Desmond Ebanks ’80, a dual major in biology and psychology, believes that getting older doesn't necessarily mean "aging."

As the founder and medical director of Alternity Healthcare, an innovative medical practice in West Hartford, Conn., specializing in age management medicine, he takes a unique approach to health and wellness. His objectives are to prevent disease and optimize health.

"You can regain your health and live the active life you envision, a life of wellness, starting today," he says.

Ebanks attributes Alternity's success to his liberal arts training at Syracuse University.

“Although my coursework was heavily focused on science, I also studied a broad range of other topics and disciplines," he says. "This made me much more well-rounded, as a medical school applicant, and provided me with a comprehensive skill-set that has helped me today, as I balance my workload as a doctor and the director of a medical practice."

Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Ebanks says Syracuse University also helped his personal development.

“Being away from home and on my own for the first time, I learned many valuable lessons about balancing work and fun,” says Ebanks, reflecting on his undergraduate days. “I had a wonderful advisor who helped me find my voice, as well as plan and achieve my goals.”

When he wasn't studying, Ebanks could be found at Crouse College, practicing the piano or learning about jazz, or at a gym on campus, playing intramural basketball. He eventually enrolled at Temple University School of Medicine and completed his residency training in internal medicine at the Harlem Hospital Center and SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Ebanks later taught at New York Medical College and Weill Cornell Medical College, before moving to New England and opening Alternity.

"Aging may be inevitable, but how you age is up to you," he concludes.