New York, NY | Biography | Lee Ann M. Klausner, MD, FACS

People ask me all the time about when did you know that you wanted to become a doctor? I was a compassionate child and I was the child that helped other children when they were hurt, and I really loved taking care of people. So curiosity for the sciences was something that I realized, and I loved that medicine enabled me to pursue intellectual curiosities in the sciences, and also to have a great opportunity to help people. I went to medical school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and did my residency in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery at NYU, and a fellowship in facial plastic surgery with Dr. Russel Kridel. I didn’t know any women surgeons, so that was also a process that I really came to discover as I experienced medical school. I realized that I really thought in a systematic way, the way that surgeons think. And I love that there were problems, and we had very definite solutions, and I love the intensity of surgery. It was such a suitable choice for me because I had this creative background also, and this is the one area where you cannot only employ your, you know, knowledge of the sciences, but also use your creativity to make a big impact.

I have two board certifications, one is in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, and the other is in otolaryngology, which is head and neck surgery. And what board certification means is that I have met very rigorous standards set by the American Board of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery and also set by the American Board of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. I demonstrate that I have a broader knowledge of all types of conditions and surgical experience involving the head and neck. It’s such a great advantage for me as a practicing surgeon to be able to treat the whole patient and treat in a comprehensive way. Meeting those high standards is a great way in order to ensure high quality results for my patients.