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Richard M Peterson, M.D.

Professor

Chief Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery Director

Dr Richard Peterson obtained his Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in biology from the University of California, Riverside. He then went to obtain a Masters in Public health (MPH) at the East Stroudsburg University in East Stroudsburg, PA. He obtained his MD degree from the American University of the Caribbean. He completed his General Surgery residency at St. Agnes Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He then went on to pursue a fellowship in Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgery at the University of Southern California. This training had made him one of a selected few surgeons who perform a completely hand-sewn laparoscopic gastric bypass.

Following the completion of his training he entered into Active Duty service with the United States Air Force. He served two combat tours in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. During his time in the Air Force, Dr. Peterson served as Chief of Bariatric and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery at Wilford Hall Medical Center. He expanded the program to be the largest bariatric surgery program in the Department of Defense. He also served as the Consult to the Air Force Surgeon General on Bariatrics during this time. Dr. Peterson has consistently been selected by his fellow physicians as one of San Antonio’s Best Doctors.

Dr. Peterson serves as the Chief of Bariatric and Metabolic Surgery for UT Health San Antonio and is the medical director of the Christus Weight Loss Institute at Westover Hills.

Dr. Peterson is very active in Bariatric Surgery clinically and academically. He is a past president of the Texas Association for Bariatric Surgery (TABS) and has chaired several committees for the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Sugery (ASMBS) including the public Education Committee and the Communications Committee. He moderates and runs the largest online bariatric journal club on Facebook and serves as the Social Media Editor for Surgery for Obesity and Related Disease (SOARD), the official journal of the ASMBS.

Dr. Peterson has authored several textbook chapters on bariatric surgery, has published many peer reviewed articles and has presented nationally and internationally on bariatric surgery. He is a contributing author to the accreditation standards for bariatric surgery and serves as a national site surveyor for bariatric sugery center accreditation.

Dr. Peterson is fluent in Spanish, enjoys running and resides in San Antonio with his wife and two children.