Interested in science and mathematics as a child, Dr. Judith McNicholas was encouraged to enter medicine by her parents. “My father was a doctor and my mother was a teacher, they both encouraged me to pursue being a physician. I’m very happy I chose medicine as a career.”

As Chief of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Reliant Medical Group, Dr. McNicholas uses her skills to perform an array of surgical procedures to help her patients, including hysterectomies, myomectomies and other procedures that can be performed laparoscopically. “I believe in taking a less invasive approach to surgery in general, as long as it is safe and appropriate for the patient,” she explains.

Dr. McNicholas is experienced in using the da Vinci Surgical System, a type of laparoscopy which utilizes remotely controlled robotic instrumentation during the procedure. In fact, Dr. McNicholas is the most experienced robotic gynecologist in the greater Worcester area. “Robotic procedures are beneficial for patients who are at particularly high risk for surgery. There is typically less blood loss, the recovery period and post-op pain are usually less, and there are potentially fewer intra-abdominal adhesions. That’s why we prefer to operate using the da Vinci Surgical System if we can.”

One of the aspects of her job Dr. McNicholas enjoys most is using her surgical skills to help women who are suffering from incontinence. “We can really do a lot for women who are dealing with incontinence problems,” she explains. “From different surgical procedures, including InterStim, to more conservative approaches, their lives can really be transformed. I think treating women with incontinence problems is one of the most important things I do here at Reliant Medical Group.”

Dr. McNicholas enjoys working in a multispecialty group practice like Reliant Medical Group. “We have a very coordinated system here and that allows less repetition of testing and other benefits. I think it’s a huge advantage for patients to be in a coordinated practice like this, with access to electronic medical records and other important technology. Now, the data is right at your fingertips and it’s a real benefit to both doctors and patients alike.”

In her free time, Dr. McNicholas enjoys traveling to different areas of the world; including Europe and South Africa. She also likes gardening and scuba diving, as well as reading about history and politics.