Department Chairs
Anesthesiology Department Chairman
Jerry L. Epps, MD
Jerry L. Epps, MD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics serves as the Chairman and Residency Program Director for the Department of Anesthesiology. Dr. Epps received his MD degree from the University of Kentucky College Of Medicine, Lexington, KY (1980) where he graduated first in his class of 117 students and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. He completed an Anesthesiology Residency at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC in 1983. Dr. Epps accomplished post graduate training fellowships in both pediatric anesthesiology (Children’s Hospital National Medical Center) and cardiovascular anesthesiology (Walter Reed Army Medical Center) Dr. Epps has been chairman of the department since 2003 and is also Medical Director of Pediatric Anesthesiology at UT Medical Center.
Family Medicine Department Chairman
Gregory H. Blake, MD, MPH
Gregory H. Blake, MD, MPH, Professor of Family Medicine, has served as Chairman and Resident Program Director for the Department of Family Medicine since 1995. Dr. Blake received his medical degree from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas in 1977. He completed his residency in family practice at Dwight David Eisenhower Army Medical Center, Fort Gordon, Georgia. Dr. Blake spent four years at Martin Army Community Hospital, Ft. Benning, Georgia where he was director of the Family Practice Residency Program. From 1982-83, Dr. Blake completed a fellowship in faculty development from the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill. He joined the faculty of the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City in 1984 and earned a Master of Public Health degree. Dr. Blake was residency/ fellowship director at the University of Mississippi Medical Center at Jackson from 1989 until he joined the Knoxville program in 1995. He is a member of the Tennessee Air National Guard and serves as senior physician in the 134th Medical Group. He served as commander of the 129th Medical Cleaning Company, Alabama National Guard during Operation Desert Storm. Lieutenant Colonel Blake served as a flight surgeon for the 171st Air Expeditionary Refueling Wing during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He has completed the Army Command and General Staff College and the Air War College. Professional interests include occupational medicine, hypertension, smoking cessation, learning theory and resident stress.
Medicine Department Chairman
Timothy J. Panella, MD
Timothy J. Panella, MD, is Associate Professor and the Chairman of the Department of Medicine at UT Graduate School of Medicine. Dr. Panella received his medical degree from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center in Memphis in 1983. He completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Hospital, Worcester, MA in 1986. Dr. Panella's post-graduate training includes a fellowship in Hematology and Oncology at Duke University Medical Center (1989) and a Masters degree in Medical Management from Tulane University (2002). Dr. Panella is certified by both the American Board of Internal Medicine and the American Board of Internal Medicine-Oncology. His professional interests include breast cancer risk reduction, breast cancer treatment and head and neck cancer. Dr. Panella has been Chairman of the Department of Medicine since 2001. Under his leadership, three new fellowship programs began in Cardiology, June 2007; Pulmonology, July 2008; and Geriatrics, 2008.
Obstetrics and Gynecology Department Chairman
Bobby G. Howard, MD
Bobby G. Howard, MD, FACOG, Associate Professor, is the Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. His appointment began September 1, 2008. Originally from Birmingham, AL, Dr. Howard earned his medical degree at the University of Alabama School of Medicine in Birmingham, where he also completed his residency training in Obstetrics and Gynecology. He received his fellowship training in maternal-fetal medicine from Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma, WA. Dr. Howard currently serves as division director of Maternal-Fetal Medicine and Medical Director of the Regional Perinatal Center at UT Medical Center.
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department Chairman
Eric R. Carlson, DMD, MD, FACS
Eric R. Carlson, DMD, MD, FACS, came to the UT Graduate School of Medicine in 2002 as Professor, Chairman and Residency Program Director of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. He was previously the Director of the Tumor and Reconstructive Surgery Service and Director of the OMFS Residency Program at the the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL. Dr. Carlson received his Doctor of Medical Dentistry from the University of Pennsylvania in 1985. He completed his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh, PA, in 1989. He received his fellowship training in Tumor and Reconstructive Surgery at the University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital in 1990.
Dr. Carlson completed medical school at the University of Miami in 2000 and a residency in General Surgery at UTGSM in 2003. He is a Diplomate of the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Carlson’s clinical interests include benign and malignant tumors of the oral cavity, head and neck, salivary gland surgery, reconstructive surgery and research in tumor doubling times. The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Residency has expanded since Dr. Carlson came to our program from four residents (one per year) to eight residents (two per year) in 2008 along with a fellowship. Dr. Carlson won the GSM Spirit Faculty Award in 2006.
General Dentistry Department
O. Lee Wilson, DMD, MAGD, FACD
O. Lee Wilson, DMD, MAGD, FACD, is Associate Professor and Program Director of the General Practice Residency Program at the Department of General Dentistry, UT Graduate School of Medicine. Dr. Wilson completed his Doctor of Medical Dentistry at the University of Alabama School of Dentistry in Birmingham, AL, in 1987. He completed his general practice residency at UTGSM in 1989 and became Residency Program Director in 1994. Dr. Wilson was appointed a fellow in the American Academy of General Dentistry in 1994 and was inducted into the American College of Dentists in 2002.
Pathology Department Chairman
Stuart E. Van Meter, MD
Stuart E. Van Meter, MD, is Associate Professor and Chairman of the Department of Pathology at UTGSM. Dr. Van Meter received his Medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, in 1986. He completed a residency in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology here at UTGSM in 1991. Dr. Van Meter is certified in Anatomic Pathology/Clinical Pathology and Cytopathology by the American Board of Pathology. His special interests include surgical pathology, cytopathology and clinical chemistry. The department currently has two fellowship programs, Cytopathology and Surgical Pathology. The Department of Pathology continues to annually place graduating residents in highly competitive fellowship programs throughout the United States.
Radiology Department Chairman
J. Mark McKinney, MD
J. Mark McKinney, MD, is Associate Professor was appointed Chairman of the Department of Radiology at UT Graduate School of Medicine in September 2008. Previously with the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL, McKinney served as chair of the Mayo Clinic Hospital Radiology Practice Team; assistant program director of the Radiology Residency Program for the Department of Radiology; assistant professor of Radiology for the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine; and section head of Interventional Radiology for the Department of Radiology. McKinney earned his medical degree at Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA (1987) where he also completed his residency in diagnostic radiology and fellowship training in interventional radiology. He was appointed chief resident during his residency. Dr. McKinney is a diplomate of the American Board of Radiology and the National Board of Medical Examiners.
Surgery Department Chairman
Mitchell H. Goldman, MD
Mitchell H. Goldman, MD is Professor, Chairman and Residency Program Director of the Department of Surgery. Dr. Goldman came to UTGSM in 1984 and became Chairman of the department in 1998. Dr. Goldman received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in 1970 and completed a surgical residency program at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, MA. Dr. Goldman is certified by the American Board of Surgery.
Dr. Goldman established the "Medical Explorations Program" at UT Graduate School of Medicine in 1991. The program began when Dr. Goldman was approached by a high school student who wanted to learn more about becoming a physician. Since beginning with six departments who participated with the program, Medical Explorations has grown to include many other professions within the field of medicine including nursing, physical therapy and dietitians.
Dr. Goldman was awarded the first GSM Spirit Faculty Award in 2004. He was recently appointed Chairman of the committee to create an Academy of Distinguished Teaching Scholars at UTGSM.
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