Medical Observer Testimonials

This rotation solidified my dream of pursuing cardiology as a tangible reality. Dr. Khan appreciated my decision-making abilities, hard work, and leadership and teaching skills. Through positive criticism, I experienced personal growth and witnessed the evolution of my knowledge, particularly in complex clinical cases.

I wholeheartedly encourage those interested in cardiology or internal medicine to seize the opportunity to rotate with such an exceptional mentor. Dr. Khan’s emphasis on patience and thoughtful decision-making has left a lasting impression on me. I have gained valuable takeaways, suggestions, and messages that will guide me throughout my life and career.

Dr. Khan , it is an honor to write this testimonial for you. I am immensely grateful for the invaluable experiences and knowledge gained during my time at your clinic. Your exceptional expertise, unwavering dedication, and compassionate patient care make you an exemplary cardiologist and a role model for aspiring medical professionals like myself.

Thank you once again for the opportunity to observe and learn from you. I am confident that your mentorship will continue to positively impact my future endeavors in medicine.

Apart from clinical skills, Dr. Khan focused on our academics. He regularly discussed EKGs, laboratory and diagnostic interpretations, and management with us. He encouraged us to read cardiac journals such as AHA, JACC; I also had the chance to present on “2018 ACC/AHA/HRS Guideline on the Evaluation and Management of Patients with Bradycardia and Cardiac Conduction Delay”.

Dr. Khan never hesitated to give feedbacks and advised me to improve communication skills and language fluency citing the quote “Don’t Let the Weakness in You Affect the Greatness in You.” He even asked for the ways he can improve himself as well and this speaks about the nobility of the environment you will get to work in here. Overall, my observership experience at Dr. Khan’s practice was a fantastic opportunity. All the staffs were friendly, helpful and highly skilled. I highly recommend Dr. Khan to anyone looking for an exceptional physician who is dedicated to providing excellent patient care and supporting the education of future medical professionals.

For the Journal Club, I had the chance to discuss research topic on the “Effects of Fatty Acid Therapy in Addition to Strong Statin on Coronary Plaque in Acute Coronary Syndrome: An Optical Coherence Tomography Study.” He complimented my preparation, knowledge of the subject, and presentational confidence.

Overall, I had a really well-rounded experience that satisfied all of my requirements for a high-quality externship. I’ll bring this forward in my professional career, and I’m confident that this experience will benefit me in both my upcoming internship year and residency.

My medical expertise was enhanced by this event and also assisted me in honing my professional and clinical abilities . I saw patients with chest pain, shortness of breath, and pain in the lower extremities to patients with multiple diseases, such as hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. I also observed numerous procedures in the hospital, including Varithena, Venaseal, Venous ablations, cardiac catheterization, angiography, peripheral artery interventions, balloon dilations, and stenting.

Dr. Khan appreciated the way I carefully considered each treatment and posed insightful queries.

As part of my homework assignment from Dr. Khan, I also presented on the stages of mitral regurgitation and an algorithm for managing the condition . He appreciated me for paying close attention to him and completing the assignment on time.

I saw Doctor Khan perform TEE on a patient with an intrapulmonary shunt while I was in the hospital, and he asked me to analyze the data and present it. After that I gave an presentation on Intrapulmonary shunt it’s correlation with stroke from JACE

In comparison to my Peers , Dr. Khan gave me an A grade and praised me for completing all of the tasks on time, being professional, and giving multiple presentations on time and as follows. He also cheered me for my knowledge of actual practice when he once asked me about the first line of treatment for B-blocker and calcium channel blocker toxicity and about an emergency situation when he asked whether I should go directly to the operating room or do a cath.

As a feedback Dr. Khan praised me for being independent and proactive among all the fellows, He also appreciated me for paying close attention to the assignment that was assigned and completing it promptly with excellent explanation and comprehension. Dr. Khan’s words truly pleased and overwhelmed me.

Dr. Khan is a wonderful physician as well as a thoughtful, passionate, and generous man. I’m extremely grateful to Dr. Khan and the Epic team.

Thank you very much for being wonderful.

