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Erik Weitzel, MD

Specialist

Staff Otolaryngologist

Col(ret) Weitzel was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant to the Air Force in 1996 while attending University of Chicago’s Pritzker School of Medicine.  After obtaining his MD, he matriculated to Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas for his General Surgery Internship and Otolaryngology residency. In 2004, Dr. Weitzel joined the Otolaryngology Department at Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB.  Seeking further advancement, Col(s) Weitzel applied for and became the first OCONUS AFIT-funded surgical fellow.   In 2007, Dr Weitzel PCS’d to Adelaide, Australia to begin his fellowship training by PJ Wormald MD to become the first endoscopic skull base surgeon in the Department of Defense.  In 2008, Dr. Weitzel rejoined Wilford Hall’s faculty and enjoyed a rich academic experience to include promotion to Professor of Surgery at the Uniformed Services University of Health Science, Program Director of San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium (SAUSHEC) Otolaryngology, Flight Commander of 59MDOS/SGO2O ENT and Audiology, Chairman of JBSA Otolaryngology Department, and was the recipient of the prestigious SAUSHEC Gold Headed Cane award.  Dr. Weitzel also led the RESTOR™ Program (Restorative Endeavor for Service members Through Optimization of Reconstruction), whose mission is to advance the science of Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation (VCA), immunomodulation, and regenerative medicine to optimize reconstructive potential for injured service members.  Currently retired from the DAF in 2024, Col Weitzel continues his career as both a physician and scientist, structured as a part time faculty Rhinologist at the University of Texas Health, San Antonio and part time as a self-employed surgeon/scientist as President and CEO of OpMED, LLC whose mission is to translate scientific discovery to commercialized solutions.