Harjot Thind, MD, MPH

My name is Dr. Harjot Thind, and I would like to welcome you to OrthoIllinois as well as my practice. For my patients to get a better understanding of my philosophy, I’d like to share a little about my background and why I chose to become a neurosurgeon.

As far back as I can remember, I have always wanted to be a doctor, and as I grew older, my interest in operating and directly using my hands as a surgeon to help heal people became my focus. I also held a natural curiosity about how the mind worked and the role the brain played in why people behave and think the way they do. Looking for answers, I took a psychology course in high school, but I was left wanting more. Then I found the field of neuroscience, and I knew that was the answer I was seeking. The opportunity to view a neurosurgery and a neurosurgeon in his element when I was 17 years old provided the final confirmation that I had found my calling in neurosurgery.

With a clear career path in mind, I pursued a degree in Behavioral Neuroscience and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. This undergraduate degree was followed by earning my Medical Doctorate from Tulane University School of Medicine, along with my Masters in Public Health with a concentration in Global Health from Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, simultaneously, located in New Orleans, Louisiana. While in medical school, I certainly did consider other medical specialties, but none held a candle to neurosurgery in my eyes.

The first three years of my residency training in neurological surgery was completed at the State University of New York at Buffalo and I then completed residency training at University of California Davis in Sacramento, California.  It was also at the University of California Davis where I completed my additional sub-specialty training with a Neurological Surgery Spine Fellowship, Focus in Minimally Invasive & Robot-Assisted spine surgeries.

Today, my practice is focused on general cranial and spinal neurosurgery, with a special interest in minimally invasive and navigated spine surgery. My goal in patient care is the well-being of my patient; truly the patient comes first. To me, this means ensuring I provide them with the education they need to understand their condition as well as the options available to treat their condition, so that we together can make decisions that are best for their unique situation.

When I am not practicing medicine, keeping up with my German Shepard and my pug dogs, hiking, yoga, traveling, and exploring new cultures keep me very busy.

Thank you for entrusting me with your care. I look forward to learning more about you and working together to identify the best treatment options for helping you get back to your normal activities and way of life.

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