During my 4-week elective with Dr. Usman Khan, I had the pleasure of rotating in the hospital and the clinic and get full exposure to the field of cardiology in all its aspects. I was exposed to a wide diversity of common cardiac and peripheral vascular presentations seen in an inpatient and an outpatient setting and learned how to manage these patients in an acute setting and their long term management. I was able to develop my history taking, physical examination as well as my communication skills by seeing patients independently in the clinic. The patient population I was exposed to ranged from patients with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes to patients with chest pain, shortness of breath, and lower extremity pain.

This rotation gives good experience in direct patient care and using EMR. Dr. Khan praised my bedside manners and empathetic communication with the patients.

He also emphasizes participation in scholarly activities among externs. I had the opportunity to present novel research on “Regional Antibiotic Delivery for Implanted Cardiovascular Electronic Device Infections” for the Journal Club. He praised my preparedness, grasp of the topic, and confidence during the presentation. We were also given weekly assignments for discussion including the latest AHA/ACC guidelines for lipid management, hypertension, and heart failure.

I would conclude by saying that it was a well-rounded experience covering all areas of a quality externship. The office staff is very friendly and supportive, and I enjoyed working in a team with them. Dr. Khan is a great mentor and teacher. He will make sure that you gain maximum benefit from your rotation, strengthen any weak areas, and get well-prepared for the residency. He would also ensure that you have a fun time in Houston. You would know the details when you go!

To conclude, this 4 week rotation was not only very intellectually stimulating but also helped me improve my time management, team work and professionalism skills.

I was able to obtain outpatient and inpatient exposure. The day usually consisted of attending rounds and consults at Houston HCA. In addition, I got to observe various cardiovascular procedures in the clinic and the hospital, such as Cath lab procedures ,venous ablation , sclerosing therapy ,arterial and venous ultrasounds, stress testing, echocardiogram and different techniques for treatment for chronic venous insufficiency like Varithena and Venaseal. I got training in evaluating and managing patients and using EMR. I discussed several cases with Dr. Khan, who gave helpful feedback to make improvement and always took it as an opportunity to teach. This practice significantly aided in the improvement of my clinical skills, helped in improving my communication with the patient and increased exposure to American health system and electronic medical record(EMR).

I was also given a chance to present a research topic of AHA journals on the topic of performing Percutaneous intervention without interruption of oral aunitcogaulations.

Briefly I would say it was a great opportunity to learn and improve personal skills. The environment was very friendly and gives you a lot of opportunity to learn.

In the clinic, we used to examine patients, take detailed history and examinations, come up with a management plan, present the case to Dr. Khan, and write notes in EMR. We also got to observe/shadow Melissia who is the nurse practitioner at the EPIC Heart and Vascular Institute and working with her turned out to be useful as she used to tell us a lot about insurance plans, coverage, and physician and doctor panels. It was also fruitful as I was questioned about my skills in working with the whole medical team consisting of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff in one interview. When you will work in a health care setup, you will be working with the whole team, and working at the clinic gave me the gist of it. The medical assistants there at the clinic guide and help you to keep things running smoothly. On a regular day, I used to examine 7-8 patients and update their records in the EMR. Both Dr. Khan and Melissia were astonished at how quickly I learned everything and fitted right into the system. Dr. Khan encouraged my communication skills, ability to develop a good doctor-patient relationship, and language fluency. At the end of the rotation, Dr. Khan gives you constructive critics about yourself and asks for the ways he can improve himself as well and this speaks about the nobility of the environment you will get to work in here.

Since I came here in December and my match season was already going on, Dr. Khan was kind enough to give me some very smart interview tips that came in handy in the interview I had afterward. But, in general, he used to give us all invaluable bits of advice regarding our residency application, personal statement, etc. 

In the end, I am very pleased to recommend this experience to every aspiring residency candidate out there as this was hands down the best clinical experience I have had so far. I must say that I didn’t like Houston from the point of view of excursion as I liked NYC and Chicago better from this perspective but, Houston has the best food and many halal options, and above all Houston offers the most clinical opportunities in in-patient settings. Dr. Khan himself asks you if you want to have an experience in any other specialty or shadow any other physician at HCA Health Care North West and then makes sure that you get it as well. So, don’t forget to get the best of clinical experience here with Dr. Khan, explore other clinical opportunities, eat loads of good and halal food, and visit Houston while you are here. I wish all the very best to dear readers.

