Dr. Katherine Kao Appointed Assistant Residency Program Director
Facial plastic and reconstructive surgeon W. Katherine Kao, MD, has been appointed assistant residency program director in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. Dr. Kao, an assistant professor in the department, has a strong interest in residency education.
In her new role, she will support residency program director William C. Yao, MD, an associate professor and director of the program, who also serves as co-director of the UTHealth Houston Rhinology and Skull Base Fellowship. Dr. Kao heads the Clinical Competency Committee to ensure that residents in training are well prepared to deliver safe, high-quality medical care. She also reviews the applications of prospective residents and helps conduct interviews. The department has 15 residents who train in a five-year program.
“Our goal is to ensure a well-rounded residency training program that offers a positive, rich learning experience with high resident satisfaction,” she says. “We also want our trainees to be outstanding otolaryngologists who go on to serve patients well in communities across the United States.”
Dr. Kao received her medical degree at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York, and completed residency training at Washington University in St. Louis. Following residency, Dr. Kao completed fellowship training in facial plastic and reconstructive surgery at the University of Miami, where she received specialized training in rhinoplasty, skin cancer reconstruction, rejuvenation of the aging face, and hair transplantation.
Her clinical interests include hair restoration and transplant; facial trauma; facial rejuvenation, including Botox®, injectable fillers, brow lift, facelift, neck lift, and blepharoplasty; rhinoplasty; and reconstructive surgery of skin cancer defects.