Girish Premji Joshi, MBBS, MD (India), FCAI, MD (Ireland), FASA is a Professor with Tenure, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas. He is an attending anesthesiologist at Parkland Hospital, Dallas, Texas.

Dr. Joshi received his medical degree (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, MBBS) from the B. J. Medical College at the University of Pune, India. The leadership qualities he had developed while in high school and college were immediately recognized by the students and faculty of his medical school, and within months he was asked to join the leadership team of student affairs. He was elected “Assistant General Secretary” of the Students’ Association in the first year of medical school, followed by General Secretary (President) in the second year. During his final year, he was honored with the Distinguished Service Award ("Man of the Year") by the students and faculty.

After completing a flexible internship year, Dr. Joshi joined the residency program in anesthesiology at the King Edward Memorial Hospital, a prestigious hospital affiliated with the University of Pune, India. He was a chief resident in his final year of residency. After graduating, which required defending a thesis, he was awarded the Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree by the University of Pune, India. His commitment to the advancement of the field of perioperative care was clearly evident early in his anesthesia career. Due to his interests in academics and teaching, Dr. Joshi joined the King Edward Memorial Hospital, Pune as a lecturer in anesthesiology and intensive care. In addition to clinical responsibilities, he was also involved in teaching and administrative activities.

In October 1987, Dr. Joshi received an opportunity to work in Ireland. Within three months of working as a Senior House Officer at a County Hospital (Limerick Regional Hospital), he was promoted to the position of Registrar. He subsequently worked at the National Neurological Center (Beaumont Hospital, Dublin) as a Senior Registrar. During this period, he received the degree of Fellow of the Faculty of Anaesthetists Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (F.F.A.R.C.S.I). Of note, FFARCSI is now Fellow of the College of Anaesthetists, Ireland (FCAI). He then was appointed as a Senior Research Officer and Consultant at the National Cardiac Center (Mater Misericordiae Hospital, Dublin) and the National Orthopaedic Center (Cappagh Hospital, Dublin). Overall, he spent approximately five years in Ireland working in different sub-specialties of anesthesia at various major hospitals.

Dr. Joshi’s research journey began while working as a consultant at the Cappagh Orthopaedic Hospital. He undertook numerous clinically relevant research projects that resulted in modification of clinical practice, including pain management and blood transfusion practices. In an effort to further his academic career, Dr. Joshi decided to obtain the degree of Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) from the University College Dublin, which required defending a thesis – "Antinociceptive Effects of Intra-articularly Morphine: Evidence for a Peripheral Site of Action." In Europe, this postgraduate degree is considered equivalent to a Ph.D. with regards to academic progress. Due to this pioneering work, he was invited to write a commentary (editorial) in the Lancet on peripheral opioid action.

Dr. Joshi migrated to the United States in April 1992 and joined the Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon as a visiting assistant professor. In January 1993, he joined the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas as a visiting assistant professor in the division of cardiovascular/thoracic anesthesia. Although FFARCSI was considered as being equivalent to the American Board of Anesthesiology board certification, he undertook the examinations and obtained board certification in 1995. He was promoted to associate professor in 1997 and to full professor in 2001. Dr. Joshi is grateful to Dr. Dennis Landers, Chair of Anesthesia, for the rapid promotions.

Dr. Joshi’s talents in organization and leadership were recognized soon after joining UT Southwestern Medical Center, which led to assuming numerous administrative responsibilities at the institution and hospital levels. Dr. Edward Johnson (“ERJ”) stepped aside so that Dr. Joshi could become the Chair of Multidisciplinary Pain Committee at Parkland Hospital and a member of the Continuing Medical Education Committee at Southwestern. He is recognized by Parkland Hospital as a valuable resource and has served as the Director of Perioperative Medicine and Ambulatory Anesthesia. He was instrumental in developing multidisciplinary pain management and quality improvement programs as well as developing and implementing multidisciplinary, evidence-based enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) clinical guidelines at Parkland Hospital.

In 1997, Dr. A. H. “Buddy” Giesecke asked him to assume a leadership position (treasurer) of the Dallas County Anesthesiology Society (DCAS). As the President, Dr. Joshi re-energized DCAS by moving the meetings from Southwestern Faculty Club to excellent restaurants around the Dallas Metroplex, which significantly increased the attendance of society meetings. Dr. Giesecke also encouraged him to get involved with the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists (TSA). He became a delegate in 1998 and was elected to the Board of Directors in 2000. Not many realize that Dr. Joshi introduced a resolution in 2002 on the “System of Peer Review of Expert Witness,” which was adopted by the TSA House of Delegates and then by the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) House of Delegates. The implementation of this resolution has influenced depraved expert witnesses. Dr. Joshi was responsible for development of departmental mini-courses for UT Southwestern, which were extremely well-received and therefore, he was asked to organize the TSA Annual Meeting in 2002. The TSA meetings have received rave reviews and have become one of the most successful meetings in the nation. In addition to administrative responsibilities at the institution and state levels, he is appointed to numerous important committees of the ASA. He currently serves as the vice-chair of the Committee on Practice Management and as a member of the editorial board of the ASA Monitor.

Dr. Joshi’s administrative abilities resulted in his nominations to various boards of directors and other positions at several professional societies and non-profit organizations. He is the past president of the Society For Ambulatory Anesthesia (SAMBA), the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine (SASM, members include anesthesiologists, pulmonologists, ENT surgeons and other allied healthcare personnel interested in sleep-disordered breathing), and the TSA. He serves on the board of the International Association for Ambulatory Surgery (IAAS), a conglomerate of ambulatory surgery associations from numerous countries. He has served on the board of directors of the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Healthcare Centers (AAAHC). He currently serves on the board of directors as a treasurer of Acreditas Global (the international arm of AAAHC). He has received Distinguished Service Awards from SAMBA. Dr. Joshi is a member of the Procedure Specific Pain Management (PROSPECT) Group, an international collaboration of anesthesiologists and surgeons that formulates evidence-based procedure-specific pain management recommendations. The Prospect group is the think tank contributing to the European Society of Anesthesiologists’ vision of perioperative medicine.

Dr. Joshi has demonstrated commitment to academic medicine and contributed towards dissemination of knowledge through patient care, teaching, and clinical research. Dr. Joshi’s areas of interest include perioperative pain management, clinical pharmacology of anesthetic and analgesic drugs, ambulatory anesthesia, and perioperative care. Dr. Joshi has published numerous original articles, review articles and editorials in several high-impact journals. He continues to be at the forefront of research in anesthesia and perioperative care. He is an executive section editor for Anesthesia & Analgesia and a section editor for UpToDate. He has been an invited speaker at many national and international conferences. Although he has been successful in clinical research and administrative activities, the provision of high-quality patient care remains his priority. His personal commitment to the advancement of residents and faculty colleagues is clearly evident. His personal resolve and optimism continue to be an inspiration to his colleagues.

Dr. Joshi’s success would not have been possible without the unwavering support of his family and friends, including his adopted family at UT Southwestern. Dr. Joshi is extremely grateful for many mentors who encouraged and guided him, including all the chairs of the anesthesiology department at UT Southwestern. He appreciates the ongoing support of Dr. Charles Whitten. Dr. Joshi believes that our achievements in life are not just because we work hard and do the right thing but also because we have the right people encouraging and supporting us.