I had the chance to work both inpatient and outpatient , the best thing getting hands on experience, excess to EMR software, discussion on new innovations and recently upgraded articles, I availed the chance of interacting with the patients, taking histories, doing physical examination, providing consults, making notes, putting orders, did every single thing that a US medical student or a resident does. I am really overwhelmed by the wonderful learning opportunity. The best thing being he made sure that I was part of his team, got along with everyone really well, that enhanced my communication skills, I got better at team work secondly I learnt how to make acquaintances, learnt how to leave your mark when you leave.

I learnt so much in one month more than any book could ever teach. He groomed both academically and professionally.

I had a very insightful and informative day with the ultrasonographist, learnt many pathologies and etiologies. I learnt many tidbits, facts, saw many cases, read many articles in various cardiac journals such as AHA, JACC; one case I remember on top of my head is where a patient was diagnosed with Mitral stenosis and Atrial fibrillation during cardiac cath because of varying pressure gradients.

The rotation made a possibility of turning my cardiology dream into a reality. I can now see that I can fit into the world where heart rhythms can sync with my career.

He appreciated me for my timely decisions, hardwork, motivation, will to explore, enthusiasm to learn more. The positive and negative criticism helped me grow and flourish more.

My anatomy,pathology, pharmacology, basic medical sciences got revived. We had fruitful discussions on various cases, topics, articles. I could see the improvement while doing uworld step 2ck questions simultaneously that how much these rotations escalated my knowledge and insight.

I encourage everyone who is interested into cardiology, please don’t miss this wonderful learning experience and the chance of rotating with the phenomenal mentor. I guess everyone deserves a best teacher and mentor like him. He brought up a good point that “it is better to wait and think rather than rushing up and committing a mistake.” I got many takeaway messages, suggestions that will help me throughout my life and enrich my career as well.

Dr. Khan is a considerate, passionate, generous gentleman and an amazing doctor.

I also witnessed different managements of various venous pathologies which include venous procedures like Venaseal, Varithena and radiofrequency thermal ablation of varicose veins. I witnessed Repatha injection, its indications and usage.  Dr. Khan also provided me the opportunity to learn with his echo technician staff who were very humble enough to teach me nuclear stress test, echocardiography, carotid doppler as well as arterial & venous duplex ultrasonography which was a worthwhile experience. I was very keen to work with the staff at his clinic, it taught me team work and help me learn standard protocols that are followed among US healthcare system.

I also actively participated in case discussion and presentations. I presented latest AHA/ACC guidelines on management of Hypertension. Dr. Khan was highly impressed and appreciated me when I presented that diet rich in potassium causes significant decrease in blood pressure. I was also given daily assignment and topics like Ogilvie syndrome, the effect of composition of Himalayan pink salt on hypertension, isolated systolic hypertension, Minoxidil effect on edema and pleural effusion, typical component of chest pain, advantages and risk of right sided versus left sided radial artery access while performing PCI and many more. We discussed new devices currently being used. I observed the indication of using MCT & how it was performed. I was thrilled to see how LINQ device is implanted subcutaneously to monitor cardiac rhythm in atrial fibrillation. Dr. Khan and I had a discussion about Watchman Implant which is implanted in left atrial appendages and is a one-time, minimally invasive procedure for people with non-valvular atrial fibrillation who need an alternative to blood thinners. Dr. Khan also discussed ECGs with me which gave me a better understanding minor details for e.g. identifying possible inferior wall infarcts by looking at Q-waves in leads II, III, AVF.

Dr. Khan provided me with a great opportunity to show my enthusiasm for research field. I presented a great article “Impact of Periprocedural Pulmonary Hypertension on Outcomes after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement” in Journal Club and also discussed other articles such as “Racial and Ethnic Differences in Bystander CPR for Witnessed Cardiac Arrest”.

