Doctor Spotlight: Megan Mackenzie, DO

Being a doctor has some strong similarities to being a coach. You need to think on your feet, tailor your instruction to the individual person and be supportive and trustworthy.

This is why Dr. Megan Mackenzie fit right into the medical world.

“I coached a swim team with 300 kids on it and I had to change my instruction depending on the group because many of them learn differently. I bring that same mindset to my patients; I develop individual care plans because they are not all the same,” she said.

A Michigan native, Dr. Mackenzie first thought Physical Therapy might be the career path for her. She worked at a PT clinic with her mother when she was young. But becoming a physician soon became the new goal.

She went to Michigan State University for her undergraduate degree and continued on at MSU obtaining her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine Degree.

Dr. Mackenzie thought about allergy and immunology as a medical path but quickly realized she was cut out for neurology.

“Neurology made sense to me. I’m a crossword type of person. Only certain pieces can fit,” said Dr. Mackenzie.

Fast forward to her third year in medical school when she rotated with a doctor who went to residency with Dr. Kenneth Pugar, founder of DCND. After that, the pieces started to fall into place.

Her fiancé, Geordie got a job in Dayton, Ohio. The same place that Dr. Pugar practiced, so she applied for residency at Grandview Medical Center.

“We like the size of Dayton and the quality of life here. I grew up in Detroit and if I were still there my area of reach would be only a couple square miles. Here we are helping an entire region of patients.” she said.

Dr. Mackenzie covers everything from hospital neurology to Parkinson’s, but her biggest area of interest is treating migraine.

“You see people who literally can’t take care of their kids or go to work. I didn’t get into medicine to cure things but that is the one area where we can truly change someone’s life.”

A lot of her Botulinum Toxin patients are regular visitors to the office, and she loves the connection she has with them.

“I’ve been seeing some of my BOTOX patients every 3 months since I started eight years ago, so I know them. I know what their kids are doing, I know when their dog died. You build a relationship with these people and that’s why I like neurology.”

Dr. Mackenzie and her husband have two children: a girl and a boy. Nowadays, they are her world.

“I’ve always been a goal person…get into med school, get into residency, get a job, excel at the job…but once I did all that I said, what’s my next goal? I didn’t know how to function in that space. But then I had a conversation with a friend that shifted my perspective. My kids and helping grow their passions and dreams is my new goal.”

Dr. Mackenzie primarily sees patients out of the Centerville office.