About Dr. Alex
Alex McDonald MD, CASQM, FAAFP is a Claremont Unified School District (CUSD) parent and a family medicine and sports medicine specialist, educator, and thought leader in the fields of physical activity, lifestyle medicine, social media, and health policy. Dr. Alex, the son of an elementary school teacher, grew up in Woodstock, VT with his two brothers. He struggled the first few years of elementary school until he was diagnosed with dyslexia in third grade. At that point, he was able to obtain specific instruction catered to his individual needs as a learner and, although he did not read until fifth grade, that early individual education and support allowed him to achieve professional and personal success.
As a result of his early educational challenges, Dr. Alex is passionate about public education and its integration with personal and community health. In particular, Dr. Alex believes reading is foundational to becoming a productive
and contributory member of the community. He deeply believes that where someone learns, lives, works, and plays has more impact on their health than any medication he could prescribe. Research has repeatedly shown that the social determinants of health and adverse childhood experiences have a disproportionate influence on health outcomes. He is committed to ensuring Claremont builds on its long history of educational excellence and that doing so is critical to improving the health of our community.
As a member of the CUSD board, Dr. Alex will bring his clinical and medical knowledge, as well as his health policy experience, to positively impact many of the devastating health consequences from institutional challenges that cannot be addressed solely from his exam room. Though he finds his ability to heal one patient at a time deeply fulfilling, he is called to service even further upstream to promote health where it begins - including in Claremont’s public schools.
Dr. Alex is currently a member of the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) in Fontana, CA where he is a core faculty member of the Family Medicine Residency and Sports Medicine Fellowship. He is a Clinical Professor at the Kaiser Permanente School of Medicine and serves on the executive committee of the California Academy of Family Physician (AAFP), as well as trustee of the California Medical Association. Dr. Alex also served the AAFP’s Commission on Membership and Membership Services as well as its Congress of Delegates. He is an active member of the American College of Sports Medicine as well as American Society for Sports Medicine. He also serves as the head team physician for the California State University of San Bernardino.
Dr. Alex lives in Claremont with his wife, who is an Adult, Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist, and their three children and three dogs. He is a former professional triathlete and enjoys running, cycling, cooking, coffee, and 8 pm dance parties with his kids. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Connecticut College and a medical degree from the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine. He completed his medical internship at Duke University, and his family medicine residency and sports medicine fellowship at Southern California Kaiser Permanente in Fontana, CA.