Sanford M. Silverman, MD

I was always interested in science. I majored in chemical engineering and, after my junior year of college, decided it was not for me. I had interest in the biological side of engineering, and medical school seemed like a good idea--a noble profession.

Anesthesiologists have always been at the forefront of pain management. I remember being the Pain Clinic Director at William Beaumont Army Medical Center in 1990, and we wrote only 3 medications: ibuprofen, Elavil^®, and trazodone. The science and practice of pain medicine was rudimentary. It exploded in the 1990s and so did my interest, particularly connecting with patients outside of the operating room.

I had no formal pain management fellowship. I guess I learned most of this on my own, attending conferences and workshops. My interest in pain medicine came after my training in anesthesiology. With respect to addiction medicine, I have to credit Steve Passik as my mentor. He truly inspired me to look beyond the establishment of pain medicine, and to explore a different paradigm to treat patients with chronic pain and substance use disorders.

A biomedical engineer. I studied chemical engineering and received a BS/MS, and that's where I was headed until I did an internship in engineering consulting over the summer, which changed my career path.

INTENSITY. I am serious, sometimes too much. Yet I have a pretty good sense of humor. But my background is problem-solving, so when I see a patient with a problem, I am looking for a solution.

Bicycling across the US in the summer of 1979 with a childhood friend. I think about that a lot, and maybe doing it again someday. I recently published a text: Controlled Substance Management in Chronic Pain: A Balanced Approach. This was truly a labor of love. It was important to me to consolidate all the great lectures and advise from great people in one text so others could practice safely and effectively.

English.

I love the movie Fail Safe, which I consider one of the best movies ever made. My book would be Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, which I read on my bicycle trip in 1979. Music would have to be Handel's Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks.

he person who made a difference, helping just a little to positively affect one's life. Isn't that the reason we all went into medicine?

Always shoot for 100%, never less. That does not mean you do not have to accept less, but ya gotta try for the big banana! And if you don't get to 100% and you know you tried, that's just fine!