Dr. Merkhassine grew up in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Ithaca to attend the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine. After graduation, he moved to Rhode Island were he completed a rotating internship in small animal medicine and surgery and a speciality internship in Internal Medicine at Ocean State Veterinary Specialists. He then returned to Ithaca to complete a residency in small animal Internal Medicine at Cornell University. Dr. Merkhassine's clinical interests include chronic GI diseases, endocrinology, and performing minimally invasive endoscopic procedures. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and pets and is looking forward to staying in the Finger Lakes region.