At the HCA Houston Northwest Hospital, I attended patient rounds with Dr. Khan, observed multiple procedures like cardiac catheterization of coronary artery disease and atherectomy of peripheral artery disease, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), coronary angiography & percutaneous intervention (PCI), angioplasties including coronary and peripheral angiopathies. I saw many patients with valvular heart disease and learn about their management. I also witnessed Cath lab procedures involving “Shockwave” lithotripsy, one of them involved treatment of Superficial Femoral Artery. I had witnessed many patients with mild AR/MR/TR and also with pulmonary insufficiency. Cardiology consults in patients with comorbidities like stroke, diabetes and on dialysis. Dr. Khan also took me to observe procedures at Houston Methodist Hospital and Tomball Hospital.

In a Nutshell, Dr. Khan is highly generous, supportive and selfless human being who not only helped me professionally but also groomed me personally into becoming a better version of myself. He appreciated me for my hardwork, my curiosity towards patients and my quest to explore more. His positive and constructive criticism helped me flourish more. The rotations has fueled up my passion and enthusiasm to get back to USA and pursue cardiology as my career choice. He taught me gentleness, love for the job, empathy towards patients and above all punctuality. He goes beyond his professional duty to help struggling students accommodate well and get the best of learning experience which has made me confident and gave me insights of American Healthcare system. His support was priceless. During teaching he never left a stone unturned. I highly recommend anyone who is looking for USCE to rotate under his mentorship.

I was fortunate enough to complete one month of externship under Dr.Khan’s Supervision at HCA Northwest Hospital and Epic Heart and Vascular Clinic. It is without a doubt that Dr.Khan is an Expert Interventional Cardiologist and yet, in addition ends up being a phenomenal mentor by using unique teaching strategies and tailoring them to the individual’s needs/goals.

During this period I could see numerous cases and observe interventions needed from the cardiovascular standpoint. I observed procedures like Venaseal, Varithena, and Radiofrequency thermal ablation of varicose veins, Cardiac Catheterization for CAD, and atherectomy for PAD.

As an observer I was encouraged to Use and learn EMR in the most ideal manner. I dealt with patients in both settings Inpatient and outpatient and actively took part in case presentation and discussions . I also participated in updating patients Assessment and management plans on EMR under his guidance. He additionally urged students to participate in weekly presentations on the most recent guidelines provided by 2020 ACC/AHA, so I presented on topic; Non cardiac surgery in patients with valvular heart disease.

In addition the rotation offered a wholesome of opportunity to observe and comprehend Nuclear stress scans, Echocardiography, carotid doppler, as well as arterial and venous duplex scans. The atmosphere at clinic was supportive, thus creating a cohesive environment for everyone to collaborate and work as a team. Dr.Khan always provided me with insightful information and resources I needed to make informed career decisions while also allowing me space to explore. His support was priceless and it was a pleasure to learn from him.

All in all , it was a great learning experience and has boosted my confidence in operating in American Healthcare system

I did a rotation with Dr Khan at the epic heart and vascular centre in the month of September, 2022. This rotation was my introduction to healthcare in the US. Even though i’d done rotations elsewhere before, i learned a lot more here. Dr Khan makes sure to include you in everything going on at the clinic and hospital.

At the hospital i attended rounds, discussed echo and stress test reports with dr khan and observed a myriad of procedures. Procedures that I observed included transesophageal echocardiography, coronary angiography, angioplasties and peripheral angiographies and angioplasties. So anything that Dr khan was working on, he made sure to include us as well.

At the clinic, we had direct hands on contact with patients. I evaluated patients on their EMR profiles first, afterwards directly talking to them and examining them. This was followed by writing notes in the respective EMR system. You get to do all of this independently, so I got to learn a lot about myself as a physician, as well as the US healthcare system. I saw myself progress exponentially in my clinical skills and my bedside manner during this rotation as a result of all the practice i got.

Having access to EMR systems and directly working with it has really prepared me for residency programs. Not just the EMR access but everything else has also prepared me well to tackle whatever will be thrown at me in residency.

