Nazia Rizvi, M.D.

Internal Medicine

Whenever she gets some extended time off, Nazia Rizvi, M.D., likes to get away from it all—literally. Travel is her passion, and Dr. Rizvi, 46, an internist with Saint Peter’s University Hospital, has been all over the world with her husband, Waheeb Rizvi, 49, a banker, and their daughters Faryal, 19, and Sidra, 18. Now living in East Brunswick, she grew up in Karachi, Pakistan, and attended Dow Medical College in Karachi. She came to the United States in 1996 for her residencies at Saint Vincent’s Catholic Medical Center, on Staten Island, and at Trinitas Regional Medical Center, in Elizabeth.

Why did you become a doctor?

Throughout my childhood, I always thought it was the only thing I could do. There were no doctors in my family at all, but I had this ambition that I would do it. I had always seen bad diseases in Pakistan, and I thought I would do something about that, so I become a doctor. I was most interested in preventive and primary care.

What do you like best about your career?

I like when my patients get better—that is the best feeling. Being a doctor is always very rewarding in that way.

What interests you about travel?

I like to explore different cultures, their history, the architecture. I love to go to different places and get the feel of those countries. I especially love Turkey; it has so much history and culture. Italy also stands out. Rome, Florence, Venice—I love the old cities, the cobblestone streets, the nightlife. I have also been to England, France, Greece, Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. And I go back to Pakistan every two years for a few weeks to visit my parents.

What is your next big trip?

Morocco and Spain. They are beautiful countries with a lot of history. I am just starting to work on it—maybe we will go next year.