Dr. Vassilev graduated from UC Santa Cruz in California with his Bachelor of Arts degree in biology. He then attended Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to receive his Master of Science degree. Following this, Dr. Vassilev pursued basic science medical training at New York Medical College in Valhalla and then earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. At UCLA Department of Surgery, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, he underwent a surgical internship and then continued onto UCLA Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center for an anesthesiology residency.
Board-certified by the American Board of Pain Medicine and The American Board of Anesthesiology, Dr. Vassilev is also a member of the American Medical Association, American Society of Anesthesiologists, and International Association for the Study of Pain as well as a political action committee member for the California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. At the American Board of Pain Medicine, he holds the roles of diplomate and chairman of Examination Council. He is also a diplomate with The American Board of Anesthesiology. In addition to these roles, Dr. Vassilev fluently speaks English, German, Bulgarian, and Russian and has a basic understanding of Italian, Japanese, and Tibetan languages.