I also got to work with the ultrasound technicians – learnt about the basics of arterial and venous ultrasounds as well as echocardiography.In office interventions that I observed were Varithenas and venaseals. Dr Khan explained everything while he was doing the procedures.
I was given the opportunity to present AHA guidelines about surgical considerations in Valvular heart disease. We discussed the topic and was given useful feedback about it.

So over all it was a great experience and I would highly recommend anyone to come and work with Dr Khan before residency. He’s kind, very considerate and a great mentor.

This was an amazing learning experience and opportunity for growth. I had the opportunity to grow my medical knowledge during this period. My preceptor took the time in teaching and helping me familiarize with the U.S. healthcare system. He was extremely caring, helpful and provided excellent patient care.  Since the start of the observership, I was provided with ample opportunities to maximize my interaction with the patients under dr Khan’s supervision. I was given full access to their Electronic Medical Records. Our discussions of clinical cases were very productive. 

He also dedicated a lot of time in helping us understand and learn how to interpret EKGS, echocardiogram and stresstest. I attended ward rounds in HCA Houston Northwest Hospital and outpatient clinics in Epic Heart and Vascular Center. I got the opportunity to observe various procedures both in the hospital and clinic including cardiac catheterizations, peripheral angiograms, echocardiography, carotid doppler, arterial, and venous duplex scans. As well as various venous procedures such as radio frequency ablation, venaseal and varithena. I have found dr. Khan and the staff to be incredibly friendly and helpful with explaining the different steps of the procedures. I also got the chance to do a presentation on the 2020 ACC/AHA guidelines for the Diagnosis, Antimicrobial Therapy, and Management of Complications of infective endocarditis. I firmly believe that my clinical skills have significantly improved during this rotation. My preceptor was a great doctor to work with and I would highly recommend this rotation to everyone.

In September 2022, I got the chance to rotate with Dr. Khan at Epic Vascular and Heart Center and HCA Healthcare Northwest. Being my first clinic experience in the US, I was very excited for the exposure but at the same time it was overwhelming. However, Dr. Khan made it quite easy as he is a great physician who constantly inspires both students and his medical professionals to strive for excellence. It was a wonderful learning experience, and I’m glad I chose this place to launch my career in the US healthcare system.

During my time here I was exposed to a variety of cases both inpatient and outpatient. This included rounds at the hospital in the morning with afternoon clinics at the Epic Center. During rounds we saw patients with a wide variety of conditions including but not limited to Atrial Flutter, Acute Coronary Syndrome and Premature Ventricular Contractions and Varicose Veins. He offered me an overview and a deeper grasp of each case for each patient by explaining the reasoning behind the recommended course of action.

In the clinic and hospital, I had the chance to watch a variety of procedures, including Venaseal and Varithena treatments for varicosities, Venous and Arterial ultrasounds, Doppler studies, and nuclear stress tests. The staff and Nurse Practitioner at the Epic Centre was really helpful as they went an extra mile to walk us through every procedure and discuss their findings. Furthermore, I observed cardiac catherization and stent placement which was a very unique experience for me as it was my first time in the Cath lab in this setup.

Additionally, the rotation prepared me to engage with patients and operate in a professional setting. I had the opportunity to work closely with patients, which helped me develop my skills in patient examination and history taking. Dr. Khan showed me how to use the EMR site for patient documentation and urged me to do so frequently. My interpersonal skills have improved as a result of my frequent interactions with patients.

One aspect of the rotation that truly stood out from the norm was the scholarly activities, and as part of that effort, I presented the 2020 AHA recommendations for Patients with Chronic Primary Mitral Regurgitation, which sparked an insightful conversation that was quite helpful. In conclusion, this rotation was a fantastic learning opportunity and I would suggest it to anyone looking for USCE.

I shadowed Dr. Khan at HCA northwest and Epic Heart and Vascular Center. Dr. Khan is not only a great physician but also an amazing mentor. He gives you ample time to teach the basics of diagnostic studies and the management of interesting cases that you see in the clinic and hospital. I thoroughly enjoyed my rotation here. On my first day, he encouraged me to get involved in patient care. I got to see various cases, such as varicose veins, acute coronary syndrome, peripheral arterial disease, atrial fibrillations, and subvalvular aortic stenosis. Furthermore, Sonologists were kind enough to educate me regarding the techniques for Echo, venous and arterial U/S. Everyone at the clinic is supportive and works together as a team. 

