Maya M. Kumar, MD

Maya Kumar, MD, FAAP, FRCPC, is a board-certified pediatrician and adolescent medicine physician who specializes in treating young people ages 10 to 26. She is part of a UC San Diego Health program that allows patients transitioning through adolescence and young adulthood to see a physician who specializes in the unique physical, social and emotional conditions of this life stage. Dr. Kumar has a special interest in adolescent sexual health and gynecologic care (including contraception and menstrual problems), using a trauma-informed and developmentally-appropriate approach to these sensitive issues. In addition to traditional contraceptive methods, she offers insertion of long-acting, reversible contraceptive devices to adolescents and young adults, including intrauterine devices (IUDs) and subdermal implants (Nexplanon®), for pregnancy prevention and reducing menstrual flow. She specializes in caring for children, adolescents, and young adults who struggle with underweight, overweight, and eating disorders.

In addition to providing outpatient consultation around these issues, she cares for hospitalized eating disorder patients with severe medical complications at Rady Children's Hospital. In 2019, for her expertise in adolescent nutritional disorders, she was appointed Chair of the Adolescent Nutrition Committee for the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Dr. Kumar also provides care for youth with anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and school-related or social challenges, including psychotropic medication management.

At UC San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Kumar serves as the adolescent medicine medical education liaison and the adolescent medicine rotation site coordinator for the Pediatric Residency Program and the medical students. She is also active in training medical students and residents in the care of adolescents using a biopsychosocial approach. She was awarded the 2017 UCSD Whitehill Prize for excellence in clinical teaching.

Dr. Kumar is active in her scholarly work; she has published guidelines on adolescent nutritional disorders and numerous other articles related to adolescent health issues including eating disorders, substance abuse, and reproductive health. She frequently presents scholarly work at international conferences and has won several research awards. She is also a reviewer for several peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Kumar is frequently invited to speak to physicians, nurses, psychologists, and other health providers about unique health issues faced by adolescents and young adults. She has created educational videos and has taught webinars for general pediatricians about adolescent vaccines. In 2018, she was named Doctor of the Quarter by the San Diego chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Prior to joining UC San Diego Health, Dr. Kumar was an attending physician at the Pediatric Emergency Department at The Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto. She completed fellowships in adolescent medicine at University of Toronto and Children's Hospital Los Angeles.

Dr. Kumar earned her medical degree from the University of Alberta Medical School in Edmonton, Canada and is board-certified in general pediatrics and adolescent medicine. She is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP) and the Royal College of Physicians of Canada (FRCPC), and a member of several professional societies, including the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine.

When she is not at work, Dr. Kumar is an active member of the San Diego County Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, volunteering her time for community-based initiatives promoting pediatric and adolescent health. She founded the Adolescent Health Committee on San Diego's chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She received a Special Achievement Award from the American Academy of Pediatrics in 2017 for her enthusiastic advocacy work and community service.

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