Adventist Health Sonora Welcomes Radiation Oncologist, Travers McLoughlin, M.D.

Sonora, CA – Adventist Health Sonora welcomes Travers McLoughlin, M.D., a radiation oncologist who is now caring for patients at the Diana J. White Cancer Institute. He treats all types of cancer in adults using intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) with the Cancer Institute’s new Elekta Infinity Agility Plus linear accelerator.

McLoughlin always wanted to be a doctor. He was the first in his family to go to college, graduating Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Health and Sports Science and minor in Chemistry from Wake Forest University. He earned his medical degree from The State University of New York Health Science Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. and completed residency training in Radiation Oncology at New York Presbyterian Hospital-Weill Cornell Medical Center and New York Hospital Medical Center. After completing his residency in 2005, McLoughlin began his practice in Lodi, Calif., and served three years as Chief of Staff at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial.

Throughout his years in practice, McLoughlin has seen radiation oncology technology advance from 3D Conformal Radiation Therapy to IMRT. “Using imaging to target therapy and delivering radiation more accurately allows us to treat the tumor while saving surrounding tissue,” he explains.

While pursuing his medical career, McLoughlin, a football player and avid athlete, was initially interested in sports medicine and orthopedics. But a few experiences steered him to oncology. As an undergrad, McLoughlin volunteered on the oncology floor at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center. He would visit with patients, provide a listening ear and treat people like human beings, not cancer patients. Then a beloved uncle he had always looked up to was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and died four weeks later.

“What I love about my field is connecting on a human level and treating patients like my own family,” McLoughlin explains. McLoughlin can relate with his patients and their families. His five-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia in early 2017. “I always prided myself on my empathy for my patients. Now I can tell my patients that I truly understand what their family is going through because I’m going through it with my daughter. I understand the anxiety. I understand the fear.”

More information can be obtained by calling the Diana J. White Cancer Institute at 209-536-6915.