He graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. degree with high honors in Chemistry from Hofstra University. After receiving an academic scholarship to attend The State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine, he earned his M.D. degree in May 2000.

Then he completed his family medicine residency at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, N.Y., in May 2004. From there, he began practicing full-time family medicine in the Hudson Valley.

He built his practice the traditional way—one patient at a time, earning trust through genuine care and results. For years, he served a close-knit Orthodox Jewish community in Monroe, New York.

These weren't just patients to him. They were neighbors, friends, families he'd known for decades. He knew their children by name, understood their medical histories, and listened to their fears about illness with the compassion of someone who truly cared.

So when COVID started hitting his community hard in early 2020, Dr. Zelenko couldn't bring himself to tell his patients—people he'd cared for and worried about for years—that there was nothing to do.

Instead, he developed what became known worldwide as the "Zelenko Protocol," a three-part early treatment approach:

• Zinc sulfate – to fight infections at the cellular level

• Hydroxychloroquine – to help zinc penetrate infected cells

• Azithromycin – to prevent dangerous secondary infections

The results were extraordinary. Dr. Zelenko treated over 600 patients with an impressive 99.96% survival rate.