Featured Trainee - Samina Ahmed PsyD

Samina Ahmed, PsyD, am currently completing my post-doctoral training in Behavioral Sleep Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, OH. I completed my graduate training at Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL and my internship training at the Miami VA Hospital in Miami, FL. My clinical interests include sleep medicine, pain management, and chronic illness management.

HOW DID YOU GET INTERESTED IN BSM?

My first exposure to sleep disturbances was during my advanced practicum in my third year of graduate training. I was working on a transplant unit and would frequently be consulted to see patients on medical units that endorsed difficulties with sleep during their hospitalization. I recognized very quickly the vitality of sleep in the healing and recovery process whether that be pre-transplant as patients work to improve their candidacy or post-transplant as patients fought to take advantage of this new organ and regain their premorbid lifestyle. Graduate training was also a nice reminder of the impact minimal sleep can have on day-to-day functions and one’s mental health. As I continued in my clinical training I actively sought opportunities to work with patients experiencing sleep difficulties including PTSD related nightmares in veterans, CPAP adherence in patients with OSA, and of course insomnia. 

WHO ARE YOUR BSM MENTORS?

My BSM mentors are split between my clinical and research duties. I had a brief opportunity to work on CPAP adherence research with Dr. William Wohlgemuth during my internship at the Miami VA. He provided me with a crash course on the field of sleep medicine and the demand for BSM providers. This led me to my current clinical mentor, Dr. Michelle Drerup, Director of BSM at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Drerup has played a significant role in teaching me how to identify and properly diagnose various sleep disorders, as well as, how to treat the disorder with the current behavioral treatments (e.g., CBT-I). 

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM JOB?

My dream job would be to serve as a Health Psychologist within a medical subspecialty (e.g., cancer, transplant, PM&R) with a specialization in BSM. I would like to take my training back to where it started, so to speak and be able to adapt my specialized skillset in BSM to serve the medical population in order to assist in their recovery. Where would you like to see the field of BSM in 10 years?I would like to see the field of BSM be widely disseminated to underserved and marginalized populations, perhaps transcribed to virtual treatment for greater accessibility. I would also like to see the treatments adapted for medically compromised patients (e.g., patients with MS). Ideally if we can have 100% compliance to CPAP treatment, that would be great too!

WHAT EXPERIENCES HAVE HELPED SHAPE YOUR TRAINING IN BSM?

I would say it is a culmination of all of my graduate training that has helped shape my training in BSM. My academic training with an emphasis on the scholar-practitioner model allowed me to succeed within the field of BSM. My clinical experiences (practicum to fellowship) and opportunities to both collaborate and develop my own research projects allowed me to fine tune my skills within the field and feel like a contributing member. Finally, exposure to other BSM providers through my trainings, at national conferences, and through the SBSM has allowed me to feel well-supported and invested to continue training in BSM. 

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS TO DO AWAY FROM THE OFFICE?

I love to travel with my husband, visit national parks, hike, ride my bike, try new restaurants, and spend time with my family and friends.

WHAT IS YOUR NEXT VACATION OR DREAM VACATION DESTINATION?

My next vacation will be a trip back to Miami to watch my oldest childhood friend get married. My husband also recently disclosed that he has never been to LA so we will be making that trip in the near future. My dream vacation destination is the Maldives but it might be a few years before I can make that trip into reality.