Member SpotlightsPain Management Physician: A Pioneer in an Evolving Field of Medicine Meraj N. Siddiqui, M.D. A Member Since April 2002 After attending medical school and completing a residency in medicine, Meraj Siddiqui left his native Pakistan for the United States to pursue his dream of becoming a pain management physician. During the first year after his arrival, he worked as a volunteer investigator in the laboratory of urological oncology at the New York Hospital of the Cornell Medical Center before applying to different residency programs. In order to develop a specialty in pain management, doctors must choose between concentrating on either anesthesiology or neurology. Dr. Siddiqui choose anesthesiology and was accepted into a residency program at Jackson Memorial Hospital at the University of Miami, Florida. It was a perfect match—the hospital is home to the largest residency program in anesthesiology in the United States. Upon completing his residency at Jackson Memorial Hospital, Dr. Siddiqui pursued two fellowships: one in pain management and the other in obstetric anesthesia. He successfully passed his American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) written examination and is currently preparing for his oral examination in the fall of 2002. According to the ABA database he is actually one of the very few fellowship-trained physicians in both obstetric anesthesia and pain management (25 total physicians). Dr. Siddiqui’s major motivation for becoming trained in pain management is because that in his heart he is essentially a scientist. He is intrigued by the many avenues of investigation available in the relatively young field. During his fellowships, he was co-investigator of multiple studies, including an innovative protocol designed to treat individuals exhibiting symptoms of pseudoaddiction, which is typified by drug-seeking behavior that seems like addiction but is due to unrelieved pain. Increasing the dose of effective medications like opioids and/or addressing the underlying cause of pain can successfully treat pseudoaddiction. He also helped demonstrate that caesarian sections can be performed with reduced amounts of Bupivicaine (a local anesthetic) in combination with a spinal epidural anesthesia technique, increasing the safety of such operations while reducing recovery time and hospitalization costs. Because he strongly believes that myths about addiction and tolerance are often roadblocks to prescribing pain relievers, Dr. Siddiqui is passionate about understanding the physiology of pain. He hopes that his research will help develop effective management strategies for chronic pain, which should be considered a disease and not a symptom. He also hopes to be able to teach medical students about the importance of skilled pain management at an academic health center in the near future. Dr. Siddiqui has been recognized for his many contributions to the hospital, including being promoted to Team Chief during the third year of his residency. Beginning in mid July, he will begin his new position as Chief of Anesthesiology & Director of Pain Management at Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington, MA. In his free time, he likes to visit Miami Beach and go bicycling with his young son. ### << Previous Next >> [ View All Member Spotlights ] |
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