Anna O. Jesus, MD

A pediatrician with fellowship training in developmental and behavioral pediatrics, Anna Jesus, MD, focuses on providing care for children and adolescents with medically complex conditions that often occur along with behavioral and psychological difficulties. 

She also has expertise in palliative and end-of-life care for children.

Dr. Jesus shares, “Pediatrics is such a unique field because you nearly always get to work with both the patient and the family. Whether a newborn or a young adult or anyone in between, I always try to approach and engage with the patient first, and throughout our meetings, include the family as much as possible.”

Dr. Jesus grew up in Virginia and began playing the cello as a child. She attended the University of Virginia, majoring in music and English literature. Her undergraduate experience shaped her decision to become a doctor.

“I met a music therapist while singing in a choir and thought it would be an interesting way to marry my love of music with service to others,” she shares. “In college, a friend and I co-founded the Musicians on Call service organization, which brings student musicians into the hospital to play at patients' bedsides.”

She adds, “I quickly found that playing my cello in the Surgical Trauma Intensive Care Unit was fulfilling, and I wanted to spend more time in the hospital, ideally caring for patients directly.”

After graduating from UVA, she went to Goucher College in Baltimore to complete her premedical requirements. She obtained both her medical degree and master’s degree in bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania.

She then returned to UVA to complete both her pediatric residency training and fellowship training in developmental and behavioral pediatrics.

The youngest of four musician siblings, Dr. Jesus has fond memories of childhood. “My mother was French and a teacher. We tried to spend the summers when we could in southern France with family. We spent our days exploring caves and beaches and cherishing fresh apricots.”

She adds, “I loved being one of four siblings so much that I now have four children of my own (and a chocolate lab); they keep me on my toes and often humble. My husband is an emergency physician; he keeps me calm during life's unexpected turns (often initiated by one of said dependents).

“We love Blue Ridge hikes, swimming holes, our expanding fruit and vegetable garden, audiobooks, and all varieties of dark chocolate and tea. In medical school, I authored a blog documenting my experience from the white coat ceremony to graduation, and I still find writing projects oddly restorative.”