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Robert O. Carpenter

Robert O. Carpenter, MD, MPH, FACS

Clinical Associate Professor

Director of Health & Wellbeing Programs

Director of MD Plus Program

Contact

Department of Neuroscience & Experimental Therapeutics
Health Professions Education Building (HPEB) 3089
8447 John Sharp Parkway
Bryan, 77807
carpenter@tamu.edu

Biography

Dr. Carpenter has been involved in undergraduate medical education for more than 25 years.  He has developed curricula promoting the integration of clinical medicine within basic science education and then bringing that foundational information back full circle into clinical training.  He has been a medical gross anatomy faculty member at three colleges of medicine and remains active in graduate as well as continuing medical education development.

Dr. Carpenter is a passionate advocate for improving how we educate, train, employ, support, and develop healthy members of healthcare teams.  He helped to develop, lead, and serve in programs aimed at improving team member wellbeing within one of the nation’s largest not-for-profit healthcare systems.  He serves as the director of Health & Wellbeing programs at the TAMU College of Medicine.  In that role he aims to help improve the lives of healthcare professionals through inter-institutional collaboration, novel program development, and inter-professional research. 

Education and Training

  • Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Master of Public Health, 2006
  • Baylor College of Medicine , Doctor of Medicine, 1999
  • Texas A&M University , BS, Biochemistry, Magna Cum Laude Graduate, 1995

Professional Certifications

  • Association of Program Directors in Surgery, New Program Directors Course, Boston, MA (2011)
  • American College of Surgeons, 18th Annual Surgeons as Educators Course, Atlanta, GA (2011)
  • Laparoscopic, Endoscopic, & Bariatric Surgery Fellowship, VUMC (2008 –2009)
  • SAGES Advanced Foregut Workshop in Cincinnati, Ohio (2007)
  • Fundamentals of Laparoscopic Surgery Certificate (2007)
  • Advanced Burn Life Support, ABLS Provider (2005 – 2008)
  • Advanced Trauma Life Support , ATLS Instructor (2005 – 2010), ATLS Provider (2002 – 2010)

Research Interests

  • quality improvement
  • medical/surgical education
  • health care team member wellbeing
  • workplace safety/equality
  • obesity care
  • expanding access to care within underserved areas/populations

Teaching Interests

  • promoting the integration of clinical medicine within basic science education
  • bringing foundational information back full circle into clinical training
  • medical gross anatomy
  • improving how we educate, train, employ, support, and develop healthy members of health care teams

Awards, Recognition and Service

  • Healthcare Hero Honoree – In Recognition of Distinguished Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic, selected by the Texas A&M Foundation / Texas A&M Health (2021)
  • COVID-19 Education and Service Award for Texas A&M College of Medicine, selected by Class of 2025 (2021)
  • Selfless Service Aggie Core Values Coin – Awarded by the Texas A&M College of Medicine for Service Above and Beyond the Call of Duty During the COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
  • Dr. Valter E. Brindley Outstanding Surgical Faculty of the Year Award, selected by the General Surgery Residents at Texas A&M/Baylor Scott & White (2020)
  • Most Inspirational Professor at Texas A&M College of Medicine, selected by Class of 2022 (2019)
  • Transformational Leader in Education – Texas A&M College of Education & Human Development Dean’s Roundtable (2019)
  • Most Passionate Lecturer at Texas A&M College of Medicine, selected by Class of 2021 (2018)
  • Fellow of the Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators Texas A&M College of Medicine (2018)
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Visiting Professorship Texas Tech HSC Lubbock, TX (2018)
  • Outstanding Surgery Faculty at Texas A&M College of Medicine, selected by Class of 2017 (2017)
  • Fellow of American Society for Metabolic & Bariatric Surgery (2016 – Present)
  • Fellow of American College of Surgeons (2010 – Present)
  • Diplomat – American Board of Surgery Certification (2008 - Present)
  • Jay W. Hillman Award for Education as “the resident deemed to be the best teacher & role model by the third and fourth year students” at VSM (2008)
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society as elected by Vanderbilt medical students (2006)
  • CANDLE (Caring, Advocating, Nurturing, Determination, Leadership, & Empathy) F. Tremaine Billings, Jr., M.D. Award as selected by Vanderbilt medical students (2005)

Patents

  • SUBMITTED: 1. Multi-wall Expandable Device Capable of Drug Delivery Related Applications Robert H. Carpenter & Robert O. Carpenter US Patent Application Number 11/667145 Filed 2008-06-12 https://uspto.report/patent/app/20080140172

Memberships

  • Academy of Distinguished Medical Educators TAMU COM (2018 – Present)
  • Southern Society of Clinical Surgeons (2013 – Present)
  • ACS-Accredited Education Institutes (2012 – 2018)
  • Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery (2012 – Present)
  • American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery (2009 – Present)
  • Texas Association of Surgical Skills Laboratories (TASSL) (2009 – 2020)
  • Society of American Gastrointestinal & Endoscopic Surgeons (2007 – Present)
  • Association of Program Directors in Surgery (2006 – 2020)
  • Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society (2005 – Present)
  • American College of Surgeons (2004 – Present)
  • Tennessee Medical Association (2004 – 2009)
  • American Medical Association (1995 – 2010)
  • Texas Medical Association (1995 – 2001, 2009 - 2013)

Representative Publications