Katherine Schlaerth, M.D.

Dr. Katherine Schlaerth is originally from a small island off New York and was inspired to pursue medicine after caring for her brother with severe cerebral palsy throughout her childhood and teenage years. She earned a full academic scholarship to the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. She later completed an INCAP fellowship in Guatemala, where she studied neonatal colonization with gastrointestinal flora. She went on to complete her residency at Los Angeles Children’s Hospital and an infectious disease fellowship at LAC-USC Medical Center. She is board-certified in pediatric infectious diseases, family medicine, and geriatrics.

Over her career, Dr. Schlaerth has balanced clinical practice with a deep commitment to teaching. She teaches at the Rio Bravo Family Medicine Residency program, which is affiliated with UCLA, located in Bakersfield. Additionally, she has taught at the Pomona Valley Hospital Medical Center residency program. She has also taught physician assistants at Loma Linda University’s School of Allied Health and graduate courses at the USC Davis School of Gerontology. She is an active member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society.

In addition to her clinical and academic work, Dr. Schlaerth is an accomplished author. Her first book, Raising a Large Family (Collier, 1991), was based on her research at USC, and her second, The Ways Our Bodies Age (Archways Publishing, 2025), explores the science of aging. She has also written editorials and contributed articles to a variety of newspapers and magazines, such as the Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Enquirer, and San Francisco Chronicle. Her career highlights even include appearances on Oprah and Good Morning America.

At Clinica Sierra Vista, Dr. Schlaerth’s favorite role is teaching residents, mentoring them to pursue fellowship training, and encouraging them to return to Bakersfield to serve the community. She is currently preparing to launch a pediatric infectious disease clinic at CSV within the next two months.

Throughout her career, she has been recognized with numerous “Teacher of the Year” awards from institutions including USC, Natividad Medical Center, and Loma Linda University, honoring her excellence in medical education.

Fun facts: Dr. Schlaerth worked as a waitress during medical school to cover room and board, and she is the proud parent of a large family.

Check out Dr. Schlaerth’s recent appearance on the Rio Bravo podcast, qWeek. Click here to listen.