About Dr. Martina Ziegenbein, MD
Hello and welcome!
I’m Dr. Martina Ziegenbein, a Mom, rheumatologist and fibromyalgia coach. I look forward to meeting you, hearing your story and guiding you on your journey with less pain!
My medical career began when I was 17 years old. My 35-year-old uncle was diagnosed with kidney cancer and died soon after, not before enduring this painful, life-altering (and eventually life-taking) cancer journey. I decided to study medicine because I believed that, equipped with medical knowledge, I could return the health back to each person with an illness (I realized soon after starting my medical studies that it did not quite work that way).
I completed my medical degree at P.J. Safarik University in Kosice, Slovakia, in June 2000. I was fortunate to be exposed to a U.S. model of internal medicine residency training during my medical school and was accepted to pursue my own residency training in internal medicine at St. Joseph's Hospital’s Marshfield Clinic in Wisconsin in 2001. It was only a few days after my arrival to the United States in the summer of 2001 that I sat in on our first core lecture - it happened to be a Rheumatology topic - and I decided right then and there that that’s the field of Medicine I wanted to pursue.
I completed my Rheumatology fellowship at Boston University Medical Center in Boston, MA, in 2006. My desire to pursue a research career led me to Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, where I studied systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). I learned a great deal as a lupus fellow, and it solidified my decision to become a clinical, practicing, hands-on Rheumatologist rather than an academic researcher. I was successfully certified in Rheumatology in 2006 and recertified in 2016.
I have practiced clinical Rheumatology, mostly in Wisconsin, since 2007. My desire to be near the ocean led to my move to Cape Cod in March 2021. I absolutely love living and working on the Cape (and hope never to leave).
Having several chronic conditions myself, I have always been drawn to chronic pain. I am a dedicated clinical Rheumatologist practicing high-quality, evidence-based rheumatology care and medicine.
Some of the biggest gifts I bring to patient care are my ability to listen to each patient’s story, spend the time, make sound clinical judgements regarding diagnosis and treatments and give hope to my patients in pain.
I am committed to providing the highest standard of care, and I regularly attend conferences and read appropriate, up-to-date literature on various topics in Rheumatology to stay abreast of the clinical medicine progress.
My philosophy is simple: approach each patient with care, compassion, and a genuine desire to make a difference. I look forward to meeting you and supporting your journey to better health.