Kathleen McDonald, DO, MA

My name is Kathleen McDonald and I joined the Department of Anesthesiology in 2023 as an assistant professor in the Division of Multispecialty Anesthesiology. I earned my medical degree from Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Erie, PA, and hold an M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College in Newport, RI. I completed my anesthesiology residency at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, where I was the chief resident, and also completed my cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellowship at the same institution.

I was encouraged to attend medical school by my mentor, who was an anesthesiologist. During the late 1990s, there was a shortage of anesthesiologists in the Navy. I completed my anesthesiology residency as a way of honoring my mentor and supporting Navy Medicine.

I have also recently completed a fellowship in hospice and palliative care medicine at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine in Boca Raton, FL. I am an expert at conflict resolution, guiding patients and families through difficult end-of-life issues, and explaining disease processes and prognoses that a team of primary care providers may not have the time to do. Furthermore, and most importantly, I enjoy being a patient and family advocate.

In my free time, I enjoy reading, going to libraries and used bookstores, collecting books, adult paint by numbers and coloring, hiking, camping, and being in nature.

• Anesthesiology

  American Board of Anesthesiology