Dr. Usman Y.

Before attending medical school, Dr. Yaqoob graduated cum laude with a Bachelor's degree in biology and a minor in chemistry from Montclair State University. He was heavily involved as a peer tutor in the science department, helping students in areas such as biology, organic chemistry, physical chemistry, and calculus. He also worked extensively in organic chemistry research alongside his mentor, then the treasurer of the American Chemical Society, creating medicinal vectors for successful drug delivery. Dr. Yaqoob went on to obtain a Master's degree in biomedical science at the Rowan University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and worked as a medical assistant in pediatric urgent care and outpatient urology offices. 

Dr. Yaqoob went on to graduate in the top 10% of this class at the Rowan-Virtua School of Osteopathic Medicine, where he received the New Jersey Osteopathic Education Foundation (NJOEF) Merit Scholarship. During this time, he served as an ambassador and was directly involved in the interview process, giving him strategic insights into what admissions committees look for in applicants. After medical school, Dr. Yaqoob completed an internship year in internal medicine at Jefferson Health in Pennsylvania and went on to his advanced training in PM&R at NYU Langone Health, drawn by his interests in functional medicine, minimally invasive interventional procedures, and pain medicine. 

Dr. Yaqoob is currently pursuing an interventional pain medicine fellowship to help patients with acute and chronic pain. He is involved in pain medicine research, with published work in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Cureus. He has presented at national conferences, including podium and case presentations at the annual meetings of the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the Association of Academic Physiatrists. Dr. Yaqoob also serves as a resident and fellow committee member-at-large for the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, promoting education, technology, and student and physician involvement in pain medicine. Dr. Yaqoob continues to mentor pre-medical students through his alma mater, Montclair State University, and medical students through the Association of Academic Physiatrists.

Dr. Yaqoob's enthusiasm and readiness for mentorship are a reflection of all of the great mentors he has had during his own journey to medicine. He has derived influence from his family, a creative writing professor in college, friends and colleagues he has met along the way, and the internal medicine, critical care, rehabilitation, and pain medicine physicians he has trained under. Dr. Yaqoob uses his experiences and what he has learned from his mentors to provide a unique and individualized approach to mentorship that addresses the complexities of each student's situation, and mentoring at different levels of academia has demonstrated his ability to adapt and change his approach for the best possible outcome. Every session with Dr. Yaqoob is goal-oriented with a margin for flexibility to best support the student during this journey. He is there as a reliable source of information and moral support, as he understands the hard work it requires to get into medical school.