About Dr. Donaldson
- Rodgers Clark Endowed Chair in Ophthalmology
- Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology
- Cornea/External Disease/Refractive Surgery
- Medical Director Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of Plantation
- Medical Director Bascom Palmer Eye Institute of Sole Mia
Kendall E. Donaldson, MD, MS, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and cornea specialist at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute completed her residency training and cornea/external disease fellowship at Bascom Palmer in 2004. Prior to ophthalmology she completed a Master’s degree in anatomy and physiology, serving as an instructor and eventually directing the anatomy labs for the University of Maryland throughout the course of her undergraduate and graduate education. During her ophthalmology training, she also pursued a certificate program in Management through the Wharton School for Business preparing her to become the Medical Director of the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the Plantation satellite upon its opening in November of 2004. She has recently been named the Medical Director of the newest Bascom Palmer Sole Mia Satellite opening in July of 2025.
In addition to caring for her patients, Dr. Donaldson has also enjoyed working with the residents and fellows and served as co-director of the cornea fellowship from 2013 to 2020. She continues to enjoy teaching surgical skills and working on research projects with the residents and fellows on a daily basis. She travels to give over a hundred and fifty lectures annually on a local, national and international level. She has authored a variety of peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed articles and book chapters. She has also organized, moderated, and lectured at many local and national meetings and served on several AAO, AECOS and ASCRS committees. Dr. Donaldson has received many awards including Ocular Surgery News Top 300 doctors each year, Florida Superdoctors, Leading Physicians of the World, and the MillenialEye Outstanding Female Leader Award in 2016. She was selected to be one of the top 100 most influential female figures in ophthalmology in 2021 on The Ophthalmologist Power List in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025 she was honored to be in the Top 100 Ophthalmologists worldwide according to the Ophthalmologist Power List and she was also named on the 2022 Newsweek Best Ophthalmologists list of the top 175 ophthalmologists worldwide. She also serves as the President of the American European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery (AECOS).
Dr. Donaldson’s primary research interests are in the area of advancements in cataract surgery (laser-assisted cataract surgery and premium lens implants), assessment of visual quality, severe ocular surface disease, and complex endothelial keratoplasty. She performs various types of corneal transplantation procedures, laser vision correction procedures, ocular surface reconstruction, and cataract surgery. She has 3 children and enjoys playing the piano, playing tennis, paddle boarding, cooking and traveling.