Alumni spotlight: A practice grounded in connection

For pioneering endocrinologist Mitchell “Mickey” Lebowitz of SUNY Oswego's Class of 1981, life is guided by the principle of Tikkun Olam, the Jewish concept of "repairing the world."

“I believe the way to do that is one interaction at a time – to connect with each individual,” he said. “I hope that by helping people feel seen, heard, understood, valued and appreciated, I can be a positive influence in their lives. I also hope I’ve made the organizations that I helped lead including Crouse Hospital, Le Moyne College Physician Assistant (PA) program, Medical Answering Service, the Syracuse Hebrew Day School and my synagogue, Congregation Beth Sholom-Chevra Shas, be better because of my time and energy there. In general, I hope that I made the world, at least my little piece of it, a little better. That’s always been my mission and it continues to be my mission."

A first-generation college student from Brooklyn, Lebowitz arrived at SUNY Oswego in 1976 without ever having visited the campus. Though he initially considered a career in communications, he was drawn to the shores of Lake Ontario to play basketball and to be close to two high school friends, Gerard “Jerry” Powers of the Class of 1980 and Jimmy Callan. He quickly made his mark, becoming a starting point guard and setting records for assists in a single game and season – records he still holds almost 50 years later.

Beyond the court, Lebowitz served as a resident assistant (RA), an experience that taught him the value of connecting with people from all walks of life.

"The Oswego campus was the right size, had the right number and mix of students and the right professors, who were wonderful. The first things that come to mind, reflecting back on my time at Oswego is just joy, absolute joy,” he said, “and a solid foundation to build on.”

Lebowitz’s path to medicine was paved by what he calls "connecting the dots." After a transformative junior year abroad in Israel, where he met his future wife and decided to pursue medical school, he returned to Oswego to tackle a heavy science curriculum and return to the hardwood.

Called to medicine

His acceptance into medical school was influenced by an Oswego connection. While playing basketball during his senior year, he befriended a teammate, Steve Andreatta, whose father, Gino Andreatta, was coincidently, the dean of Upstate Medical University. This relationship, facilitated by coach Mike Deane and born from his roles as a serious student, and leader as an RA and an athlete, helped set his professional future in motion.

Lebowitz graduated from Oswego in 1981 with a degree in zoology, earning both Zoology Student of the Year and Student-Athlete of the Year honors while graduating magna cum laude. He graduated med school four years later, cum laude and AOA honor society, hoping that his success in med school may pave the way for future Oswego grads to attend med school.

Lebowitz spent a total of 44 years in Syracuse, building a distinguished career as an endocrinologist annually being on the list of Best Doctors in America. After 17 years in private practice, he transitioned through several leadership roles, including quality director at Crouse Hospital, medical director for the Physical Assistant program in Le Moyne College and chief medical officer for a Medicaid transportation company, MAS.

In recent years, he has focused on the intersection of healthcare and emotional intelligence (EQ). He recently authored two research papers on EQ and healthcare for the Innovations in Health Sciences Education Journal and published two books: "Losing My Patience: Why I Quit the Medical Game" (Gegensatz Press, 2009) (, a memoir describing how navigating the business and healthcare system burned him out, and "The EQ Prescription" (River Grove Books, 2025), a book that offers a solution for healthcare professionals to stay well, enjoy professional fulfillment and take great care of patients without burning out.

He believes EQ is the key to connecting with others in one’s professional and personal lives. As a national speaker on emotional intelligence and healthcare, one of his main messages is:

"You can’t give your best unless you’re your best,” he said. “To do so, you've got to take care of yourself first ... that’s emotional intelligence. It helps you be physically and emotionally your best, to give your best to others, your organizations and your community."

Beyond the white coat

Lebowitz’s life is defined by a diverse array of passions. A musician at heart, he played trumpet in a rock band in high school and later recorded a series of "medical rap" songs, recruiting fellow physicians and nurses at Crouse Hospital to perform in a music video for his medical rap, “HAC No,” that used humor to educate audiences about serious hospital-acquired conditions such as C-diff and MRSA. He also recorded raps about his love for Syracuse, why he went bald, Christmas in Key West and his 35th wedding anniversary. He even ventured into screenwriting, penning a romantic comedy.

Though he recently moved to San Diego to be closer to his three granddaughters — where he now coaches their softball and basketball teams — his heart remains in Central New York. He still reads the Syracuse newspaper every day and continues to serve as the endocrine hospitalist and medical leader of the inpatient diabetes program at Crouse Hospital, accomplished via telehealth.

“A lot of what I did in the past was with wit and instinct, to connect with different people with different backgrounds,” said Lebowitz, who is certified as an emotional intelligence assessor, practitioner and coach. Now he uses the novel framework he developed called “the emotional intelligence zone” as a strategy to use in real time to connect with others because he’s better able to be smarter with his emotions and the emotions of others.

This past June "Dr. Mickey," as he is affectionately called, continued his connection to CNY speaking about emotional intelligence within healthcare during the New York Medical Group Management Association 2026 Annual Conference at Turning Stone Resort and Casino and at the New York Health Information Management Association 2026 Annual Conference at Vernon Downs Casino Hotel. He also gave grand rounds to the Advanced Practice Providers group at Upstate Medical University and gave a presentation to the Le Moyne PAs during their medical humanities class.

Through the many facets of his life and career, Lebowitz has continuously tried to make the world a little better than he found it.

“There’s just too much contentiousness and conflict these days,” he said. “We need more harmony, love and peace in people’s professional and personal lives. How to do it? That’s why I wrote the book, 'The EQ Prescription,' to help people do it. If we all genuinely listen to each other with less judgment and more curiosity and empathy, we can all connect to each other better, which can make the world a better place and help repair it, Tikkun Olam.”