Kathryn Ko
Cargo: Neurosurgeon
¿En qué escuela terminaste tus estudios? Kalani High School ‘73
College: University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Academy of Art University
Medical School: University of Hawai’i at Mānoa John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM)
Localización: New York City
Dr. Kathryn Ko believes that art and medicine go hand in hand—both hands, in her case. An artist and neurosurgeon, she spent more than 30 years performing emergency surgeries in hospitals in NYC. After earning a zoology degree from University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, she attended the John A. Burns School of Medicine, where she taught herself to be ambidextrous and is able to operate, paint and draw with either hand. In 1983, after completing her residency at Mount Sinai Medical Center in NYC, she became JABSOM’s first female neurosurgeon.
Midway through her career, while serving as chief of neurosurgery at a Level I trauma center in the Bronx, Ko realized something was missing. On a whim, she signed up for a few beginner painting classes at a local YMCA—and discovered a whole new passion. That spark eventually led her to earn a master’s degree in representational painting, with a focus on medical art, from the Academy of Art University in 2012.
Her two worlds have continued to overlap ever since. In 2015, she became the inaugural Artist in Residence for the American Medical Women’s Association and now serves as Artist in Residence at the Living Museum. In March 2024, she donated the Ko Iki Museum to JABSOM, a small outdoor gallery on campus that features new exhibits every six weeks from different artists. She also sponsors JABSOM’s annual holiday card design contest.
Ko attended Escuela primaria de Ewa Beach, Wilson Elementary, Niu Valley Intermediate y Escuela secundaria Kalani. Her artwork can be found on Instagram @doc_ambidexter.
Q: ¿Qué estás haciendo últimamente?
A: I’m currently working as a neurosurgery consultant for the New York Police Department and the City of New York. I’m also participating in art exhibits around the New York area.
Q: ¿Por qué eligió usted este camino profesional y qué le gusta más de él?
A: I became very interested in the human brain during medical school and dedicated my career to studying it and caring for patients.
Q: ¿Qué hace que seas orgulloso de #PublicSchool?
A: I am a proud product of the public school system. My educational background has given me the confidence to persevere in a challenging career.
Q: ¿Cuál es tu asignatura favorita en la escuela?
A: Español
Q: Favorite school lunch or breakfast?
A: I skipped lunch.
Q: ¿En qué tipo de actividades extraescolares participaste?
A: Track & field
Q: ¿Cuál es el nombre de un profesor o mentor a quien le gustaría agradecer?
A: Mrs. Butterfield who taught Spanish. Little did I know I would use it daily at Harlem Hospital Center!
Q: ¿Qué consejo tienes para los estudiantes?
A: Take as many different classes as you are able. You never know when that subject will be important to your future.
