My philosophy is simple and revolves around one main principle.  To be able to provide the best possible care for my patients.  Whenever I work with any patient, I am always thinking “How would I do things if this person were my own family?” because after all they are someone’s mother, son, brother, etc.  Sometimes, the best care means doing surgery.  And sometimes it means not doing surgery and doing something else.  Ultimately, my goal is to work with the patient together as a team so that we can find the best treatment that will help them the most.

Specialty Services Provided

I treat the entire spine from the cervical, thoracic, to the lumbar spine. I also treat adults and kids. I see patients with arm and leg pain, foot drop, and changes to any arm and/or leg such as numbness, tingling, or weakness.

The conditions I treat include but are not limited to degenerative conditions of the spine from bulging discs, arthritis, disc degeneration, infections, fractures, scoliosis, deformity, radiculopathy, myelopathy, and pain.

Education and Qualifications

Fellowship in Spine Surgery, Houston Methodist Hospital
Residency in Orthopedics, SUNY Upstate Medical University
Medical Degree, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Bachelor of Arts in Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University

Professional Organizations

American Medical Association
North American Spine Society
American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons
Scoliosis Research Society
Cervical Spine Research Society

Why I chose medicine

I chose to go into medicine because I wanted to know I was making a direct impact on a person in a positive way.  I switched away from other careers because I felt I wasn’t sure how that career was going to end up helping people, but with medicine, I knew I would be making a difference.  I chose spine surgery for multiple reasons.  First and foremost, it is very rewarding to see the dramatic improvements in a patient’s pain and weakness that they have been dealing with for a long time.  In addition, spine surgery is continuously evolving and changing, which is exciting in terms of learning new ways to help patients.  Lastly, because of the complexity of the field, I enjoy the challenge of tailoring the right surgery for the right patient at the right time.

Hobbies/Special Interests:

Hobbies include running and hiking, travel, computers, and cars.

Personal Information:

Married to Dr. Mehreen Chaudhary, a general dentist who practices in Syracuse, NY. We have one child.

Volunteer Work:

Currently volunteer at my son’s daycare for various activities.  In the past, I have volunteered at church rescue mission clinic centers providing free medical care.

Community Activities:

I teach residents at SUNY upstate medical university.

Quote from Patient:

“Dr. Rashid provided me with a thorough explanation of what my condition was and all of the different ways we could treat it.  It made me feel confident in his understanding of my problem.  But above all, he seemed genuinely concerned for my well-being and what was right, stressing that we are in this together as a team to find the best possible care for me.”

Appointments available at the following locations:

New Hartford