She always loved going beyond the lecture, applying her knowledge in experiential situations outside the classroom. Then, her life became a lesson in itself. 

Meet Katelyn McNamara, PT, DPT. A native of Lexington, McNamara is a Pediatric Physical Therapist at Norton Children’s Hospital in Louisville. 

A 2016 graduate from the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, she also earned her undergraduate degree at UK in 2013 — a dual Honors degree in Topical Studies in Neuroscience and Spanish.

But in fall 2021 she became a patient. McNamara and her husband, Jonathan, were preparing to move to Germany for jobs. But McNamara had not been feeling well. The diagnosis was a rare form of cancer — primary mediastinal large b-cell lymphoma (PMBCL). This type of lymphoma is rare and generally affects young women under the age of 35.

Yet even when she was battling cancer, she still made a difference in the lives of CHS students, allowing them to learn and see exactly what she went through.

Welcome to another episode of The Way Podcast, the official podcast of the College of Health Sciences, where we highlight the amazing people that make our college special. Here at UK, the College of Health Sciences is your Gateway to the Health Professions.

In this episode, let’s go beyond the lecture with the latest CHS Young Alumni Award winner, Katelyn McNamara … only on The Way Podcast.