Paging Future Physician: BIMS Senior Takes Next Step Toward Career In Medicine

When Gabriel Bizi walks the commencement stage on May 7, he will not just be closing out his undergraduate journey as a biomedical sciences (BIMS) major — he will also be honoring the college in a special way. 

Selected to carry the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) gonfalon, a special flag representing the college, at the graduation ceremony, Bizi will mark the moment as both a celebration of how far he has come and a transition into what comes next.

This summer, Bizi will begin medical school at the Texas A&M Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, continuing a trajectory defined by years of research, clinical experience, and leadership within the BIMS program.

His combined experiences led to his acceptance into Texas A&M’s Early Assurance Pathway Program, which will allow him to transition directly into medical school after graduation.

Setting The Stage For A Career In Medicine 

Born in Brazil but raised in Cypress, Texas, Bizi came to Texas A&M with a clear goal of becoming the first physician in his family. As he explored his options, he found that the BIMS program aligned closely with that path.

“I chose A&M mainly because of the student culture,” Bizi said. “When I started comparing departments and majors in Texas universities, I felt like BIMS was the only one that really aligned with that.”

BIMS also stood out for its coursework in immunology, neuroscience, and endocrinology.

“I want to learn medicine,” Bizi said. “Those courses align closely with what I want to do in the future, compared to the more general basic sciences offered in other programs.”

After being offered a scholarship to attend Texas A&M, he felt even more confident in his decision to enroll.

Building Experience In The BIMS Program

That early expectation of what Texas A&M would offer carried through once he arrived on campus, especially during his sophomore and junior years, when he began taking more directed electives.

“The professors are top researchers in their fields, and many are also clinicians, so they always bring a patient-focused perspective,” Bizi said. “A lot of them have Ph.D.s or are DVMs or MDs — that combination of clinical and research experience made it feel more like a medical school class than an undergraduate one.

“Another reason why I picked BIMS is that you can do research at the medical school here at A&M and still have it count for your degree plan for directed electives,” Bizi said. “So, I was able to be involved with research all four years. I got a paper published as a corresponding author with my mentor, Dr. Anthony Matarazzo, and we have another paper in the process of being published.”

Beyond research, Bizi has been very involved with student organizations. 

“I served as a Biomedical Science Association (BSA) officer for three years, and this year I worked as the executive programs coordinator, where I helped run BioMed-a-thon, a campuswide research event,” Bizi said. “I’m also involved in Aggie Gentlemen of Integrity, a men’s organization where I’ve participated in a lot of service projects and community outreach.”

These experiences, along with his hands-on clinical exposure across multiple healthcare settings, have reinforced his interest in medicine.

“During my sophomore year, I worked as an emergency room technician at the Emergency Room and Trauma Center at St. Joseph Hospital, where I saw a wide range of trauma and emergency cases alongside doctors and nurses,” Bizi said. “I also worked as a dermatology medical assistant back home over the summer.”

These experiences have helped guide the direction Bizi hopes to take in medicine. 

“I’m interested in general surgery or orthopedic surgery, but I’m going to let my classes show me where I feel most passionate and go from there,” Bizi said.

Impact Beyond the Classroom

While his academic and clinical experiences helped prepare him for a career in medicine, Bizi said the impact he has been able to make on others stands out most.

“I’m very proud that I met my goal of going to medical school and pursuing a career as a physician,” Bizi said. “But I’d say my biggest accomplishment is the positive impact I’ve had on others, whether through mentoring students in BSA or working in research.

Bizi is part of a research lab at the Vashisht College of Medicine that focuses on neuroscience.

“In the research project I was involved in my first two years, we were trying to find how astrocytes, a type of brain cell in the hippocampus of the brain, would respond if we removed their mitochondria,” Bizi said. “We call it ablating the mitochondria, and we compared how that affected neurogenic diseases.”

His research involved drawing comparisons to other lab studies focused on Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. 

“I want to continue research in medical school,” Bizi said. “But I want to focus more on clinical translational medicine that affects patients and surgical outcomes.”

Together, his experiences in research and mentoring others reinforced the broader impact he hopes to carry into his future career.

A Well-Deserved Recognition

Bizi’s hard work and dedication also have earned him the honor of carrying the VMBS’ gonfalon.

“I remember opening the email about being selected to carry the flag,” Bizi said. “It felt like a final bow on everything I did throughout my years in the BIMS program, bringing it all to a close.”

The recognition also brought to mind the support he received throughout his time at Texas A&M.

“I definitely want to thank the whole program for it,” Bizi said. “The advisers and all my professors who supported me throughout the journey.”

Though his time as an undergraduate at Texas A&M is coming to an end, Bizi is excited to step into his next chapter while also offering advice to the students who will follow in his footsteps.

“Do what you’re passionate about and don’t cave into any pressure,” Bizi said. “Experience life first, then figure out what you want to do, and grow from there. As you mature through that process, things will naturally fall into place.”