Aran Degenhardt, MD, MPH

As a family medicine physician at NYU Langone, I am dedicated to providing comprehensive and integrative care to my patients. My approach combines traditional Western medicine with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and other effective alternative therapies, such as medical acupuncture, to create personalized treatment plans that address the unique needs of each individual.

I knew as a teenager that becoming a physician was my future. I grew up in Japan where medical care was fragmented by specialists and lacked cohesive primary care, solidifying my choice to become a family physician. In high school, I sustained a rotator cuff injury from competitive swimming, and traditional sports medicine physicians couldn’t help with the constant pain I was in. I then visited a traditional acupuncturist who took away my pain in two sessions. That’s when I realized I had to not only learn acupuncture but also bridge western medicine with TCM. Thus began my journey into integrative medicine.

During my undergraduate years at Williams College, I combined premedical courses with Asian studies, Mandarin proficiency, and fundamentals of traditional Chinese medicine. In my final year at Tulane School of Medicine, I spent three months at Guangxi College of Traditional Chinese Medicine in an intensive acupuncture training program as one of two western students in the program. I continued to fulfill my acupuncture license requirements at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University at Beth Israel Residency in Urban Family Medicine in New York City, in which I became the first resident in program history to obtain an acupuncture license as a medical resident.

I am board certified in family medicine with certification in medical acupuncture, and received a master's degree in tropical and travel medicine. My practice integrates traditional medicine with tested and effective alternative therapies. This allows me to deeply and fully understand the nature of patients’ illnesses and employ out-of-the-box thinking to establish effective, comprehensive, and personalized treatment plans.

Earlier in my medical career, I practiced medicine internationally, including tropical medicine in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, traditional Chinese medicine in Guangxi, China, and family medicine/natural healing at the Zuni Indian Reservation in New Mexico. I also worked extensively with the diverse cultural communities of New York City, including the Japanese and Chinese communities and Manhattan’s underserved communities on the Lower East Side and in Chinatown.

For more than 17 years, I dedicated to my diverse integrative approach in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, having provided comprehensive primary care, travel and tropical medicine, and integrative medicine. Formerly a partner at a primary care sports medicine practice, where I fully integrated acupuncture, injection therapy, and focused physical therapy with significant outcomes for athletes and non-athletes alike, I worked alongside two exceptional primary care sports physicians and developed a particular appreciation for primary care sports medicine. I had the privilege of working as a medical consultant at the United States Tennis Association US Open in 2012 and 2013, and as team physician for the US Men’s National Water Polo team at the FINA Men’s Water Polo World League Intercontinental Tournament in 2014.

My interest in sports medicine originates from my athletic history, notably competitive swimming. In college, I was All-American at the NCAA Division III men’s swimming national championships. I am actively competitive in master's water polo and swimming at the national and international stages, as well as in triathlons, marathons, and other endurance events. From my training in TCM, I practice Qigong, a mind-body practice, and integrate the ancient martial arts into my medical approach to patient care.