McDonald Named Director of American Surgery Board

St. Luke’s General Surgeon Marian P. McDonald, MD, MEd, FACS, has been named Director of the General Surgery Board of the American Board of Surgery.

Dr. McDonald said she is honored to join the Board and to participate in helping to shape the future of general surgery and ensure public trust. “I do this as a sense of commitment and service in order to further the professionalism of our chosen work,” she said. “Being a surgeon is a calling. It is a difficult life but well worth it in terms of being able to help our community and to bring wholeness and healing to those we serve.”

Dr. McDonald has volunteered for more than 20 years and held various positions with the American Board of Surgery, including as a board examiner, a test question reviewer, and in standard setting. Having a Master’s in Education for Health Professions from Johns Hopkins University School of Education and a genuine interest in surgical education help make her a valuable contributor to the Board, she said.

Dr. McDonald’s practice in Allentown is dedicated to the surgical treatment of a variety of common diseases – bowel disease, hernias of the abdominal wall and groin, gallbladder surgery, thyroid and parathyroid disease, reflux surgery, and malignant and benign breast issues. She has experience in minimally invasive and robotic surgery. Dr. McDonald also performs colonoscopies and upper endoscopies for routine screening and for bowel diseases.

Long-time volunteer, educator

In addition to the American Board of Surgery, Dr. McDonald is an active member of the American College of Surgeons, The Society of Surgical Oncology, and the Society of the American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgery (Minimally Invasive Surgery).

Dr. McDonald is active on several national committees to improve quality of care and global outreach. She has participated in several international medical projects in Africa, Haiti and South America as well as in the Lehigh Valley.

In addition to working as a board-certified surgeon, Dr. McDonald is also a clinical professor (adjunct) at the Temple/St. Luke’s School of Medicine and teaches for the DeSales University physician assistant program and for Johns Hopkins University School of Education. 

Locally, Dr. McDonald serves on the Board of the Bethlehem Emergency Sheltering, a faith-based partnership that provides a network of care and hospitality for the homeless in the community.