People Profiles: Dr. Maggie Arnold

Maggie Arnold, MD (Vascular Surgery) has always been fascinated by anatomy. That’s what first interested her in medicine.

“I was drawn to the scientific inquiry part of medicine. Humans are amazing creatures, and I wanted to understand more about how our bodies worked,” she said.

Dr. Arnold is double board-certified in General Surgery and Vascular Surgery, but she did not always want to be a surgeon. Once she stepped into the operating room, however, she knew she loved surgery. “I loved the immediacy of it. I loved being able to fix things. Just being in the operating room was amazing,” Dr. Arnold said.

She was drawn to Vascular Surgery due to the fantastic surgeons she trained under, the interesting caseload, and the great patient population she treated.

As the Program Director for the General Surgery residency program in Baltimore, Dr. Arnold is now filling that mentor and educator role for MedStar Health residents.

“I have such a great job because I get to watch my residents start as interns and then go through an amazing transformation over the next five years as they become surgeons,” she said. “I love being able to work with people, troubleshoot problems, and help them grow as physicians.”

The current generation of physicians-in-training are mission-driven to help people, giving Dr. Arnold incredible hope for the future of medicine. “I see a profound sense of altruism in up-and-coming physicians,” she explained.

In addition to serving as a Program Director, Dr. Arnold is one of three inaugural GME Leadership Fellows. She is working with the GME Executive Team to further improve the training and educational experience at MedStar Health. But her voice is just one of many – and the collaborative nature of MedStar Health GME allows our program to leverage the diverse expertise of our faculty to better serve our residents and fellows.

“You have this great network at MedStar Health and wealth of knowledge with people coming together to solve problems that affect all GME. You also get the benefit of different perspectives. I may have a very surgery-centered perspective, but that may not always be the best solution to the problem,” Dr. Arnold explained. “It allows you to hear other opinions, voices, and perspectives and helps us be stronger, together.”

When Dr. Arnold is not in the operating room or working with her residents, she’s training for her next marathon or spending time with her husband, two kids, and pet Lab, Sunny.