Dr. Stephen O’Connell, Board-Certified Physician

Education & Early Path

Dr. O’Connell grew up in a medical–military family, living throughout the country before settling in Washington State. He is a University of Washington alumnus, where he graduated Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Zoology. He then moved to Southern California to complete medical school at Western University of Health Sciences. His holistic, comprehensive approach to medicine inspired him to aspire for more than most physicians—undertaking both national physician board-exam series: the COMLEX and the USMLE.

Finding Aesthetic Medicine

Aesthetic Laser Medicine & Surgery is one of Dr. O’Connell’s passions and areas of expertise—one that began over 25 years ago, when he himself was a patient. His interest was sparked by a formative experience in the 1990s while seeking care for a skin condition. After numerous visits to various doctors with no clinical improvement, he was finally introduced to a combination of laser and light procedures that worked well for the condition he was seeking help with.

As he pursued maintenance treatments at facilities around the country, he was struck by how different the results were following “the same treatment.” Several variables drove those inconsistent outcomes: different technologies, varying quality in device manufacturing, and—most importantly—the wide range of knowledge and skill among providers. This skill set wasn’t taught in any formal residency or fellowship; he learned the field through self-exploration, mentorship, and organizations such as the American Society for Laser Medicine & Surgery (ASLMS).

Training & Research

Dr. O’Connell’s postgraduate training included an Internal Medicine internship at the University of Nevada School of Medicine, a three-year residency in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R) at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center—a top-10 program in the country—and a year of fellowship training in interventional pain medicine at the University of Washington. As a resident at Pittsburgh, he was actively involved in research, earning key authorships in two of the most prestigious journals in his field, Spine Journal and PM&R, and won Best Resident Oral Scientific Paper Presentation at the state level (“The Rex Newton Award”) and nationally at the Association for Academic Physiatrists Annual Conference.

As a fellow at the University of Washington, he was first author on a book chapter in Pain Medicine & Interventional Pain Management: A Comprehensive Board Review, titled “Local Anesthetics and Membrane-Stabilizing Drugs.” He is Board-Certified by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation.

Always Learning

A member of the International Association for Physicians in Aesthetic Medicine since 2012, Dr. O’Connell maintains his weight-loss-management education and certification and integrates it into his practice—he is passionate about weight-loss solutions, given the links between excess weight and heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and more. Through coursework with the Academy of Preventative & Innovative Medicine, his philosophy continues to evolve toward preventative medicine and health, culminating in an Advanced Bio-Identical Hormone Therapy Certificate of Training.

Our Philosophy

With extensive research, clinical training, procedural volume, and experience at top-tier academic programs and hospitals, Dr. O’Connell brings an enthusiastic philosophy rooted in both academic excellence and real-life experience. His many interests across the broad field of medicine stay true to the mantra of the PM&R specialty: improving quality of life. The Serenity Rejuvenation Center team believes that by striving for the best version of ourselves—in form (internal health), function (physical capability), and external self-care—we optimize self-confidence and, in doing so, improve quality of life.