Nida Khan, MD

Description

Nida Khan, MD, is a medical oncologist and palliative care physician. She focuses on breast, gynecological, thoracic, genitourinary, and head and neck cancers, and is also trained to address cancer-related pain and symptom management. She practices at the Northwell Riverhead Cancer Institute on Long Island.After graduating with a degree in anthropology from Barnard College in New York City, Dr. Khan spent time working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) at the United Nations. While at a women's health NGO, she was inspired to pursue medicine as a more efficient and direct way to improve people's lives.She attended medical school at The Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University in Philadelphia. During her clinical rotations at their cancer center, she became interested in both oncology and palliative care. I saw the need for palliative care for cancer patients because this population has different needs than those dealing with heart failure or transplant, for example, says Dr. Khan.Dr. Khan returned to her native Long Island to complete an internal medicine residency at Northwell North Shore University Hospital, followed by a combined medical oncology and palliative medicine fellowship program at the Ohio State University. Dr. Khan is part of a small cohort of physicians in the nation who have completed this unique combined fellowship as part of an American Society Clinical Oncology (ASCO) integrated training initiative. She chose Northwell because it offered her the opportunity to focus on the type of oncology she was interested in, and to build her practice for cancer-related palliative patients. As a clinician, Dr. Khan applies her dual expertise to help address each patient's specific goals. When a person first comes to me, I try to get to know them and discern their priorities for treatment. I strive to maintain a level of agency and autonomy for them, she says. It's important to understand how each patient defines an acceptable quality of life. Building this rapport and trust is my favorite part of the job.