This week, the UAB Department of Surgery is highlighting Drew Gunnells, M.D., assistant professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery.
Born and raised in Alabama, Gunnells completed medical school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham after finishing his undergraduate degree in South Carolina at Clemson University. He completed his surgical residency at UAB and then completed a colorectal surgery fellowship at the Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana.
Gunnells is board certified in both general surgery and colon and rectal surgery. He has a strong interest in robotic and minimally invasive surgery to treat colorectal disease.
Can you tell us a little more about the clinical or research strides you are making?
“From a clinical standpoint, I do a wide breadth of colorectal surgery and I enjoy taking care of the complex colorectal pathology that we see at UAB. I have been the director of the O’Neal Cancer Colorectal Cancer Service Line for the past year. This has provided me with a great opportunity to help improve cancer care to the patients in our city and state. I have a clinically busy practice, and I put a lot of focus and energy into providing high quality care to patients across the state of Alabama. Our Division Director, Greg Kennedy, has done a tremendous job expanding our practice across the state. I currently practice in Demopolis, AL two days a month to help our full-time surgeon there and also assist with our rural colon cancer screening program.
From a research perspective, my main emphasis has aligned with my clinical practice. We have studied the effects of COVID-19 on surgical care over the past three years, and I am a co-investigator on several colorectal cancer trials.”
What has your journey at UAB (and generally post-surgical training) looked like?
“Starting my career at UAB as faculty was like coming home. I spent nine years training at UAB between medical school and general surgery residency. Coming back to UAB was all about the people. As a native of Alabama, I had a deep desire to care for the people of this state and I knew I would get the opportunity to work with great people at UAB that I had trained with for so many years.”
How did your time at UAB Surgery as a trainee prepare you for your career as an academic surgeon?
“I believe that surgical training and starting a career in academic surgery is all about mentorship. UAB provided me with some of the best academic leaders in the country and then within my specialty, I had tremendous sponsorship from our current faculty. They were not only great mentors but now have become great partners and even better friends.”
What are you most looking forward to in the next steps of your career?
“As a native of Alabama, I am excited about delivering high-quality surgical care to not only the city of Birmingham but to the entire state. Through the leadership of our department, we are uniquely positioned to care for not only our local community but also for the underserved portions of the state of Alabama and our surrounding region.”
What advice would you give a current surgery trainee?
“Take advantage and learn from of every opportunity, every case, and every patient interaction. Learn how to enjoy the journey and realize what a privilege we have as surgeons to care for patients.”