Growing up in the rural fringe north of Melbourne, Mikkaela undertook undergraduate studies in both medicine/surgery and law at Monash University, after which she spent time as a junior hospital medical officer with Eastern Health. Mikkaela completed her specialist training in anatomical pathology through the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia at The Alfred Hospital, The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Eastern Health and The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine, where she gained a wide breadth of experience in both oncological and non-oncological diseases as well as forensic and non-forensic autopsy medicine. After gaining her FRCPA fellowship, Mikkaela further developed her sub-specialist experience in breast, urogenital and skin diseases before joining DOR Pathology in 2017.Dr McCormack has a strong interest in medical education and research. She was the co-ordinator of the Victorian Anatomical Pathology Education Program between 2013 and 2017, has sat on the Board of Education of the RCPA and has been an adjunct lecturer with Monash University. She is an honorary academic with The University of Melbourne, where she is involved in breast and emerging medical imaging technology research with the university, CSIRO and Australian Synchrotron Project.
Away from work, Mikkaela enjoys spending time with her three Sealyham terriers and her husband, barracking for the Hawks at the ‘G and traveling.