Dr. Magnuson was born and raised in Omaha. He attended the University of Nebraska - Lincoln and received his B.A. in Philosophy in 1994. Dr. Magnuson attended medical school at the University of Nebraska in 1995 where he graduated with distinction. His residency was completed through the Creighton-Nebraska Department of Psychiatry Program from July 1995 to June 1999.

 He was awarded the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry Fellowship from 1997-1998. He completed a Fellowship in the Section of Geriatric Psychiatry from July 1999 to June 2000. He is also certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology (in Psychiatry) in 2002.

Besides Dr. Magnuson’s inpatient, outpatient and nursing home clinical duties, he teaches at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and has research interests in rural geriatric psychiatry, nursing home psychiatry and movement disorders in the elderly.