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Women of Distinction

orn and raised in Florida,
BDr. Katerina Gallus left
when she was accepted for
college at Duke University in
North Carolina. This was only
the beginning of her education
as she went on to Uniform
Services University in Bethesda
Maryland where she earned her
medical degree. This came as no
surprise to everyone who knew
her as she had wanted to be a
doctor as far back as elementa-
ry school. “Growing up in the
Space Coast area I had been ex-
posed to what potential careers
would look like in the science
fields and I even interned one
summer during high school at
NASA.” Although she enjoyed
the experience this helped Dr.
Gallus realize that she wanted
to go into the area of biological Photos by CeCe Canton
science and being a true people
person, she knew medicine was
her calling.
Dr. Gallus joined ROTC
while at Duke University and
received a scholarship to go Dr. Katerina Gallus
on to medical school. With
this scholarship and training
she was not only trained as a
doctor but as a military officer By Judith A. Habert
as well. When she graduated,
she did two surgical residen-
cies one in general surgery and of us once you add the nurses were, bar none the most grate- rapidly changing. The technol-
one in plastic surgery. She went and the corpsman. We were on ful patients I have ever had. ogy is changing, the techniques
on to serve 12 years as a plastic a small outpost with approxi- Our wounded warriors are are changing. So, it satisfies my
surgeon in the Navy. mately 900 soldiers. We were amazing patients and resilient intellectual curiosity. I have
“I did deploy with the very busy, and we worked real- people.” a natural curiosity for how
Marines in 2000 on a ship. It ly hard together to take care of After retirement from mil- things work and how things
was in a non-wartime envi- our wounded service members itary service Dr. Gallus went could be made better.”
ronment, but as a physician in and transport them to the next on to open her own practice as While working as a sur-
the service you often are faced level of care.” a plastic surgeon. “I was drawn geon in the military Dr. Gallus
with some unusual experiences When I asked Dr. Gallus to surgery in medical school, treated children as well as
just in your day to day experi- about her time in the military because I just liked the physical adults. She was a chair of the
ences of being on a ship with she responded, “It was a great aspect of performing surgery. craniofacial team, performing
900 Marines and Sailors and 4 experience. I would not trade it And the thing I like about plas- cleft palate and cleft lip proce-
other women. I deployed again for anything. I had an oppor- tic surgery is that every patient dures. She enjoys seeing a wide
to Afghanistan in 2010-2011 as tunity to travel extensively and is unique and the challenges range of patients now in her
a surgeon.” from a medical standpoint, I that present. Every surgery current practice.
This was not an easy time had the opportunity to partici- is tailored to the patient. You Dr. Gallus’ practice is
for Dr. Gallus though she was pate in many aspects of surgery can do the same procedure 10 Restore SD Plastic Surgery in
lucky to have a great team to that I would not have other- times, but you modify it for La Jolla/UTC, a very highly
work with. “There were four wise had exposure to. I also each individual patient. I also respected practice. Having a
surgeons and two anesthesia made some lifelong friends appreciate the fact that plastic medical practice can be chal-
providers, a total of about 20 and to be honest those patients surgery as a field is always lenging at times since doctors

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