Laura McDowell, MD
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About - Specialties: Mother / Baby Care Obstetrics / Gynecology
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Board Certified:
- Obstetrics / Gynecology
- Gender: Female
- Languages: English
Biography What I Do
My goal is to provide the best care for women at every stage of life using evidence-based medicine. Listening to women describe their concerns and collaborating to find feasible solutions is incredibly satisfying. I want my patients to feel empowered by the choices they make and confident in their care.
I have always been drawn to rural medicine and the meaningful relationships that can be developed in this setting. Caring for women throughout pregnancy and during gynecologic care has been especially fulfilling. I enjoy prenatal care visits, labor and delivery, gynecologic consultations for various concerns, and performing surgical procedures when necessary.
Why I Love My Work
The most enjoyable aspect of my job is getting to know my patients as people and caring for them as such. Building strong patient-physician relationships is incredibly fulfilling and has been a key driver in making the practice of medicine worthwhile for me.
My motivation for entering medicine was two-fold: a desire to provide excellent care for people and a fascination with the complexities of the human body. My path to choosing Ob/Gyn was more convoluted and truly solidified during my Ob/Gyn rotation in medical school. The variety and depth of care that Ob/Gyn offers drew me to the specialty. Caring for women at various stages of life, through different challenges and milestones, has always kept me motivated and passionate about this field. The variety within a single day—from clinic visits to labor and delivery to the operating room—keeps me sharp and engaged. This diversity is truly the spice of this specialty, and I enjoy it immensely.
Getting to Know Me
I enjoy staying active in my personal life through biking, hiking, swimming, and trail walking. My current passion is exploring various National Parks across the US, with recent highlights including Isle Royale, Acadia, and Carlsbad Caverns. I hope to visit all 63 National Parks someday. A unique fact about me is that I have hiked to the summit of Mount Fuji in Japan.
Education -
College
Physiology, B.A., University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN
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Medical School
Medical Doctorate, University of Minnesota Medical School, Duluth & Minneapolis, MN
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Residency
Obstetrics and Gynecology Residency, Rural Track, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, WI
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Professional Memberships - American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology
- National Rural Health Association