About

About Me

Dr. JeanJacques Mbabuike is a medical doctor serving the greater New York City area in orthopedic pain management. Dr. Mbabuike’s career culminated in years of arduous schooling and specialized training. His journey has been colored by self-discipline, an unrelenting work ethic, and unwavering compassion for the people he encounters daily. He has a personal philosophy of treating his profession as a privilege to be part of a patient’s healthcare journey. He takes pride in providing relief and reassurance as he delivers the best care based on his best training. Further, Dr. Mbabuike seeks to be innovative and remains continuously motivated to improve and progress his practice. In addition, he believes in lifting others as he climbs professionally by inspiring the next generation of physicians, especially Black male physicians, who remain scarce in the field of medicine. 

Current Role and Duties

Dr. Mbabuike works as a doctor in New York City. His current practice focuses on managing and treating chronic pain, including severe arthritis. Dr. Mbabuike provides non-surgical interventions to manage orthopedic pain in the knees, shoulders, hips, back, and more. He follows patients over time and curates personalized regimens tailored to each patient’s needs.

Academic History and Medical Training

Dr. Mbabuike started his academic career in a prestigious accelerated combined B.S./M.D. program, The Sophie Davis School of Medicine at City College of New York (now CUNY School of Medicine). This required an early decision as a high school senior to enter medicine upon completing high school and entrance into college. 

The Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program at the Cuny School of Medicine strives to help high-performing students in high school pursue an accelerated program designed to address shortages in the medical field, especially that of minority students in the field of medicine.

Entrance into this program requires special attention to high school grades across core subjects, including science courses in the junior year, math scores, and communications. The program also examines community service and personality traits such as maturity, compassion, and drive. The rigorous application process requires standardized test scores, a high GPA, three essays, and five letters of recommendation.

Dr. Mbabuike distinguished himself in these areas and was selected as one of the limited student body of 50 to 60 admitted to the program annually. This program allowed him to enter a 7-year combined bachelor of science and medical doctorate pathway. Dr. Mbabuike completed his undergraduate work in 3 years at City College of New York, followed by matriculation into the New York University Grossman School of Medicine, where he earned his M.D.

Career History

Following his graduation from the NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Mbabuike pursued his surgical training at several competitive institutions in the NYC area, including New York Presbyterian Cornell, Westchester Medical Center, Lenox Hill, and Mount Sinai Beth Israel. Dr. Mbabuike was able to have diverse training in general and orthopedic surgery. During this time, he acquired rigorous and extensive clinical experience while participating in and publishing original and advanced research initiatives.

Professional Skills and Experience

Dr. Mbabuike currently focuses on the comprehensive management of pain with a focus on chronic pain, including severe arthritis. In keeping with a desire to remain progressive and in line with the changing needs of medicine, Dr. Mbabuike is expanding his practice to include a focus on aesthetic medicine. Aesthetics allows, not unlike pain management, Dr. Mbabuike to focus on personalized regimens for each patient to reach the highest level of satisfaction. Embarking on this new area has allowed Dr.Mbabuike to continue to push himself professionally and support a mindset of continuing education. 

Dr. Mbabuike is committed to providing the highest level of patient care with compassion and dedication in any specialization. Pain management requires connecting with individuals who often want or need to avoid surgical interventions but face quality-of-life issues due to the degree of pain in their joints. This requires patience, consideration, and a commitment to empathy. 

Similarly, aesthetic consultations and procedures also involve discussions with patients who feel vulnerable and are searching for a transformation. Dr. Mbabuike’s ability to connect with others and help them feel comfortable to share their innermost concerns and undergo surgical interventions serves him well in any field.

Philanthropy and Charitable Involvement

Dr. Mbabuike is a first-generation Nigerian American born and raised in NYC and one of the few Black men in the field of medicine.  As a result, Dr. Mbabuike has always felt an obligation and a strong desire to make sure he makes the journey for others like him easier and more frequent. He believes mentorship is a vital equalizing factor in bringing young Black men like himself into the field of medicine. Dr. Mbabuike not only desires to provide a blueprint for excelling and thriving in a career in medicine, but he aims to provide a pipeline into the field that will outlast his presence. 

A 2019 New England Journal of Medicine Study on the Diversity of the National Medical Body determined that Black men were 3.1% of the national medical student body in 1978 and only accounted for 2.9% of students in 2019.

While Black men accounted for 3.1% of the national medical student body in 1978, in 2019, they accounted for just 2.9%, with a solid 0.5% attributed to medical schools at historically Black colleges and universities.

Concerns for the future of Black men in medicine prompted Dr. Mbabuike and a group of other Black male physicians to form an organization known as the Black Male Initiative, or BMI, designed to help uplift and mentor Black men in medicine. The group's goals are to connect with students and Black men already in practice to network, share resources, and address issues in the workplace.

Through these efforts, the group hopes to see more Black men complete medical school successfully and advance in their careers. Contributing to improving equity and equality in the field of medicine drives Dr. Mbabuike to continue this vital work.

Personal Interests and Hobbies

While his career and involvement in BMI consume much of Dr. Mbabuike's time, he still enjoys a few different hobbies. He is highly passionate about sports and leads an active lifestyle. Dr. Mbabuike participated in recreational basketball leagues for over 12 years until the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

With his time in recreational leagues at a pause, he devotes additional energy to working out and enjoys professional sports. The New York Knicks, New York Giants, and LeBron James are his favorites. He also routinely loves to join in high-intensity workouts, resistance training, and his most cherished at-home activity, spinning classes on the peloton platform.

In line with keeping an active lifestyle, Dr. Mbabuike enjoys traveling to new destinations, learning new languages, and exploring new cultures. 

Additionally, Dr. Mbabuike enjoys film and theater, especially in NYC's diverse and varied opportunities.