An Expert in Rural Medicine and Surgery 
Faculty Focus on Robert Lloyd, DO

March 15, 2021

After practicing general surgery for 24 years in a rural area, Robert Lloyd, DO ‘91, FACOS, is now using that experience to educate medical students at PCOM South Georgia.

As an associate professor of surgery, Dr. Lloyd works directly with the medical students, teaching the surgery course for second-year students, assisting in the osteopathic manipulative medicine and primary care skills courses, as well as serving as an online instructor and preceptor to the third and fourth-year students for all three PCOM locations.

He said teaching medical skills to students who want to practice in rural areas lines up perfectly with his experience.

“My entire career has been practicing surgery in rural communities and underserved areas,” he said. “I’m very aware of the needs that small communities have in comparison to urban areas. I’ve seen first-hand the needs of these areas and the effects of the lack of primary and specialty care.”

During Dr. Lloyd’s time as a surgeon in East Tennessee, he was commonly one of two general surgeons, or at times, the only surgeon in the community. He has also experienced the closure of a rural hospital due to a lack of funding and inability to find an operator.

“I have a desire to help fill the educational needs where I can,” he said. He added that teaching students about the opportunities in rural medicine and surgery is crucial because “often these opportunities are not considered by students. There is a great demand for healthcare providers and services in these areas and the lifestyle is actually quite desirable. Many rural areas are located within 60 to 90 minutes of a larger suburban or urban area, so access to a variety of cultural amenities is readily available. It’s not as isolated as they might think.”

Though he joined PCOM South Georgia in the fall of 2020, Dr. Lloyd has worked with PCOM since 2015, creating an online surgery curriculum and lecturing in surgery. And with decades of medical and teaching experience, Dr. Lloyd is continuing to further his education. He’s currently working on a master’s degree in medical education.

Dean and Chief Academic Officer, H. William Craver III, DO ‘87, FACOS, said, “Dr. Lloyd has been instrumental in preparing our second-year Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students for their upcoming clinical rotations. His experience in rural medicine and his appreciation for practicing in underserved areas has been a great benefit to our students.”

Of his time at PCOM South Georgia, Dr. Lloyd said, “Because of the pandemic, the online teaching component was originally a challenge. Now that we’re opening up a little bit, it has been so enjoyable to interact with my students and colleagues in person. The second-year DO students are very excited and eager about learning clinical medicine. They excelled in academics, but now they’re becoming more exposed to and more excited about the clinical aspects of medicine. They light up when we talk about those experiences.”

A PCOM alumnus, Dr. Lloyd added, “The integration of the simulation lab with patient care simulation is a huge step forward for medical education. The small group active learning and problem-based learning are more integrated in the curriculum. It’s so beneficial for students and faculty alike. These are relatively new teaching modalities that we rarely saw 30 years ago as medical students!”

Dr. Lloyd and his wife Lisa have two adult children. They enjoy traveling, reading, and cooking. Dr. Lloyd stays active by biking, rowing and gardening.

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