Neurosurgery is a stressful and demanding career, as long hours are spent with patients who have life-threatening diseases and chronic illnesses. However, neurologists have a wide availability of treatments, high-tech equipment, and diagnostic capabilities that they can offer to their patients, many that were not available ten to twenty years ago. There is also a lot of research in the field of neurology, which can make every day a learning experience. Going into the practice of neurology can be fulfilling and meaningful.
One of the most important neurologists in the world is Madjid Samii, who was born on 19 June 1937, in Tehran, Iran. After finishing high school, he moved to Germany to start his medical study at the University of Mainz, where he achieved the highest achievable score in the final medical examination. He started his specialty education in the field of neurosurgery in the same university and received his Board of Neurosurgery in 1970.
Professor Samii had a great devotion to education and enhancement of neurosurgery; from the beginning of his career as a professor of neurosurgery, he put major emphasis on education of neurosurgeons from all over the world. He held regular annual or biannual courses in micro-neurosurgery in the University of Mainz since 1971. In 1979, he established the world’s first educational course in skull base surgery in Hannover. Aside from his regular courses in Germany, he started to plan similar educational courses in many countries all over the world to enhance the knowledge of neurosurgery.
Professor Samii was the President of the International Society for Neurosurgery, and was elected the Founding President of the Madjid Samii Congress of International Neurosurgeons (MASCIN) in 2003. In 2007, he received the “Friendship Award” from the Prime Minister of China for his contribution to the medical progress of the country. He was named world top neurosurgeon and garnered Golden Neuron Award by World Academy of Neurological Surgery in 2014.
Throughout his long time career, Samii was an honorary doctor and professor in 14 universities. He edited more than 15 neurosurgical books and more than 500 publications on peripheral nerves, spinal tumors, skull base pathology, brain tumors and cranial nerve disorders. He gave more than 1000 lectures, as invited or honored guest of numerous national and international congresses.
References
www.professormadjidsamii.com
www.iranreview.org
www.wfns.org