Robert O. Carpenter, MD, MPH, FACS

Robert Owens Carpenter, MD, MPH, FACS, hails from Bastrop County in Central Texas. He studied biochemistry at Texas A&M University and then earned an MD at Baylor College of Medicine. He accepted a two-year non-clinical faculty appointment within Baylor College of Medicine's departments of Cell Biology and Allied Health Education completing post-graduate coursework within the Clinical Scientist Training Program, teaching gross anatomy, and developing novel curriculum.

Dr. Carpenter completed an Master of Public Health with special focus on quality improvement around infection control and graduate medical education policy as a general surgery resident at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He remained on staff at Vanderbilt after completing a one-year clinical fellowship in advanced laparoscopy, endoscopy and bariatric surgery. 

Dr. Carpenter returned to Central Texas in October 2009 as clinical faculty at Scott & White Memorial Hospital in Temple. He served as director of Bariatric and Minimally Invasive Surgery Education and associate director of the General Surgery Residency. Dr. Carpenter’s efforts expanded bariatric surgery services to the system’s Round Rock and College Station regions.

Dr. Carpenter actively advocates for access to safe surgical care. He served as a site reviewer for the national bariatric surgery quality improvement program, past president of the Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery, and advocacy chairman of the South Texas Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (ACS). 

Married with two sons, Dr. Carpenter’s outside interests involve hunting, hiking, traditional Irish/Scottish music, and following Aggie athletics.