AAPI Heritage Month Provider Feature: Dr. Angelica Sze

During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we are proud to feature Dr. Angelica Sze, a leader in women’s health who has dedicated her career to addressing healthcare disparities and mentoring the next generation of medical professionals. Dr. Sze’s inspiring journey from the vibrant neighborhoods of New York City to her influential roles at Westchester Medical Center and New York Medical College reflects her unwavering commitment to her community and her passion for healthcare. Learn more about Dr. Sze's journey.

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The daughter of immigrants from Hong Kong, Dr. Angelica Sze was born and raised in New York City. Her parents, upon their arrival in the United States fifty years ago, experienced firsthand healthcare disparities in the Asian American community and took it upon themselves to change public health outcomes in the city. Her mother was a family nurse practitioner who specialized in women’s health at a community center that served the Asian American community.

Dr. Sze says that her family believed in helping others above all, and that education and compassion were necessary prerequisites. With her mother as her role model, Dr. Sze learned how to put these values into practice, volunteering alongside her mother at the same community health center. She saw firsthand the impact she could have on her community, and her passion for medicine and eradicating healthcare disparities was born.

Dr. Sze attended the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, where she earned her BS and MD. She says that the program’s mission—to train diverse students treating underserved and disadvantaged communities—resonated deeply with her, as would the mission of the NYC Health + Hospitals healthcare system many years later. She completed her medical residency at Nassau University Medical Center, where she earned the coveted title of Academic Chief Resident.

Today, Dr. Sze is an OB/GYN Physician at NYC Health + Hospitals/Metropolitan, where she’s worked since March 2021. She’s also supporting the next generation of OB/GYN physicians, both as the Associate Residency Program Director of OB/GYN at Westchester Medical Center and as an Assistant Professor at New York Medical College. She says that this work is extremely fulfilling, both personally and professionally; and her many teaching awards exemplify this fact.

All these years later, Dr. Sze is still a health advocate for New York City’s AAPI communities. “Unfortunately, there are so many healthcare issues… within the AAPI community.” She cites factors like the lack of linguistically-appropriate healthcare options and the misdirected focus on curative instead of preventative care as detriments to her community’s well-being. Dr. Sze’s also concerned with cultural stigmas against seeking out medical care, citing patients’ inflexible work schedules: “Often times, [patients in the AAPI community] seek medical care when it is too late.”

But she’s working to change this. Dr. Sze’s message to the next generation of healthcare providers is clear: be involved, be culturally sensitive, and focus on early preventative healthcare. She encourages future medical professionals to reach out to different age groups, starting with elementary school education, to instill the importance of health from a young age. By teaching children, she believes they can influence their parents and communities, fostering a culture of health. She’s also careful to prioritize work-life balance and practice wellness.