Akshay Syal, M.D. ’21, Bridges Medicine and the Media
Dr. Akshay Syal is More Than a Physician, Shaping Health Narratives in the News
A fascination with the human body and turning that understanding into making the world a better place led Akshay Syal, M.D. ’21, to medicine. However, a growing curiosity of journalism and the influence of words led him to health journalism, as a member of the NBC News Health Unit, reporting for NBC News Digital and on air for NBC News NOW and MSNBC.
Board-certified in internal medicine, Dr. Syal splits his time between working in a clinic at UCLA Health, teaching at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, monitoring patients at home, and working at NBC News in Los Angeles, California.
“My favorite part of internal medicine is being the patient's home base and their quarterback for their health,” said Dr. Syal. “A lot of people don't have primary care physicians unfortunately. It's why they're heading into the emergency room for situations that we could handle in clinic. Being able to build that longitudinal relationship with patients, seeing them continue to grow and develop over decades, is my favorite part.”
While Dr. Syal attended the University of Arizona, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in physiology, he was also involved in student media on campus. Even as he pursued a future in medicine, journalism was always in the background.
“We were a CNN house growing up, and I remember watching Sanjay Gupta, M.D., reporting live, out in the field, telling important medical stories,” said Dr. Syal. “When a physician is reporting, it adds a unique layer of perspective for the audience—an important perspective. Watching him cover stories from Haiti, the Ebola outbreak, and the famine in Somalia really inspired me. It made me realize that physicians can also be storytellers.”
The son of a neurologist, Dr. Syal arrived at New York Medical College in 2016. Since his first year at the College, he was in touch with a fellow alum Michael Crupain, M.D. '06 M.P.H., medical director for the Dr. Oz show, and expressed interest in working there. In 2019, Dr. Syal took a gap year and joined the growing list of NYMC students and alumni who worked in front and behind the camera at the Medical Unit of the Dr. Oz show.
After working at the Dr. Oz show, Dr. Syal knew he wanted to continue in medical journalism. During his fourth year in medical school, Dr. Syal had the opportunity to join the NBC Medical News Unit in 2020, where he completed his rotations and reported on the COVID-19 pandemic. “NYMC has always been incredibly supportive and encouraging, allowing me to pursue both—to be a clinician as well as a journalist, which was excellent,” he said.
Dr. Syal has reported on groundbreaking stories, including surgeons learning the genetic sequences of brain tumors faster using artificial intelligence, CAR T-cell therapy as a new approach to tackle brain cancer, and the long-term consequences of measles. He remains steadfast in his responsibility as both a physician and a voice in the media—educating, informing, and advocating on a national stage.
