From a very young age Katharine Schulz-Costello, D.O., knew she wanted to be a surgeon, just like her father. Then, when she was 15 her mother was diagnosed with breast cancer. “These events together created a lifelong passion and drive to pursue a career in helping women affected by breast cancer,” she says.  A Southern California native, Dr. Schulz-Costello earned her degree at Western University of Health Sciences: College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific in Pomona, followed by a rigorous five-year general surgery residency at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton where she served as administrative chief resident.  But it was her comprehensive breast cancer surgery fellowship at City of Hope that sealed the deal. “My time at City of Hope was the best year of my entire career.”  She joined faculty at City of Hope following her fellowship in 2018.  Dr. Schulz-Costello is especially interested in helping high-risk patients, such as those with the BRCA1, BRCA2 and other genetic mutations. She performs a wide range of breast cancer procedures, including breast-conserving surgery and mastectomies (simple, skin-sparing and nipple-sparing).