Moreover, I also got an opportunity to observe the various interventional procedures such as Cardiac Catheterization, PCI, Stent Implantation, and Balloon Angioplasty. I delivered the presentation on the 2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Diagnoses, Follow-Up and Intervention of Bicuspid Aortic Valve.

I must say, this rotation has honed my clinical skills and groomed me as a physician. On the whole, this clinical experience was incredible, and I would highly recommend this rotation to anyone who is looking to get US clinical experience.

This shadowing opportunity with Dr. Khan helped me acquire both inpatient and outpatient exposure in the month of August 2022. As an observer, I attended ward rounds in HCA Houston Northwest Hospital; outpatient clinics in Epic Heart and Vascular Center. I also got an opportunity to observe various procedures both in hospital and clinic including cardiac catheterizations, peripheral angiograms, various venous procedures including radiofrequency ablation, venaseal and varithena, arterial and venous dopplers, echocardiography and stress tests. We spent a good time in office in understanding ECGs and interpretation of stress tests. 

The rotation itself not only improved my clinical knowledge but also helped me in effective communication with patients. I actively took part in case discussions and it helped me to improve my interpersonal skills as well. The positive feedback from Dr. Khan helped me work on my shortcomings and do better with each day.

Apart from that there was an incorporation of scholarly activities in the daily routine. I got an opportunity to present two of the topics from 2020 ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease including “Aortic Regurgitation and
valvular heart disease and pregnancy” This rotation overall encouraged me to build confidence and refined the qualities to become a better professional. Dr. Khan was extremely appreciative throughout about my eagerness to learn and energetic demeanor. This experience is something I will definitely carry into my professional career as a valuable asset.

I have had this amazing opportunity to shadow Dr. Khan for the month of May 2022 as my USCE at HCA Healthcare ( Northwest, Tomball, Kingwood ) and Epic Heart and Vascular Center. The clinical experience was incredible there and I would highly recommend this to other medical graduates who are seeking USCE. This 1 month has allowed me to find much more potential in me and familiarized me with U.S healthcare system. I have found a great deal of confidence in me through this. Dr. Khan has made me jump and do things like a resident of any residency programme. He has encouraged me from the first day to observe patients under his supervision and let me present various cases to him. 

I had EMR exposure as an observer in best possible way on daily basis. I was able to get a good command on reading EKG, Echocardiography and Stress Test, also learnt about holter monitor and mobile cardiac telemetry. I used to observe 30-40 patients daily in clinic with him and then inpatient rounds at the hospital, their charting, and interventional procedures in early morning and/or in evenings, this routine has given me tough time yet improved my time management skills. I have had the opportunity to observe various interventional procedures of cardiology like Cardiac Catheterization, PCI, Stent Implantation, Balloon Angioplasty, Atherectomy.

Also, I observed various vascular techniques which I found quite interesting like Varicose veins occlusion and sclerotherapy , endogenous radiofrequency thermal ablation. I have witnessed the Vascular Doppler Studies, Exercise Stress Testing and Nuclear Cardiac Testing. Dr. Khan made my habit to review various new articles on cases which we used to see in inpatient rounds and that motivated me to write a case report under his supervision.

Dr. Khan is an amazing mentor. Not only he has given me knowledge but also has sharpen my mind, horned my skills and groomed me professionally to achieve my goals in medicine field. Apart from this, Dr. Khan has friendly and humble nature with other staff at the clinic and hospital and with patients. This makes the clinic environment very healthy to work at. I am eternally grateful to Dr. Khan and all his team ( NPs, MAs, USG team) for giving me this tremendous amount of support, guidance and upbringing such qualities in me which I was unaware of. I wish him and his team very good luck.

