VOLUME 30, ISSUE 1
Jeff Jekot, MD
Anesthesiologist
Austin Anesthesiology
Austin, Texas
TSA Distinguished Service Award Recipient for 2017-Daneshvari Solanki
The Texas Society of Anesthesiologists Distinguished Service Award is the highest honor that our society can grant to a member. The recipients of this award are those anesthesiologists who have had a significant influence on the promotion, improvement, and the future of the medical specialty of Anesthesiology. Dr. Daneshvari Solanki is the recipient of the TSA Distinguished Service Reward for 2017.
Dr. Solanki graduated from the Barada Medical College in India, completed her training at Sayajirao General Hospital, and was awarded her medical degree in anesthesia in 1974. Soon after getting married, she and her husband moved to England. Dr. Solanki completed her residency training at the Northwick Park Hospital in London and became a fellow of the Royal College of Anesthetists (FRCA) in 1977. She and her husband then moved to the United Stated where she completed a fourth year of residency at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. She was then able to take the FLEX examination and obtained licensure in Wisconsin and Texas. At this time the American Board of Anesthesiology granted her reciprocal recognition for her FRCA certification, and she was not required to obtain ABA certification.
Dr. Solanki began her academic career in anesthesiology at UTMB Galveston in 1978. Since then, she has been involved in the training of over 500 anesthesiology residents and over 50 anesthesiology pain management fellows. Dr. Solanki has always been a gifted and effective instructor, and as early as 1984-1985 was awarded the Walter C. Bernards Teacher of the Year Award by vote of the UTMB anesthesiology residents. Over the years she received this recognition so many times that in 2010 the Teacher of the Year award at UTMB was officially renamed as the Daneshvari R. Solanki Teaching Award.
In 1995, Dr. Solanki was instrumental in establishing the interventional pain management program at UTMB Galveston. In 2002, she was recognized as the Laura McDaniel Distinguished Professor of Anesthesiology at UTMB. In 2007 she was inducted into the Academy of Master Teachers at UTMB Galveston, and in 2016 she was inducted into the Academy of Master clinicians as well.
Dr. Ray Callas accepting
the role of TMA President
In addition to her distinguished academic career, Dr. Solanki has been active in the leadership of the TSA. She has been a member of the TSA House of Delegates since 1986 and a District Director Since 2001. She has also been active on multiple committees within the TSA over the years. In 2002, she was instrumental in establishing and organizing the Regional Anesthesia workshop at the TSA Annual Meeting. This workshop was a very significant enhancement to the already excellent TSA Annual meeting, and a well-utilized additional educational opportunity for the TSA membership.
Despite these impressive accomplishments, and near the end of her distinguished academic career of 39 years at UTMB Galveston, Dr. Solanki felt compelled to fulfill her professional goal of certification by the American Board of Anesthesiology. She met this challenge through a rigorous multi-year process established by the ABA, known as the Alternate Entry Path. With the encouragement and support of her colleagues and her department chairman, Donald Prough, along with several years of her trademark dedication and determination, Dr. Solanki became a Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology in 2016. Dr. Solanki has stated that this was the most fulfilling thing she has ever done and finally felt that her mission had been accomplished.
Please join your TSA in congratulating Dr. Daneshvari R. Solanki, the 2017 recipient of the TSA Distinguished Service Award.