Meet the Pediatric Specialist | Sharifa Himidan, MD

Pediatric Clinical Update | June 2024

Sharifa Himidan, MD

Sharifa Himidan, MD, joined the division of Pediatric Surgery at UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s in January. Keep reading to get to know her a little better:

How old were you when you felt the call to become a doctor?

I don’t think I have thought of it as a call at the beginning although it has become a mission and passion. Truth to be said, I actually wanted to be a lawyer. As a teen, I was fascinated by a movie in a legal drama my parents watched. Then I became fascinated by reading about Dr. Christiaan Barnard, the South African surgeon who performed the world’s first heart transplant. That triggered my medical interest.

What are your areas of clinical interest?

Everything that has to do with providing timely access to safe quality care for children.  I am personally invested in neonatal surgery, colorectal, breast diseases, hernia repair and enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS).

Who or what inspires you and why? 

Children do. They inspire me to be a better person today and to work harder for tomorrow.

Dog or cat?

I have none at home but love both. Tried a cat when I was a child and ended up with a lamb gifted by my grandmother. That was my favorite pet.

Coffee or tea?

Coffee. Lots of it.

Cavs, Guardians or Browns?

Rainbows!

Favorite book (outside of medical journals)?

Lately I have read two books written by the same author (Amy Edmondson) and have enjoyed them cover to cover. The first is The Fearless Organization and the second is Right Kind of Wrong. I think they are two great books, easy to read and have many valuable lessons and applicable solutions.

People would be surprised to know that I …

I Love music and organized an International Indie Music Festival in Switzerland for 3 years and I co-produced an album that won a Juno award in 2018 (Juno is the Canadian equivalent to Grammy award).

I also collaborated with engineers in designing surgical robots and tools and co-supervised Master and PHD engineering students.