Dr. Terrence Fullum

Terrence M. Fullum, MD, MBA, FACS, is Professor of Surgery at Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, DC. He is Chair, Department of Surgery, Surgeon-in-Chief, and Chief, Division of Minimally Invasive and Bariatric Surgery at Howard University Hospital. In addition, Dr Fullum is Medical Director of the Howard University Hospital Center for Wellness and Weight Loss Surgery, a “Center of Excellence” accredited program. Dr. Fullum is one of the country’s premier minimally invasive and bariatric academic surgeons and is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS).

Dr Fullum earned his medical degree at Howard University College of Medicine in 1983. He subsequently remained at Howard University Hospital under the Chair, Dr. LaSalle D. Leffall, Jr, where he completed an internship and residency in general surgery. Dr. Fullum then joined Surgical Care Associates, an elite private practice surgery group in Washington, DC under the leadership of Dr. Joel Stevens. In 1994, Dr Fullum received specialty training in advanced minimally invasive surgery from Dr James Rosser at Yale University College of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut. Dr. Fullum remained in  private practice in the DC area until 2006. After spending 2 years as assistant professor of surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Dr Fullum returned to his alma mater in 2008 as associate professor of surgery. He was subsequently promoted to professor in 2013 and obtained an MBA with a concentration in finance from Howard  University in 2015. Prior to becoming Chair, Department of Surgery in 2023, Dr. Fullum was Chief Medical Officer of the Howard University Faculty Practice Plan from 2019-2022. Dr. Fullum was also the Health Liaison to the Prince George’s County Council Board of Health from 2019-2023, where he worked with the County Council on health-related issues using their “Health in all policies” approach.

During his career, Dr. Fullum has developed or directed 6 bariatric programs in the DC metropolitan area with 4 programs obtaining a “Center of Excellence” accreditation status. Dr. Fullum has performed over 5000 bariatric and minimally invasive surgeries and has trained surgeons worldwide. In 2000, he founded the Diverse Surgeons’ Initiative to address disparities in surgical training of underrepresented minorities in medicine in the United States. Dr. Fullum has published over 70 manuscripts and book chapters on minimally invasive and bariatric surgery and has given over 200 invited lectures an presentations throughout the country and abroad.

Dr. Fullum was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in 2011. He was named one of Washington’s “Superdocs” by the Washington Post in 2012 and 2013 and has been recognized on two occasions as one of America’s Leading Physicians by Black Enterprises Magazine. He is also the recipient of the John Carroll Society Pro Bono Health Care Award, The Health Care Disparities Leadership Award, and The Leonard Tow 2012 Humanism in Medicine Award. Dr. Fullum has received numerous faculty-teaching awards at Howard University College of Medicine, including the Dr.Christopher DeGannes Outstanding Excellence in Teaching Award in 2013, 2014, 2016,and 2017 as well as the Distinguished Faculty Award in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Dr. Fullum is the past president of the Surgical Section of the National Medical Association (2010) and the past president of the DC Chapter of the American College of Surgeons (2014).

Currently, in addition to his academic and clinical appointments at Howard University, Dr. Fullum is president and chief executive officer of Quality Healthtech Solutions, LLC, a health care development, and management company involved in healthcare commercial real estate expansion in Prince George’s County, MD.