Katherine Fischer, MD
Locations: Specialty Care & Surgery Center, Bucks County, Specialty Care, Abington, Specialty Care, Exton, Main Building, Buerger Center for Advanced Pediatric Care
About Katherine Fischer, MD
Dr. Katherine Fischer knew she wanted to dedicate her career to medicine long before her formal training. As an undergraduate, she worked as an Emergency Department Technician at Olean General Hospital, an experience that gave her firsthand insight into the fast-paced world of patient care. She also served as a Student Center Manager at SUNY Downstate, demonstrating her leadership skills early on. Now a board-certified pediatric urologist in the Division of Urology here at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), she brings years of specialized expertise and a deep-seated commitment to patient-centered care, education and ethical leadership.
Dr. Fischer’s journey in medicine began with a foundation in both science and human behavior. She earned her Bachelor of Science in biology and psychology from Loyola University Maryland, graduating summa cum laude in 2011. As a Dean’s List honoree, member of the Loyola Honors Program and an inductee into Psi Chi, the National Psychology Honor Society and the Phi Beta Kappa honor society, she displayed both academic excellence and a keen interest in the cognitive and emotional aspects of patient care.
She went on to earn her medical degree from SUNY Downstate College of Medicine in Brooklyn, New York, in 2015. Her outstanding performance earned her the SUNY Chancellor’s Award, one of the highest distinctions for students in the State University of New York system, and induction into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Even in medical school, she took on leadership roles, serving as a Summer Orientation Coordinator and tutoring students preparing for the USMLE Step 1 Exam.
Dr. Fischer moved to Philadelphia to complete a five-year urology residency at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she was recognized for her surgical skill and her deep compassion. She received the Donald C. Liu Humanism Hero in Surgery Award, an honor that reflects her unwavering dedication to patient-centered care. She then completed a two-year fellowship in pediatric urology at CHOP, further honing her expertise in treating complex urologic conditions in children.
Since joining CHOP, Dr. Fischer has distinguished herself as a skilled surgeon and a dedicated educator. She is an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and, as of 2024, has taken on multiple leadership roles in resident education, including serving as the Associate Program Director of the Urology Residency Program at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. She is also the Residency Site Director for CHOP’s collaborations with Einstein Health Center, SUNY Downstate, Main Line Health and the University of Pennsylvania. In these roles, she plays a critical part in shaping the next generation of urologists.
Beyond her clinical and teaching responsibilities, Dr. Fischer is actively involved in medical ethics and professional leadership. She is a member of CHOP’s Hospital Ethics Committee and has been elected Vice President of the Philadelphia Urological Society’s Executive Committee. She is also an active member of the American Urological Association, Society of Pediatric Urology and the Society of Women in Urology, advocating for both scientific advancements and equity in the field.
As a pediatric urologist, Dr. Fischer is known not only for her technical expertise but also for her ability to connect with her patients and their families. She understands that urologic conditions can be deeply personal and sometimes overwhelming, especially for young patients, and she approaches each case with empathy, patience and a commitment to clear communication.
Titles
Pediatric Urologist
Awards and Honors
2020, Donald C. Liu Humanism Hero in Surgery Award, University Pennsylvania Department of Surgery
2015, SUNY Chancellor’s Award
2015, Magna Cum Laude, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
2015, Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, SUNY Downstate College of Medicine
2011, Summa Cum Laude, Loyola University Maryland
2011, Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society, Loyola University Maryland
2009, Psi Chi (National Psychology Honor Society)
2007-2011, Dean’s List, Loyola University Maryland
2007-2011, Loyola Honors Program, Loyola University Maryland
Leadership and Memberships
Memberships in Professional Organizations
2016-present, Society of Women in Urology
2014-present, American Urological Association
Education & training
Medical Degree
MD - SUNY Downstate College of Medicine, Brooklyn, NY
Residency
Urology - Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Fellowship
Pediatric Urology - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
Additional Training
Urology Care Foundation Research Scholar
Publications
Publications
2022
Eftekharzadeh S, Mittal S, Aghababian A, Weaver J, Fischer K, Long C, Weiss D, Van Batavia J, Srinivasan A, Shukla A. (2022) Incidence and resolution of de novo hydronephrosisafter pediatric robot-assisted laparoscopic extravesical ureteral reimplantation for primary vesicoureteral reflux. Accepted to Journal of Pediatric Urology.
Aghababian A, Mittal S, Eftekharzadeh S, Hamdan D, Weaver J, Godlewski K, Fischer K, Long C, Weiss D, Van Batavia J, Zaontz M, Zderic S, Kolon T, Canning D, Shukla A, Srinivasan A. (2022) Office based pediatric urologic procedures: A safe and effective alternative to interventions under anesthesia. Urology Apr. 21; 10.1016.
