Dr. Karen Serrano, MD is a board certified and actively practicing emergency medicine physician (ABEM). She is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at University of North Carolina Hospital, a level 1 trauma center and tertiary care referral center in Chapel Hill, NC. She also serves as core faculty with the Department of Emergency Medicine and is involved in resident and medical student education.

Dr. Serrano completed residency training in emergency medicine at the University of Wisconsin—where she also served as chief resident. Prior to her current role, she was a staff emergency physician and assistant professor of emergency medicine at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, WI. She has also worked at several community and rural hospitals.

Dr. Serrano serves as medical director for UNC’s sexual assault nurse examiner program. Areas of professional interest include critical care, peer review, care of sexual assault patients, expert witness work, and medical education. 

EDUCATION & LICENSES
Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA; BA, History 1995
University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, MD 2005
University of Wisconsin Emergency Medicine Residency Program, Madison, WI, 2008-2011
Chief Resident; 2010-2011
Holds licenses to practice medicine in NC and WI