Back Surgery Led Nabil Boto to Emergency Medicine—and Now Medical School
In the United States, 27-year-old Nabil Boto has just joined Rutgers medical school. From a family of Moroccan and Cuban origins, he had to interrupt his studies in 2020 to undergo back surgery. Emergency services later changed his course.
On September 16, 2026, Nabil Boto is among the 176 students in the Class of 2030 receiving their first white coats at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. It is a long-awaited milestone after a path already marked by several years of working with patients.
In March 2020, he left university to undergo surgery for a spinal deformity. His recovery lasted nearly a year. During the Covid-19 pandemic, the young man, who grew up in Edison, New Jersey, volunteered with a first-aid team in Highland Park.
The experience left a lasting impression. “I really liked what I was doing,” he said in a profile published by Rutgers. He discovered a field where he felt he belonged and decided to pursue emergency care.
He trained as an emergency medical technician, then worked in the Bronx, New York, and in Irvington. With a scholarship from the RWJBarnabas Health network, he completed more advanced training as a paramedic—a prehospital emergency medical professional—in 14 months.
From ambulances to medical school
In 2022, Nabil Boto joined University Hospital in Newark. His work with patients strengthened his desire to become a doctor. In particular, he hopes to continue caring for the people of this city, home to many different communities.
In 2023, he returned to Rutgers to complete his undergraduate studies. He enrolled in a combined undergraduate and medical program designed to lead to a medical degree in seven years instead of eight.
At 27, receiving his white coat marks his entry into the Class of 2030. For him, the garment represents a commitment to keep learning and serving his community. He hopes to become the first doctor in his family.
His career goal is already set: to practice in Newark, where working with patients introduced him to the profession he now wants to pursue as a doctor.
