Mariam Hakim-Zargar, MD, MPH

Why did you become an orthopaedic surgeon?.

My father was a dedicated pediatrician who loved his work. Being stopped and thanked in public was a fairly common event anytime we stepped out as a family. Early on, I learned the joys and rewards of helping other people and when I rotated through orthopaedics in medical school, it was an instant match. As far as I could tell, there was no other field in medicine where people's lives could be so quickly and dramatically improved. The most impressive patients to me, were those who had coped with chronic joint pain for decades and finally underwent joint replacement. Their new found lease on life, and the joy in their faces as they thanked their surgeons, transported me back to my childhood and my outings with my father. I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else.

What is the most rewarding part of being an orthopaedic surgeon?

Being an orthopaedic surgeon is a true privilege. I'm a solo practitioner, and while my elective practice is focused on the treatment of foot and ankle disorders, I provide orthopedic coverage for my community hospital six nights a month. In this capacity, I am able to use my general orthopaedic skills to provide care to some of the most thankful, and often some of the most vulnerable members of my community. It is common for me to be treating multiple members of the same family concurrently for different musculoskeletal problems. It's a true honor and pleasure to be able to care for a whole community o