Texas Tech adds psychiatrist to faculty, will help lead residence program

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — Psychiatrist Ahadullah Khan, D.O., has joined Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso and Texas Tech Physicians of El Paso.

An assistant professor of psychiatry, Dr. Khan is serving as the associate program director for TTUHSC El Paso’s psychiatry residency program. At the TTP El Paso at Alberta clinic in Central El Paso, he specializes in helping patients manage and overcome mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and chronic pain, including musculoskeletal tension due to anxiety, according to a news release sent out by Texas Tech.

He also assists students with managing the stress of academic life.

“Psychiatry is an underserved specialty nationwide, and demand for psychiatrists is booming. As the country emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health care has become a significant issue across the United States and in Texas. In 2021, over 57 million adults in the U.S. – about 1 in 5 – experienced mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness,” the news release stated.

Texas, however, ranks 50th in the nation for mental health workforce availability, according to Texas Tech.

Studies show that the mental health workforce shortage affects more people than primary care and dental workforce shortages combined, the university added in its news release. Additionally, only 27% of mental health needs are being met in Health Professional Shortage Areas, such as El Paso.

“El Paso is a wonderfully diverse community, and I look forward to caring for patients from all walks of life who may be struggling with their mental health,” Dr. Khan said. “There is a critical need for quality mental health care in our Borderplex region, and I’m proud to be part of a team that is helping individuals and families attain the happiness and health they deserve.”

Dr. Khan says he enjoys working with medical students and physician residents, and has helped hundreds of them succeed on their board exams, including many who would have otherwise not made it through medical school or residency due to academic difficulties., according to Texas Tech.

Dr. Khan earned his bachelor’s degree in the humanities from the University of Pennsylvania and then completed his medical education at Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2011. He completed his osteopathic family medicine residency at McLaren Health System in Michigan and psychiatry residency at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences in Missouri.

In his holistic approach to mental wellness, Dr. Khan incorporates the use of complementary and alternative therapies such as acupuncture, cupping and osteopathic manipulation to accompany the medications he prescribes, according to the news release.

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