From Our Faculty

Surangama Sharma, MBBS, MD

Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesia

Hometown: Faridabad (Haryana), India 

Medical School: Gujarat University, B. J. Medical College in Ahmedabad, India

 Residency: Internship and residency in Anesthesiology at B. J. Medical College, residency in Anesthesiology at Cleveland Clinic

Subspecialty/Areas of Interest: Neuro-anesthesia, General Anesthesia

Hobbies: Plant mom here! Cooking, Travelling, DIY Art projects 

Fun Facts: One of my fusion recipe's was published on a food website, so I do publish outside of work! Ages ago in residency while clubbing, I randomly featured in the Entertainment Section of a Newspaper (when they existed, and people actually read them), I am not a bad dancer-next morning was fun answering all the questions about what I was doing the night before! 

Why Iowa: I have a lot of good things to say about Iowa and UIHC. This was my first job after residency, and I have been here ever since, even after 10 years! Excellent residency program, clinically, academically and an extremely cohesive and supportive group of peers, leadership and faculty. One of the biggest perks- short driving distances to almost anywhere including work or other day to day activities. Iowa City is a university town that comes alive in summer and plenty of winter activities in and around the area. Safe, diverse and inclusive enough to raise a family, with an excellent school district from elementary to high school and fun for the single at heart. 


 

Andrew Feider, MD

Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesia

Associate Program Director, Anesthesia Residency Program 

Division Director, Cardiothoracic Anesthesia 

Fellowship Program Director, Cardiothoracic Anesthesia 

Hometown: Racine, Wisconsin 

Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin 

Residency/Fellowship: Residency and Fellowship at University of Chicago 

Subspecialty: Cardiothoracic 

Hobbies: Hiking, Camping, Skiing, Sailing, Scuba Diving 

Fun Fact: The first time I ever went scuba diving with my (future) wife, I had an equipment issue and ran out of air at a depth of 70 feet. I was a total novice. But fortunately my wife was a trained dive instructor. I'm glad she was with me, because she lent me her extra regulator and we were able to surface safely together. Now I keep her around for all my dives...and I bought my own equipment instead of renting from sketchy dive shops. 

Why Iowa: My wife and I are both physicians. We had lived in Chicago for a decade and were looking to plant roots somewhere and start a family. University of Iowa was a fantastic option for us. This is a world-class hospital that has the resources and opportunities to propel our academic careers. But furthermore, it exists in a smaller city with great schools and affordable housing. Perfect for raising a family. We love it here! 


 

Tejinder Swaran Singh, MBBS, FRCA

Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesia 

Hometown: Salem, Tamil Nadu, India

Medical School: Kilpauk Medical College in Chennai, India

Residency: Internship in Anesthesiology, Kilpauk Medical College; Senior Resident in Anesthesiology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), FRCA in Specialty Training in Anesthesiology, The Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Anesthesia residents at University of Iowa

Fellowship: Pain Medicine Anesthesia at University of Iowa

Subspecialties: Chronic Pain Medicine, Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain

About Me: I was born and brought up in the southern part of India where Sikhism (my religion) was a huge minority. I have trained in anesthesia in 3 different continents, and this has given me very unique opportunities, perspectives and experiences that have enriched me as a physician and as a person. I derive most joy from the fact that whether I am practicing OR anesthesia, Acute pain management or chronic pain management, there is a human being on the other end whose life and function we can impact significantly by doing things right. A sincere thank you from a patient who feels that you have helped them is a reward that is to be cherished and experiences such as this over my career have kept me going.  

Why Iowa: I chose Iowa for my residency because I genuinely felt during the interview that this was a place that I can very easily fit in. Everyone was super nice and the relationships between the residents and resident/faculty relationship on display was phenomenal. I loved my time training here and never really considered looking for a job elsewhere. Iowa City is the perfect place to live - it has great diversity, a great educational environment for your kids to grow and thrive in, a top-notch hospital system, affordable cost of living, passionate yet very well-behaved college sports fans, the WAVE (the best tradition is college sports.), very low level of crime. In short it is very easy to live a satisfying life in this city. 


 

Katherine Keech, MD, FAAP

Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesia 

Associate Program Director, Anesthesia Residency Program 

Fellowship Associate Program Director, Pediatric Anesthesia 

Co-director of medical student anesthesia rotations

Director of Pediatric Acute Pain Service (CHAP)

Hometown: Manitowoc, WI

Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, WI

Residency/Fellowship: Anesthesia Residency at University of Washington, Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship at Seattle Children’s Hospital/University of Washington

Subspecialty: Pediatric Anesthesia and Pediatric Regional Anesthesia/Acute Pain

Hobbies: Taxi driver (Just kidding but I feel like one a lot of the time driving my 4 kids and sometimes their friends around to various activities, spending time with my family, reading, and watching all the activities my kids participate in—travel baseball, travel basketball, school football, basketball, track, dance, art shows, piano recitals, I'm sure I'm forgetting something! ​

Fun Facts: We have a covid dog because our lives weren't busy enough with 4 kids. Luna is a miniature Bernedoodle and she's a bit crazy but awesome!And I was actually born at the University of Iowa Hospital when my mom was an internal medicine resident here! My parents moved to Wisconsin when she finished (I was about 13 months old). And my youngest was born at the University of Iowa Hospital.

Why Iowa: "Why NOT Iowa?" It's a wonderful place to live and to raise a family. The community can't be beat. My husband and I are both from the Midwest and we wanted to live in the Midwest when we were looking for jobs. We feel like we landed in the best spot!


 

Martin Mueller, MD

Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesia

Fellowship Program Director, Pediatric Anesthesia

Hometown: Guestrow - Germany 

Medical School: University of Rostock - Germany 

Residency: UTMB in Galveston, TX, 

Fellowship: Texas Children's Hospital Houston, TX 

Subspecialty/Areas of Interest: Pediatric Anesthesia 

Hobbies: Lawn care, Kayaking,  

Fun Facts: Grew up in former East Germany when it was still under communist rule; Got married on an Elephant in India 

Why Iowa: Great program, excellent schools, strong family values and the best wrestling team - Go Hawks!