My rotation at Epic Heart and Vascular Center and HCA Northwest was a great learning experience. I was able to work as a part of a team, taking patients’ histories, discussing assessments and plans, and writing notes in the EMR under the direct supervision of Dr. Khan. The rotation provided ample clinical exposure and I got to see bread and butter cases of cardiology, such as coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation, and valvular heart diseases, along with some other very interesting cases. I remember seeing a complicated case of an elderly woman with moderate-severe MR and Secundum ASD, who had developed isolated right heart failure without any pulmonary hypertension or left heart involvement. 

Dr. Khan was highly impressed by my pathophysiological explanation behind the patient’s condition, i.e, mitral regurgitation leading to increased left atrial volume which was being transmitted to the right side via the secundum atrial septal defect sparing the LV and pulmonary vasculature. We identified it to be a possible case of atypical Lutembacher syndrome and Dr. Khan guided me in writing it as a case report. I saw 5-6 patients on an average day which provided me with some valuable first-hand insight into the everyday practice of outpatient medicine in the U.S. Dr. Khan appreciated my knowledge base, and clinical acumen and stated that it was comparable to that of a resident.

The observership experience at HCA Northwest also helped me learn more about the dynamics of inpatient medicine in the U.S. I also had the opportunity to observe some of the procedures such as cardiac catheterization, including an interesting case of left-dominant circulation, vein procedures like radiofrequency thermal ablation, Venaseal, and Varithena along with diagnostic tests like stress testing, echocardiography, carotid doppler, arterial and venous duplex scans. Dr. Khan is very enthusiastic about teaching, he spent ample time teaching us the basics of intervention and diagnostic studies, and by the end of my rotation, I could identify major findings on EKGs, and echocardiograms.

A strong emphasis is also placed on scholarly activities. I had the opportunity to present the 2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Management of Patients With Aortic Stenosis. I also presented topics such as types of Aortopathies and when to intervene, and the association of hematuria and proteinuria with rosuvastatin versus atorvastatin. Overall, I had a great experience during this rotation with Dr. Khan. I got to learn more about the vast field of cardiology and the most recent advances and trials. Dr. Khan is a great mentor and an amazing teacher. His qualities of teamwork and patient care have influenced me greatly, and I consider myself fortunate to have learned so much from him.

I had the opportunity to rotate with Dr Khan in August 2022 . Dr Khan typifies professionalism and competence at the highest level. Not only a great doctor, but his set up includes a great staff in a great facility that ensure top quality patient healthcare.

During my one month of rotation, i was able to to obtain outpatient and inpatient exposure and observed a variety of patient populations. My day at the clinic consisted of taking patient histories, performing pertinent examinations and then making patient notes. I also got the chance to observe many cardiovascular procedures like cardiac catheterization and had the chance to see and learn about stress testing, echocardiography, carotid doppler, arterial, and venous duplex scans. I observed a variety of chronic venous insufficiency treatment methods, including radiofrequency thermal ablation, venaseal and varithena.

The best part of rotation was that we all worked as a team. Dr. Khan’s MAs and nurse practitioner made us familiar with how things go on in the clinic and would graciously help us out with everything.

The integration of academic pursuits into the everyday schedule caught my attention in this rotation. Weekly student presentations on the most recent recommendations and journal clubs to discuss cutting-edge research would be held. I presented the 2020 ACC/AHA Guidelines for the Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease.

To conclude, this rotation was a great learning experience and I would highly recommend this rotation to all the aspiring doctors and medical students.

Moreover, I got along with the team very well, who was more than welcoming. Tran, the sonologist at the clinic, was kind enough to educate me regarding the techniques for performing Echo and venous Doppler U/S. The rotation allowed me to showcase my teamwork, clinical and interpersonal skills truly. The opportunity to immerse in extensive patient care and collaborate with the team to provide the best management was definitely a highlight.

What stood out to me in this rotation was the incorporation of scholarly activities into the daily routine. We would have weekly student presentations on the latest guidelines and journal clubs to discuss novel research. During my rotation, I presented the 2020 ACC/AHA Guideline for the Management of Patients with Valvular Heart Disease. It felt like a short-internship crash course and was one of my favorite rotations during my time in the United States. I truly appreciated Dr. Khan’s interest in teaching and dedication to making this a memorable rotation for all students. The encouragement and constructive criticism I received during my experience at Epic Heart and Vascular Center will be something I will definitely carry into my professional career as a valuable asset. Although my time was short, I would 10/10 recommend this rotation to all visiting medical students and graduates.

