar with after doing some clinical rotations there. “I think my electives in Gastroenterology and Geriatrics at the hospital definitely helped me with the match.”

An undergraduate Biochemistry major at Florida Atlantic University, he knew early on that he was on a pre-med track, though technology was a passion for him as well.

Coming to SMUSOM for medical school was a home run for him, loving both the island and the support and commitment of the professors. “The professors at St. Matthew’s School of Medicine are really wonderful people. They will see you outside of office hours and are so devoted to helping you be successful.”

Javier was particularly enamored of the biochemistry professor (“one of the best biochem professors I have ever had”) as he had devoted many hours throughout college to the subject and thus had a point of comparison.

A powerful psychiatry rotation in New York really affected him, working with a patient who was very manic. “I witnessed first hand the pain of mental disease, and how everyone in the family is affected by it. It hurts the family as much as the patient.” He thought about pursuing a Psychiatry residency but ultimately chose Internal Medicine. “There are so many areas of medicine that I like and now I am able to potentially pursue diabetes, pain management or many other specialties once I finish my residency. I will learn over the next three years.”

Javier shares his gratitude to SMUSOM, sharing “If you have a strong work ethic, SMUSOM will give you a chance to become a doctor. They gave me that chance.”