The Good Doctor
by Bernie Fratto
November 2003
 

Say hello to Dr. Siddharth S. Sanghvi… Dr. Mav, or “The Good Doctor” as he is affectionately referred to, is one of the most engaging people you’ll ever meet. He is clearly imbued with a spirit that is passionate toward the human condition, and with a faith in people and their ability to overcome. His humaneness may only be exceeded by his intellect, but then again how many people have you met that attended the same high school as Mahatma Gandhi? Yes, that Mahatma Gandhi.  “But that’s where the similarity ends!” Dr. Mav chuckled.

Dr. Sanghvi hailed originally from Rajkot, India and arrived in the United States in 1973 and in Novi, Michigan in 1975. An orthopedic surgeon by trade, Dr. Mav enjoyed a wonderful career in the world of medicine before retiring in 1992. He had the distinction however, of being the first medical doctor to practice in, and retire in Novi.

Dr. Mav earned his medical degree in 1956, and practiced medicine in India and the United Kingdom before coming to the US and obtaining his citizenship. An educated man, he is a fellow of the Royal College of England, and in addition, received specialty training in orthopedic surgery from the Oxford Group of Hospitals.

But as he told his wife as he was hanging up his stethoscope, “I want to stay involved, the story of my life is being involved.” Being involved is nothing new for the Good Doctor. He has long been active in the City and community of Novi, most notably as a member of the Rotary Club since 1977. In fact he is a past President of the Rotary Club.

But over the years he’s stayed busy while serving as a member of the Novi Zoning Board of Appeals since 1998, and he’s also served on the Board of Directors for the Novi Chamber of Commerce. He has also served with distinction on the Novi Community School’s Excellence in Education committee, and in his application for City Council he listed such luminaries as Mayor Richard Clark, and State Senator Nancy Cassis as personal references.

It is with great honor that Dr. Sanghvi has served on the City Council since January. When Craig DeRoche was elected as State Representative, a seat was vacated and The Good Doctor moved right in. On January 13^th, he was unanimously selected by the Novi City Council to fill the seat vacated by DeRoche.  “Call it destiny, or sheer luck, call it what you will,” he stated.  He and Representative DeRoche had worked together prior on a project called vision 20/20, which is an endeavor that attempts to create the Novi we’d like to see in the year 2020.

“I don’t know what Novi will look like in 20 years,” Dr. Mav candidly stated, “but I know for sure it will depend on what the Mayor and the City Council do in the next 2-3 years.” To get to where they want to be, it will take “vision, foresight and guts”

Although The Good Doctor looks to continue his service with the City Council he has indicated he has no political agenda, but rather operates from the platform of truth, integrity, honesty, and “service above self.” And while Dr. Sanghvi agrees that Novi faces challenges, such as offering roads that will keep up with the City’s growth, he also believes that Novi’s problems are minor, and can be dealt with through vigilance and communication with respect.

A wonderful family man, Dr. Mav has been married 45 years and raised 4 children; 3 boys and a girl to be exact. All are successful in their own right having been educated at such fine institutions as Stanford University, the Wharton School of Business, and Harvard Medical School. This in itself is quite a tribute to The Good Doctor, and a tribute to his leadership and guidance.

To know Dr. Siddharth S. Sangvhi is to know a leader. “Leaders inspire people to do great things,” he said. “And I’m a people person!” And while we live in a society that is driven by numbers and numerical measurement, Dr. Mav firmly believes, “if you take care of the people, the numbers will be OK!”

Dr. Mav’s worldly experiences bring a unique perspective and a fresh outlook to everything he touches. His belief in the goodness of humanity and the faith that we can overcome is evident in his attitude and in his actions.

The great Mahatma Gandhi once said, “You must not lose faith in humanity, humanity is like the ocean.” “Just because a few drops are dirty, does not mean the entire ocean has become dirty.”

Sounds like something Dr. Siddharth S. Sanghvi would say…

Then again he and the Good Doctor did go to the same high school.