Kara Bockius

Kara began her career in healthcare at Retina Specialists after moving from central Illinois to Missouri following college. There, she worked as a certified ophthalmic scribe and research coordinator. During that time, she discovered her passion for working with medical trainees—particularly retina fellows—which led her to join WashU Medicine in February 2020, just before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kara now serves as the Fellowship Coordinator for Anesthesiology Critical Care, with her role also extending into Surgery Critical Care—and she proudly claims those six surgery fellows as her own.

She finds her work deeply rewarding and often says she’s making an impact by helping to train the next generation of ICU physicians. Known affectionately as the “mom” of the ACCM and SCC fellows, Kara is recognized for her kindness, encouragement, and practical wisdom. As she likes to say, “Everyone needs someone rooting for them, no matter how old they are.”

Outside of work, Kara stays busy with her two sons, ages 10 and 8, who are active in multiple sports—especially wrestling, where both have earned state medals at a young age. At home, her family also fosters pets in need, and they currently care for a foster cat through The Cat Network STL. Kara encourages anyone looking for a furry companion to consider adopting through the organization.