How a Skiing Accident Motivated Burnett School of Medicine Student to Become a Doctor
Maha Khan, MS-4, at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, shares her experiences at surgery away rotations at Northwestern University in Chicago, Keck School of Medicine of USC in Los Angeles, and Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, which is affiliated with Harvard.
FORT WORTH – At an early age, Maha Khan, MS-4, at the Anne Burnett Marion School of Medicine at Texas Christian University, already felt comfortable snapping on skis and hitting the slopes.
“I did competitive skiing and I spent a lot of time on the slopes,” Khan said. While competing in a ski tournament, the then-10-year-old suffered severe injuries that nearly cost her the use of two fingers.
“I fell and the skis cut through my fingers,” the Michigan native said. “My fingers were half cut off. I took the bandana off my head and wrapped it around my fingers and skied all the way to the bottom to get help.”
She received the care she needed, and doctors were able to save her fingers.
That experience motivated her to become an engineer in which she built prosthetics for patients who lost limbs. She loved the job but felt something was missing.
“You lose that personal connection that you build with people,” Khan said. “In medicine, you can build that close relationship and give good patient care, which is why I decided to go into medicine.”
Khan said she wants to be a heart surgeon and will find out where she will go for residency during Match Day 2026, which is set for March 20.
“I’m super excited for Match Day and a little nervous at the same time,” Khan said.
“I just start smiling every time I think about it. You don’t know what’s in store, but you know it will be good for you and I’m just so grateful for the Burnett School of Medicine at TCU.”