Feature a Fellow: March 2024

March marks the beginning of Fellowship Match season, and there’s no better time to unveil our new Society Spotlight Series, Feature a Fellow. Each month, we’ll highlight a Trainee AHS member who successfully matched using the Headache Medicine Fellowship website, developed to assist fellowship applicants in finding information about current training programs and help them navigate the application process.

This month, Dr. Muhammad Ismail Khalid Yousaf, a Fellow at Dell Medical School, UT Austin, shares his insights about headache medicine and the Match process:

Name: Muhammad Ismail Khalid Yousaf, MD

Institution: Dell Medical School, The University of Texas Austin

Nominated by: Samantha L. Irwin, MS, MB BCh BAO, FRCPC, Associate Professor of Neurology at UT Health Austin, Dell Children’s Specialty Pavilion

From Dr. Irwin: “Dr. Yousaf is an excellent clinical fellow, adult trained, but doing a pediatric fellowship to increase his knowledge of pediatric headache management. By his initiative, he started a pictorial series of the pediatric migraine experience, from the patient’s perspective, for all patients he has seen in fellowship.”

ABOUT DR. YOUSAF

How did you become interested in Headache Medicine? The remarkable advancements in headache medicine, particularly through enhanced pharmacological treatments and a deeper understanding of its pathophysiology in recent times, really sparked my interest in Headache Medicine. I am especially eager to contribute to the efforts at the “Transition of Headache Care from Adolescents to Adults,” with a focus on interventional headache management. Additionally, I am driven by the aspiration to also apply my expertise back in my home country, Pakistan, where there exists a significant shortfall in headache medicine, aiming to bridge this gap.

What year of training are you in? I am a PGY5, Currently Doing 1 year of Headache Medicine Fellowship.

How have you utilized your AHS membership during training? What is your favorite member benefit? My Membership and association with the AHS over the years have provided me with outstanding educational and advocacy opportunities through its diverse scholarship programs. I had the privilege of being a recipient of the AHS Resident Education Program in 2021, the International Headache Academy in 2024, and the AHS Advocate Scholarship for Headache on the Hill in 2024. I also as Chief Resident Education organized the fantastic AHS REACH program at my residency program in 2022. Additionally, access to the Headache Journal has been an invaluable resource, with both new and historical studies informing and shaping my clinical decision-making processes.

Who has been your mentor or biggest inspiration within the field? Dr. Samantha Irwin and Dr. Sara Pavitt have served as inspiring mentors to me in headache medicine, emphasizing the importance of integrating evidence-based medicine with holistic care. Their guidance was instrumental in ensuring a smooth transition from my work in Adult Neurology to specializing in Pediatric Headache management.

Dr. Palade, my Residency Program Director, has always been a motivational force, encouraging me to explore and believe in the vast possibilities within the field of neurology, and life.

Name a fun fact about yourself! For some reason, I often bump into celebrities 🙂

Are you a program director interested in highlighting your Fellow? Complete a nomination form here!