Women urologists are some of my favorite people.
All medical specialties have stereotypes. Some true and some ridiculous (and most a little bit of both). But I believe that most women urologists have a good sense of humor and don’t take themselves too seriously. We are penis doctors after all.
The first woman to become a board-certified urologist was Elisabeth Pickett in 1962 . We are now an elite group which is thankfully growing. Though fewer than 10% of practicing urologists are women, women make up 25% of current urology trainees. Which I like to think is a good start—after all, you are 4% less likely to die if a woman performs your surgery.
When I was a urologist in training, I was lucky to have a small number of incredible women to learn from.
One was my friend Dr. Katherine Klos.
Dr. Klos was a young mom of small kids and worked as a urologist in the Kaiser system when I was in residency. She taught me how to operate and manage sick patients in the hospital—and how to navigate the health care system as a woman. Watching her juggle it all with humor, grace, and an unapologetic dedication to being both an amazing doctor and mother did so much for my career.
Dr. Klos and I have shared patients and been close friends for years. Like me, she loves spending time with patients to get to know them, and she has never shied away from a complex story. She has always been focused on sexual medicine, complex pelvic pain, bladder pain and interstitial cystitis, and hormone management for people of all genders.
Over the years Dr. Klos has grown increasingly frustrated by not being able to spend more time with people. Seeing 25 complex patients or more a day is not sustainable for anybody’s quality of life—physicians or patients. Doctors are leaving medicine at an alarming rate, and burnout is high. Surveys frequently show urologists having one of the highest burnout rate among all specialists.
I built my practice because I believe that complex sexual health conditions cannot be solved in 10-minute doctor visits. Sexual medicine is often ignored in the doctor’s office, and it isn’t valued by insurance companies. But quality of life is vital and needs to be addressed.
It didn’t take much convincing to get Dr. Klos to come join me in practice. She will now get to see the patients who need her the most, not have constraints on her time with them, and still be able to pick up her adorable kids after school.
Please welcome Dr. Klos to our growing team!
Dr. Katherine Klos is a board-certified urologist who has developed a practice focusing on pelvic floor dysfunction. Dr. Klos received her Bachelor of Science in Anthropology from the University of Notre Dame and her medical degree from the University of Alabama. She completed her urology training at George Washington University in Washington, DC. Dr. Klos takes a compassionate, comprehensive and integrative approach to her patients in order to achieve the best outcomes. She values taking time to establish a trusting and lasting doctor-patient relationship. In her free time, you can find Dr. Klos spending time outdoors with her three children.