When Muhammad Taqi was in his final year of medical school, his father had a stroke—and a month later, he passed away.
“There was no treatment available at that time for stroke,” Dr. Taqi remembers. “That’s when I decided to choose this field and advance this field to help others who suffer from stroke or brain aneurysm.”
Today, Dr. Taqi is an interventional and stroke neurologist at Vascular Neurology of Southern California in Thousand Oaks, a private practice located on the Los Robles Regional Medical Center campus, just 500 feet from the hospital Emergency Room.
“My typical patients are those that come in for medical and surgical management of stroke/blockages in the neck and brain arteries and brain aneurysms,” he says, adding that these diseases may affect patients of varying demographics.
What patients like most about Dr. Taqi is the time he spends with them, his ability to make them feel they are safe, and his willingness to help them make the best decision for their health.
“I meet people often at a point in their life when they don’t have any time that can be wasted to save their lives,” he says. “My availability and my confidence in what I do make them feel secure.”
His dedicated staff certainly makes the experience of clinic visits “very friendly,” and his practice is unique because Dr. Taqi is the only stroke neurologist in the area who is triple board certified with extensive experience in clinical trials and research pertaining to stroke and brain aneurysms.
“I am always looking to expand the practice to ensure that there is diverse dialogue about patient care,” he says. “I think teamwork makes the dream work.”
Dr. Taqi grew up and went to medical school in the city of Pakistan, Karachi, and immigrated to the United States at age 23 to pursue a career in neuroscience. This began with a research fellowship at Brown University, followed by residency at the University of Tennessee. He then attended the Medical College of Wisconsin to complete fellowships in Neurocritical Care, Vascular Neurology, and Endovascular Interventional Neuroradiology.
“Contributing to the medical education of my community is perhaps one my main aspirations,” says Dr. Taqi, who has been practicing for 17 years. “I believe it is imperative for my neighbors to be prepared in case they may one day either experience or witness a neurological disease.”
At his practice, he loves doing procedures and surgeries, because “that’s my passion.” He also genuinely enjoys his clinic hours.
“There is nothing more satisfying than informing my patients of their post-procedure progress,” he says, further adding that he is also profoundly invested in research, because “there is still so much to learn and to improve in this field of medicine.”
In his field, every minute counts, he further emphasizes.
“Patient outcomes depend on timely intervention,” Dr. Taqi adds. “We want our patients to recognize the symptoms of stroke or aneurysm as soon as possible and to seek appropriate health care.”
Vascular Neurology of Southern California is located at 227 W. Janss Road, Suite 125, in Thousand Oaks. For more information, call 805.242.4884; or visit VNSC.Me.