Kathryn Ko

ʻOihana: Neurosurgeon
I ke kula hea ʻoe i puka ai? 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)
Wahi: 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 ʻEwa Beach Elementary, Wilson Elementary, Niu Valley Intermediate a Kula Kiekie o Kalani. Her artwork can be found on Instagram @doc_ambidexter.

Q: He aha kāu hana i kēia mau lā?
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: No ke aha ʻoe i koho ai i kēia ala ʻoihana a he aha kāu e hauʻoli nui ai e pili ana i ia mea?
A: I became very interested in the human brain during medical school and dedicated my career to studying it and caring for patients. 

Q: He aha ka mea e hoʻohanohano ai iā ʻoe?
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: Ke kumuhana punahele ma ke kula?
A: Kepania

Q: Favorite school lunch or breakfast?
A: I skipped lunch.

Q: He aha ke ʻano o nā hana extracurricular āu i komo ai?
A: Track & field

Q: Inoa o ke kumu a i ʻole ka mea aʻoaʻo āu e makemake ai e mahalo?
A: Mrs. Butterfield who taught Spanish. Little did I know I would use it daily at Harlem Hospital Center!

Q: He aha kāu ʻōlelo aʻoaʻo no nā haumāna?
A: Take as many different classes as you are able. You never know when that subject will be important to your future.