Dr. Buchanan received a B.S. degree in Chemistry from The College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. She then went on to earn her Medical degree from The Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. She completed her residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at The Medical College of Virginia in 1980 and has been in private practice in Williamsburg since that time. Dr. Buchanan earned a Master of Public Health degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in the spring of 2007.

Dr. Buchanan is board certified through the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. She has professional expertise and interest in reconstructive pelvic surgery (cystocele, rectocele, uterine prolapse), sports gynecology, menopause, and breast cancer gynecological care for breast cancer survivors.

Dr. Buchanan is an active member of the Maasai American Association, an international partnership for the promotion of education and community health. She visits Kenya twice each year as a volunteer. She is also a Fellow of the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.