Mittal S, Aghababian A, Eftekharzadeh S, Saxena S, Janssen K, Lombardo A, Adamic B, Dinardo L, Weaver J, Fischer K, Andolfi C, Long C, Weiss D, Kirsch A, Srinivasan A, Gundeti M, Shukla A. (2022) Robot-assisted laparoscopic ureterocalicostomy in the setting of ureteropelvic junction obstruction: A multi-institutional cohort. The Journal of Urology. Jun 1:10-97.
Fischer KM, Zaontz MR, Mittal S. (2022) Pediatric inguinal hernia repair and orchiopexy. Urology Video Journal. Jun 1;14:100151.
2021
Mittal S, Srinivasan A, Bowen D, Fischer KM, Shah J, Weiss DA, Long CJ, Shukla AR. (2021) Utilization of robot-assisted surgery for the treatment of primary obstructed megaureters in children. Urology. Mar 1;149:216-21.
Ramji J, Eftekharzadeh S, Fischer KM, Joshi RS, Reddy PP, Pippi-Salle JL, Frazier JR, Weiss DA, Canning DA, Shukla AR. (2021) Variant of bladder Exstrophy with an intact penis: surgical options and approach. Urology. Mar 1;149:e15-7.
Fischer KM, Mittal S, Long CJ, Duffy KA, Kalish JM, Evageliou NF, Kolon TF. (2021) Late presentation of Wilms tumor in a patient with hemihypertrophy after normal screening. Urology. Feb 11.
2020
Fischer KM, Mittal, S, Joshi R, Ramji J, Reddy P, Shukla A, Canning D. (2020). Bladder exstrophy with normal appearing phallus and duplicated urethra: variants in EEC. Dialogues in Pediatric Urology December 2020.
Fischer KM, Kraft KH, Kolon TF. (2020) Undescended testis in the postpubertal patient. AUA Updates. August Lesson 24.
Fischer KM, Bowen DK, Kovell RC, Canning DA, Weiss DA. (2020) Follow-up and outcomes of patients with long-term cutaneous vesicostomies at a single institution. Urology. Oct 1;144:255-60.
Yin S, Peng Q, Li, H, Zhang Z, You X, Fischer KM, Furth SL, Fan Y, Tasian GE (2020). Multi-instance deep learning of ultrasound imaging data for pattern classification of congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract in children. Urology. Aug 142: 183-189.
Yin S, Peng Q, Li, H, Zhang Z, You X, Fischer KM, Furth SL, Tasian GE, Fan Y (2020). Automatic kidney segmentation in ultrasound images using subsequent boundary distance regression and pixelwise classification networks. Medical image analysis. Medical Image Analysis. 1:60: 101602.
Fischer KM, Bowen DK, Kovell RC, Back SJ, Darge K, Weiss DA (2020). Intraoperative contrast enhanced sonourethrography to characterize urethral stricture in a pediatric patient. Urology Case Reports. Oct 11840: 146-154.
Yin S, Peng Q, Li H, Zhang Z, You X, Fischer K, Furth SL, Tasian GE, Fan Y. (2020) Computer-aided diagnosis of congenital abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tract in children using a multi-instance deep learning method based on ultrasound imaging data. Proc IEEE Int Symp Biomed Imaging. Apr:1347-1350.
2019
Yin S, Peng Q, Li H, Zhang Z, You X, Liu H, Fischer KM, Furth SL, Tasian GE, Fan Y (2019). Multi-instance deep learning with graph convolutional neural networks for diagnosis of kidney diseases using ultrasound imaging. Uncertain Safe Util Machine Learn Med Imaging Clin Image Based Proced. 1:60: 101602.
2018
Fischer, KM, S J Brooks J, Ugras SK (2018). Invasive lobular carcinoma involving a borderline phyllodes tumor. Breast Journal. 24 (6): 1076-1077.
Fischer KM, Louie M, Mucksavage P (2018). Ureteral stent discomfort and its management. Current Urology Reports. 19(8):64.
2016
Fischer KM, Chunming L, Wang H, Song Y, Furth, S, Tasian GE (2016). Renal parenchymal area growth curves for children aged 0 to 10 months. Journal of Urology. 195 (4 Pt2): 1203-8.
Chouhan JD, Fischer KM, Weiss JP (2016). Current urology resident views on desirable characteristics for first time employment. Urology Practice. 3(5).
2015
Fischer KM, Xu M, Weiss JP (2015). Nocturnal Polyuria: What we need to know in 2015. Current Bladder Dysfunction Reports. 10.3: 271-277.