VVS MD

Meet Dr. V

Dr. Virginia Von Schaefer, MD has practiced medicine and surgery for over 25 years. She is now a retired general, vascular and trauma surgeon who has been providing bio-integrative consultations to patients of all ages in a variety of clinical settings. Her passion is utilizing the basic principles of cell biology and biochemistry to solve medical problems. Her focus is to evaluate and treat the whole person, taking into account the mind, body, and spirit connection to restore biochemical balance. Dr. Virginia came to study medicine after her first pregnancy turned out to be a tumor, resulting in a septic delivery of a possibly cancerous growth. The experience of this event opened her eyes to the practice of medicine and motivated her to quit her job, return to school to study science and prepare to go to medical school. To that end, she attended Columbia University undergraduate school and majored in biochemistry and cell biology at the height of new discoveries in cellular anatomy and physiology. She had her first child as a “pre-med” and was the first woman with a child to be accepted to Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons medical school in NYC. Her second child was born during medical school and her next three children were born during internships in both Internal Medicine and Surgery. She completed surgical training at an affiliate of Cornell University in NYC, specializing in Trauma Surgery and came to California in 1994 to complete a Vascular Surgery Fellowship at Harbor UCLA. One year after completing the program she sustained a total spinal cord contusion at C4 C5 and had to stop actively practicing surgery. In the process of her recovery she turned back to her original passion, cell biology and biochemistry. With new inspiration and insight she explored the world of metabolic treatment using principles of biochemistry, endocrinology and nutrition. Dr. Virginia spent three years caring for her best friend and sister who was fighting a late stage leukemia. The experience of sharing her sister’s journey in the conventional treatment system, caring for someone battling cancer, and ultimately losing a loved one to complications of the treatment /immune compromise, impelled Dr. VonSchaefer to return to active medical practice with a special focus on cancer and chronic illness. When not working Dr. V enjoys spending time with her children and three Italian greyhounds, gardening, cooking and writing.