Medical Student and Aspiring Entrepreneur: Nadia Ambarsom Pursues Dual Dreams

“Just being accepted into medical school and being able to call myself a New York Medical College (NYMC) medical student gave me the confidence to compete,” says Ambarsom. “My entrepreneurial imposter syndrome was minimized when I realized that I had already done what for me was the impossible. My family came to this country relatively recently and started at the bottom of the working ladder. Going to medical school had been a distant dream of mine which for a long while seemed out of reach.” 

BioGlam pairs a makeup applicator with washable, reusable covers to ensure cleanliness with each makeup application. “Makeup applicators can accumulate bacteria and residue, raising the risk of skin infections and potentially more serious conditions, which is compounded by infrequent proper cleaning of the applicators,” says Ambarsom. “BioGlam offers a clean, safe alternative to help avoid the growth and spread of harmful pathogens.”

Ambarsom’s entrepreneurial journey began with her participation in the Moonshots Scholars Program offered by Touro University’s Graduate School of Business, where she was privileged to hear presentations and lectures from various entrepreneurs about their successes as well as pitfalls. She followed that with Touro’s New York Business Plan Competition course, where she learned the basics of creating a financial plan, organizing market research, discussing available markets, and everything else necessary for a successful business plan, including applying for and being granted a provisional patent for BioGlam by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

As part of the Moonshots program, Ambarsom took a field trip to BioInc@NYMC, the College’s on-campus biotech incubator. “We had the pleasure of meeting with Yaron Hadari, the CEO of SHY Therapeutics, a client of BioInc@NYMC. He spoke to us about how he discovered and developed not one, but two cancer treatments, and the steps he is taking to get his therapies to market,” says Ambarsom. “Seeing this new side of NYMC was so inspirational and helped me not only think outside the box in developing and creating my product but also lit a fire within me, allowing me to push myself to develop a business plan while keeping up with my medical school demands.”

With the entrepreneurial fire fully lit in Ambarsom, she plans to continue to pursue her ambitions. “I was quite disappointed in myself for not placing higher in the NYBPC this year but thankfully I can compete again next year,” she says. “With all the valuable experience and feedback I have gained, I plan to come back with a vengeance and hopefully win a prize in 2025.”