Sama Elrahi, MD

Sama Elrahi, MD

Sama was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She attended Houston Community College and later the University of Houston, majoring in Biochemical and Biophysical Sciences. After completing her undergraduate studies, she worked as a pharmacy technician for five years. Witnessing the struggles faced by her patients in affording and understanding their medications, she felt compelled to become a better advocate through Medicine. She attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, graduating as salutatorian and inductee into both the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Societies. A specialty quiz unexpectedly catapulted her into a neurology elective that ignited her interest. Through her consistent work with the neurology department, she earned an American Academy of Neurology Medical Student Prize for Excellence. She was so confident that UCLA Neurology was the perfect program for her that she embarked on an adventure to Los Angeles, despite never having visited before. Even her mischievous cat managed to break out on the plane from Houston to LA! She completed her internship at Olive View-UCLA Medical Center, a county safety net hospital. She is passionate about Headache neurology and improving quality of life for patients with these debilitating disorders. As a first-generation immigrant with a low-income upbringing, she is passionate about promoting health equity, working with underserved populations, and improving access to neurological care. Outside of medicine, Sama finds joy in music, especially metal, live shows, cooking, mixology, video games, and playing with her chonky cat.