Azizi ’14 finds calling through Prep values

David Azizi ’14 was traveling the country working as a remote data scientist when he discovered his true calling: medicine. Now as a first-year medical student at Thomas Jefferson University, he finds himself embarking on a new journey. “From my days at the Prep, I have been instilled with a responsibility to use my abilities to improve the world by being a man for and with others,” Azizi says. “That has taken a couple of different forms over the years, but I’ve settled on one that I think will be particularly effective.”

Azizi’s drive to serve others in the most hands-on way led him to commit to a career in medicine. As part of his first year at Jefferson, Azizi has found the ideal opportunity for hands-on service through JeffHOPE, the largest student-run free clinic in the country. “The goal of the organization is to provide consistent medical care for sheltered, unhoused individuals,” he explains. “We don’t replace primary care, but rather create a bridge for the marginalized to access medical care.” JeffHOPE has five locations throughout Philadelphia that are staffed by medical students organized in specialized teams and overseen by physicians. Azizi generally finds himself at the New Day Clinic in Kensington, where he is on the triage committee and serves as a clinic coordinator. 

After attending the Prep, Azizi graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in political science. “If you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up when I was a child, I probably would have said a doctor,” Azizi recalls, “but I was steered towards political science as a way to make a meaningful difference during Mr. (Dave) Fortin’s government and politics class at the Prep.”

During his undergraduate studies, which included a minor in survey research and data analytics, Azizi developed a fascination for methodology and, as such, began working more with data science than traditional political science. Following Penn, he held various data analytics and research positions for political scientists, a pollster during the 2020 election, a data science startup company, and the VA Hospital. 

Being a “Man for and with Others” is not just a catchphrase for Azizi, but rather the mantra on how to live his life. “I am certain the Prep was instrumental in impressing on me the values that are most important to me: service to others and service to the world,” he says. “The gifts that I have or have acquired through education have made such a difference. I’m so grateful to the Prep for the well-rounded education that allowed me to pursue all of my interests and be successful.” In particular, Azizi credits teachers such as Mr. Fortin and Ms. Susie Cook, as well as his Prep service trip opportunities, for shaping him into who he is today.

Looking ahead, Azizi was recently selected for the Air Force Health Professions Scholarship Program and plans to match to a military residency program following medical school. He hopes to specialize in emergency medicine. “Emergency medicine is intriguing to me, in part because of my intellectual and personal interests in extreme and wilderness medicine, but also because emergency medicine often becomes primary care for the underprivileged,” Azizi says.