Harel Amsalem grew up in Israel until his family moved to the United States when he was six years old. Born with congenital heart disease, some of his earliest memories are being in awe of the images from his yearly cardiac ultrasounds. Those experiences sparked a lasting curiosity about medicine and a deep commitment to science, health, and education, ultimately leading him to become the first person in his family to attend university.
Harel is a third-year medical student at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine pursuing a career in internal medicine, with interests that include cardiology, critical care, pulmonology, and palliative care, alongside a continued passion for medical education. As a first-generation college student, he is especially motivated by work that expands access to opportunity in both education and healthcare.
Alongside his clinical training, Harel remains active in student leadership and medical education initiatives, including serving on curriculum-focused committees and contributing to education research on access to board preparation resources for socioeconomically disadvantaged students. He also volunteers at his school’s student-run free clinic, helping provide primary care for uninsured patients.
Outside of medicine, Harel enjoys film photography, bookbinding, drawing, and collecting vinyl records, and he hopes to bring storytelling into medical education through engaging, freely accessible content.