Dr. Nadia Khan never expected to become a radiologist. Initially drawn to surgery, she discovered her passion for radiology during her medical residency, a decision that ultimately shaped her career. Now, as a top Interventional Radiologist (IR) in the Houston Medical Center, she is dedicated to patient care, medial education, and raising awareness about disease prevention.
“I got into medical school wanting to be a surgeon,” says Dr. Khan, “I enjoyed working with my hands and went on to complete my surgical internship in Michigan. But during my residency one of my patient’s needed a cholecystostomy tube for treatment of his inflamed gallbladder because he was not a surgical candidate. I remember going to our ‘special labs’ suite where the IR was doing a mesenteric angiogram on a patient with suspected gastrointestinal bleeding. I was amazed at how he was navigating a microcatheter and wire to select the vessel on imaging. It was then when I decided I wanted to be an Interventional Radiologist; to be able to treat patients with complex diseases utilizing minimally invasive equipment under imaging.”
The consultation changed her perspective, leading her to wanting to pursue a career in IR over surgery. She found fulfilment in the discipline’s clinical aspects and its ability to treat patients without the need for a major operation.
In her words, “Vincent Van Gogh simply put, ‘I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart,’” says Khan. “I am still on the journey to be the best version of me as a human, a clinician, and as a radiologist. The path to greatness is often times paved with failures because there are bigger lessons to learn and more to gain then loss. The key is to keep trying and never quit.”
She is extremely passionate about her work. It is her biggest motivation to keep pushing forward. Her love and passion for her career are what make Dr. Khan stand out as a top radiologist. Beyond practicing radiology, she is thriving in an academic setting, mentoring future radiologists, where she discovered a deep appreciation for teaching, and the learning process it fosters. In addition to teaching, she is currently working on other medical projects.
“I am working in academics now and one of the highlights of my role is teaching,” said Khan. “It has been an incredible experience to work with medical students, residents and fellows and I have learned so much from the process. My other focus is research and am working on developing projects that focus on management of peripheral arterial disease and oncology.”
Dr. Khan’s work extends beyond radiology. She’s an advocate for bringing awareness and education for a multitude of women’s health issues. Her goal is to focus on screening for these diseases to save lives.
“I hope to educate and develop awareness for women’s health issues such as fibroid disease, pelvic congestion, and lower extremity venous disease in order to improve their care and follow-ups,” she stated. “I am fortunate to be involved in the care and treatment of our underserved patients in the South with peripheral arterial disease and hope to develop programs that will bring more awareness to this disease in the community and improve screening and long-term follow-ups for these patients in order to improve limb salvage.”
As an IR, every day, Dr. Khan is either working on life-saving procedures, or she is mentoring future radiologists.
“I do procedures all day, from follow-ups and consultations to major interventions,” says Khan.
Her determination, passion and love for her career allowed her to climb to the top, and it is what sets her apart from other radiologists.
