Dr. Sameena “Sam” Rahman is a board-certified OB/GYN who launched the Center for Gynecology and Cosmetics to meet the needs of women.
After years of practicing obstetrics and gynecology in a variety of large academic settings and locations, Dr Rahman opened a practice to focus on her special areas of interest – gynecologic and cosmetic services – and to ensure patients have their best quality of life.
Through her research and dedication, Dr. Rahman is one of the few physicians nationally to receive the designation of ISSWSH (International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health) Fellow (IF) and is actively involved with cutting edge approaches to sexual pain and sexual dysfunction. She also is an active member of the IPPS, International Pelvic Pain Society, and specializes in a multidisciplinary approach to chronic pelvic pain. For midlife women, Dr. Rahman is also a specialist in menopause management with the designation of Certified Menopause Physician through the North American Menopause Society (NCMP).
Dr. Rahman was raised ‘in the south’ in North Carolina and as you will see from her rapport, she understands what good ole southern hospitality means. She attended Duke University for her B.S. degree in Biology where she also specialized in Women’s Studies. She then continued in her home state at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for her M.D. As women’s health care and women’s issues have always been on the forefront of concerns for her, she moved up north for her residency in Massachusetts in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Massachusetts.
After completing her residency, Dr. Rahman made her way out west to sunny California where she spent four years on the faculty at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine. In L.A., she spent a great deal of time on resident and medical student education with simulation training in obstetrics and surgery. Additionally, Dr. Rahman spent her personal time performing medical missions internationally with a variety of international women’s organizations as well as working with at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Switzerland.
Currently, Dr. Rahman is a Clinical Assistant Professor of OB/GYN at the Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine in downtown Chicago. She previously worked at Northshore University Health Systems and was on the faculty at the University of Chicago. She is a member of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and American College of Aesthetic and Cosmetic Physicians and a Fellow of The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
FWM: You were raised ‘in the south’ in North Carolina. Why is helping others so important to you?
Growing up in the south, as a child of immigrants, we found a home in hospitality. Ethnically and religiously, as a Punjabi Muslim, I have always been encouraged to give more than I receive and to appreciate all that we have received. Having visited some of the poorest parts of the south and of the world, I realized that if I could find a skill set or learn to help those in need, it would be an excellent way to contribute to society. So in the environment in which I grew up and the foundations I received from my family and religion, giving and helping those that are less fortunate has always been the basis of what inspires me. Although occasionally helping others can be depleting, for the most part, it induces happiness and a sense of self-worth and there is a science to back this up. When I decided to pursue women’s health as a specialty, I knew this was an untapped and much-needed area globally, and it has always been my goal to help on a large scale. More than anything else, helping others to me has been a calling that I cannot ignore and I hope to continue and leave a legacy for my children to follow also.
FWM: Tell us about the Center for Gynecology and Cosmetics.
I opened the Center for Gynecology and Cosmetics in 2014 after being fatigued from working in harsh, competitive academic settings that put more value on the number of patients that were seen than on the relationships and the quality of work. I was at a point where I no longer enjoyed my work. My husband then encouraged me to start a practice and practice the manner that would bring my fervor for women’s health and medicine back to my life. Although you never learn about starting independent private practices in medical school or training, I had some ideas that I eventually, through years of trial and error, was able to implement.
Our goal here at the Center for Gynecology and Cosmetics (CGC) is to provide individualized healthcare and aesthetic services to our patients regardless of their phase in life, to not only live their life in the healthiest way possible but also to embrace it with full confidence. As we focus here only on gynecologic and aesthetic services, we will customize your care to achieve your best health and well-being—no matter how you define it. We treat patients throughout all stages of life, from menarche to menopause, and work toward improving their quality of life.
FWM: You are involved with cutting edge approaches to sexual pain and sexual dysfunction. Why are women coming to your center for Gynecology and Cosmetics today?
The manner in which I approach taking care of my patients and my practice, Center for Gynecology and Cosmetics, is unique in that we are considered a boutique practice with one-on-one attention to each patient, and we strive for top quality, evidence-based care and cutting-edge procedures for patients suffering from a variety of conditions that are, many times, difficult to treat. I spend extensive time with my patient in an open, culturally safe environment where I am constantly checking for implicit biases that may also impact the quality of care they receive. Additionally, we offer a multidisciplinary approach ensuring that we care for patients using a bio-psycho-social model and offer many services that may not be offered in other practices. We also work closely with other unique practices in the process.
FMM: Please share your treatments.
We offer treatments for sexual pain and dysfunction, including vaginal Botox and pelvic floor physiotherapy, hormone management, and minor surgical procedures if need be. We offer laser treatments for symptoms around conditions like the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause when traditional hormonal options are not desirable for patients or not feasible. We offer treatments for abnormal pap smears and precancers of the cervix, treatments for heavy and irregular bleeding, and treatments for vulvar skin conditions. We treat pain from clitoral adhesions and pudendal nerve issues. We treat a variety of issues around female sexual dysfunction such as persistent genital arousal disorder or orgasm disorders. We treat all conditions related to menopause and treat pelvic pain. We also offer some aesthetic services, particularly for patients who have labia that seem to bother their everyday life or sexual function, such as labiaplasties.
FWM: You also specialize in a multidisciplinary approach to chronic pelvic pain. Tell us about your unique approach.
We believe that pelvic pain can be multifactorial so often will ensure treatment of the pelvic floor muscles, treatment of the root cause of the pelvic pain whether it is endometriosis or other conditions, and since we share our office with interventional pain specialists through the Metropolitan Institute of Pain, we offer services such as nerve blocks or blocks to the nerves originating in the spine that feed the pelvis that may be contributing with the pain. We also work with other doctors and psychiatrists to ensure treatment of the mental health issues that evolve from chronic pelvic pain and work with therapists, both traditional and sexual therapy. Additionally, we work with local acupuncturists when traditional approaches are not acceptable or desired, such as through Harmony Health.
FWM: You have taken time to explore areas of aesthetic medicine with the American Board of Aesthetic Medicine, including anti-aging and laser technology. What are some of the procedures your offices are offering?
We offer some facial Botox, particularly the classic areas. Additionally, we have the ability to offer PRP micro needling, BBL facials, and some laser skin resurfacing. We are looking into more technologies for our new office space for next year, possibly for pelvic floor, body contouring, female incontinence as well sexual dysfunction.
