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ReachMD Faculty

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Robert Owens Carpenter, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS
Robert Owens Carpenter, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS
  • Director of Wellness
  • Texas A&M University College of Medicine
Robert Owens Carpenter, MD, MPH, FACS, FASMBS hails from Bastrop County in Central Texas. After completing undergraduate work in biochemistry at Texas A&M University, he attended Baylor College of Medicine where he was awarded an MD in 1999. Thereafter, he accepted a two-year non-clinical faculty appointment within the Departments of Cell Biology and Allied Health Education at Baylor. During this period, he completed post-graduate coursework within the Clinical Scientist Training Program, taught on the gross anatomy faculty, and developed curriculum to better integrate application of basic science information into the clinical education environment. Dr. Carpenter completed an MPH with special focus on quality improvement and graduate medical education policy during a seven year general surgery residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Thereafter, he completed a one year clinical fellowship in advanced laparoscopy, endoscopy, and bariatric surgery in Nashville, TN. Dr. Carpenter remained on staff at Vanderbilt before returning to Central Texas in October 2009 where he serves on the clinical faculty at the Baylor Scott & White Memorial Hospital and Clinic. He serves as Director of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery Education, Associate Director of the General Surgery Residency in Temple and was recently promoted to Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery for the Texas A&M University Health Science Center. He briefly assumed the role of Interim Medical Director of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery within the Central Division of Baylor Scott and White Health. Dr. Carpenter has been recognized for his passionate dedication as a medical educator with the 2017 outstanding surgical faculty teaching award, induction as a Fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators at Texas A&M University Health Science Center where he continues to teach on the Medical Gross Anatomy Faculty, and more recently receiving the award as most inspiring professor by the COM Class of 2022. In June 2020 Dr. Carpenter was recognized by the General Surgery Residents at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Temple with the Brindley Outstanding Faculty of the Year award. Dr. Carpenter is a passionate advocate for proactive paradigm change in the manner by which we educate, train, employ, support, and develop healthy members of healthcare teams. He helps to develop and serve in programs aimed at improving provider wellbeing within one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare systems. He became the inaugural Texas A&M University HSC COM Director of Wellness in February 2020. In March of that year Dr. Carpenter initiated the TAMU COM Health & Wellness virtual Grand Rounds series in response to the unprecedented stressors experienced by healthcare team members during the early days of the COVID-19. In June 2020, Dr. Carpenter transitioned from clinical practice as a surgeon to focus on improving healthcare team member wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic and helped direct TAMU COM’s multidisciplinary response by developing algorithms as well as protocols which positioned the school as a leader in medical education development during the pandemic. In that role he aims to effect experiential improvement at each phase of medical careers across the spectrum of healthcare professionals through inter-institutional collaboration, novel program development, and inter-professional research. Dr. Carpenter is active in promoting access to safe obesity care on the local, state, and national levels having served as President of the Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery (TABS) of the ASMBS (American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons) as well as Advocacy Chairman of the South Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). He is also a national site reviewer for the American College of Surgeons bariatric surgery quality improvement and certification division (MBSAQIP). Dr. Carpenter has ongoing research interest in quality improvement, medical/surgical education, provider wellness, workplace safety/equality, and expanding access to bariatric care within underserved areas/populations. Married with two young sons, his outside interests involve hunting, hiking, traditional Irish/Scottish music, and following Aggie athletics.
Schedule29 Mar 2024