To conclude my experience, I will say that this rotation teaches you a lot about how USA medical system works and you learn a lot from Dr. Khan about professionalism, how to interact with staff members and patients and about time efficiency and management. This rotation not only helps to improve your knowledge of cardiovascular diseases and management but also encourages you to build confidence and qualities to a become better professional in the future.

I did an observership under the kind stewardship of Dr.Usman Khan for a duration of four weeks at HCA North West and epic vascular and heart center in Houston. It is my pleasure to recommend to all this comprehensive, elite quality US clinical experience. From the very beginning of this rotation Dr.Khan makes you feel special, instead of him illustrating his expectations and demands from any typical observer. He asks for your goals and aspirations from this acquaintance. This leads to the formation of a very strong bond between Dr.Khan and his observers which is immensely important for any good clinical observership. Dr. Khan makes sure from the first day that the observers familiarize themselves with the EMR and get involved in patient management by asking possible differential diagnosis and management plan for every patient seen stimulating an observer’s medical knowledge and cognition. There is plenty of opportunity to observe and learn stress testing, Echocardiography, carotid doppler, arterial and venous duplex scans. I also observed different techniques for treatment for chronic venous insufficiency like radiofrequency thermal ablation, venoseal and sclerosing therapy. 

At the Hospital observers follow Dr.Khan for patient rounds, view multiple procedures like cardiac catheterization, TEE and percutaneous intervention (PCI), he also made sure that I learned the EMR used at the hospital as well. Dr.Khan takes a keen interest not just in answering your queries and clearing your concepts but he also gives invaluable tips for your residency application, interview skills and life as a practicing physician in general. I also got the opportunity to deliver a presentation on “2019 AHA/ACC/AACVPR/AAPA/ABC/ACPM/ADA/AGS/APhA/ASPC/NLA/PCNA Guideline on the management of Blood Cholesterol: A Report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Task Force on Clinical Practice Guidelines.” Dr.Khan has the most unique way of conducting a presentation as he helps you understand each and every point, making sure the audience and the presenter both can gauge the presented concept. He was extremely appreciative of my effort and applauded my communication skills, knowledge of the topic and language fluency.

I also had the privilege to attend a presentation given by Dr.Khan himself at HCA Kingwood on Anticoagulants and Anti platelet in front of the whole Medicine department. This presentation not only enhance my medical knowledge but also allowed me to communicate with medicine residents, multiple attending doctors and hospital staff members. After the presentation Dr.Khan also introduced me to the assistant program director of Internal Medicine at HCA kingwood, who welcomed us at the hospital and provided incredible words of encouragement and advice for the NRMP match process. Everyone at the clinic and the hospital works together as a team and has great respect for each other. Dr. Khan, nurse practitioners and the MAs provided me with constructive criticism on how to improve as a practicing physician. The amount of experience and work I did overall was comparable to the responsibilities of an intern in a residency program. A typical day was seeing patients back to back and then working on EMR which made me aware of my shortcomings and helped me enhance my qualities. Dr.Khan also gives weekly assignments to be done at home and verbally presented later. He was extremely impressed with my assignment verbal presentation on “Aortic Dissection and its management”. Dr.Khan gave critics on my performance at the clinic and the hospital on daily and weekly basis which helped me tremendously to improve my performance. He was really appreciative of my dedication, knowledge, compassion, consistency, ability to learn, my team player ability. He was happy to see my energy and eagerness to learn and improve not just as a doctor but also as a person.

In conclusion I can proudly say that this observership was my best US clinical experience. As it provided me with the opportunity to not just interact with the patients, the staff and work with two different EMR system but it enhanced my knowledge, communication skills, mannerisms and English language proficiency. At the end of the rotation Dr.Khan conducts an exit interview with all observers providing them with positive and negative feedback as appropriate. To anyone looking for a US clinical experience I with the bottom of my heart recommend this clinical observership to become better physicians and better human beings.