Maura Livengood McKinney, MD

Residency: Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Medical School: McGovern Medical School

“I am originally from Lockhart, a small town south of Austin, known as the Barbecue Capital of Texas. I pursued a liberal arts education at Rhodes College where I studied chemistry and art history. I returned to Texas for medical school at UT Houston. Initially, I considered a career in surgery, but quickly realized anesthesia was a better choice. I moved to Nashville to train at Vanderbilt. I was enthralled by my pediatric anesthesia experience and decided to apply for the fellowship ten days into my first rotation. When evaluating fellowship programs, I sought a program that not only offered excellent clinical training but one that would allow time to be academically productive. I also wanted a program that would encourage camaraderie with my co-fellows, but not let me get lost in a crowd. When I interviewed at Washington University in St. Louis, it just felt right. The faculty and staff were incredibly welcoming. I was particularly impressed with the fellowship research weekend in the spring that allows fellows to start thinking about their academic projects prior to fellowship. Now that I have started fellowship, I am thrilled with my decision to train at Washington University in St. Louis/St. Louis Children’s Hospital. I feel confident that upon completion of my fellowship I will be a competent pediatric anesthesiologist. I am passionate about resident education and mentoring trainees. My clinical interests include fetal anesthesia, acute pediatric pain management, and liver transplantation. My husband and I are enjoying our time in St. Louis. There are so many different things to do within a 15 minute drive of our condo. We are quite fond of craft beer and frequent the Schlafly Brewery regularly.”