M.D. Director, Urgent Care Services, Mt. Sinai Hospital
New York City. Age: 34
Meika Neblett knew since the age of 5 that she wanted to be a doctor. ?I?ve known forever what I?ve wanted to do because I?ve always taken care of everyone,? she says. Meika Neblett, M.D., is director of urgent care medicine and an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Mt. Sinai Hospital in New York City.
Throughout her many years of schooling, Neblett combined her love of travel with her love of medicine. ?In medical school, I was able to spend three months in Zimbabwe, and I lived with a family while working at the main hospital there. I was able to understand more about African women and their understanding of their own health needs,? she says. In fact, because of that experience, her dream is to move to South Africa to open and operate a health care center for women. Her travels have also taken her to Okinawa, Japan; Cape Town, South Africa; and Guadalajara, Mexico.
After graduating from Emory University in Atlanta, the Boston native pursued her medical degree at Howard University in Washington, D.C. After she completed her residency in emergency medicine at the Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York, Mt. Sinai recruited her to her current position. Although she loves the hectic pace of emergency medicine, she has also learned to handle the highs and lows of her field.
?In the ER, there?s something different every single day, but it can get frustrating because of the health care system,? she explains. ?I can?t guarantee that [patients] are going to be okay?that is, they?ll go to the social worker or to their [primary care] doctor, etc.?when they leave. That?s pretty frustrating.?
Despite the frustrations, Neblett has found other ways to make her career meaningful. Since last October, she has appeared on the Fox News Network as an on-air medical expert, and for the past three years she has served as the sideline physician for the varsity and junior varsity football teams at Long Island City High School in Long Island City, New York.