Dr. McFarlane is a board certified otolaryngology/head and neck physician with special interests in disorders of sleep such as snoring and sleep apnea. He went to medical school and completed his specialty training at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston in 1976. Immediately thereafter, he joined Austin Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic.

Dr. McFarlane is on the active staff at the following hospitals: Seton Medical Center, Seton Northwest Hospital, Bailey Square Surgical Center, St. David's Community Hospital, Brackenridge Hospital and Children's Hospital of Austin. From 1991 to 1993, he served as chief of staff at Seton Medical Center. He was president of Austin Ear, Nose & Throat Clinic from 1994 to 1996.

In 1997, Dr. McFarlane was the first Austin otolaryngologist to become a Fellow of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy. Being an avid singer himself, he has also had a long term interest in evaluation and management of the problems of singers and professional speakers