Sami L. Khella

You are the Chief of the Department of Neurology at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center as well as a Professor of Clinical Neurology. Could you tell us about your path to Penn Medicine and Neurology?

Neurology encapsulates what I imagined a physician to be. A scholar who goes to the bedside of another human being in pain, attempts to understand some profound aspects of that person and attempts to make that pain better. This was how my father, himself a physician, described the medical profession to me, when I was a little boy.  It was how I saw him practice medicine.  

Congratulations again on your recent induction into The College of Physicians of Philadelphia! We were thrilled to welcome you on May 6. What first interested you about becoming a Fellow of the College?

I have been coming to The College of Physicians since we moved to Philadelphia when I was in middle school. My father would bring my brother and I to the Mütter Museum. As a member and secretary of the Philadelphia Neurological Society (one of the oldest continually active neurological societies in the United States), I have been coming to the College on a near monthly basis for many years. I have always loved the place. 

Earlier this year we asked several Fellows for our what they have found to be helpful in terms of self-care over the past year. I read that you are a painter, and I was wondering if you sought that as a mental health resource over the pandemic or if you have other suggestions that you have found beneficial for you? 

Medicine is the gift my father gave me, and art is the gift that my mother gave me. I paint to express feelings and ideas that I cannot put in words. As a child, I was mesmerized by my mom's paintings and how anyone could create the kind of imagery pitch you made. So I feel that the stress of the pandemic may be relieved to some extent by doing something pleasurable. 

The College has positioned itself as a home for the intersection of medicine, the humanities, and the arts. What further role(s) do you hope to see the College help fulfil within our community in the coming years?  

I'm excited to participate in the College’s community outreach to young students to inspire them to find something that thrills and challenges them.