Medical training started well before medical school for Bob Souder, MD. Working in high school with his uncle Harold Alsobrook, MD, gave him a clear picture of the work ethic a medical career required and rather than diminish his interest, the experience only heightened it. After practicing gastroenterology in Jackson for over 35 years, Souder’s love for the career he chose to pursue in high school is as strong as ever.
Growing up in Alamo, Souder was a multi-sport star athlete who spent his junior and senior year of high school working in his uncle’s dermatology clinic on Saturdays and in the summer. “He knew I was interested in medicine and wanted me to know what the life of a doctor entailed. No matter what time I came in from football on Friday night, he got me at 6 am the next morning to round at the hospital and then we went to the clinic,” said Souder. “He taught me the basics like taking a patient’s history, about fungi and bacteria as well as let me look at skin disorders under a microscope. It was a real learning experience that taught me the discipline medicine requires.”
Not one to waste time, Souder finished his undergraduate studies in pre-med at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville in less than four years and received early admission to medical school. He chose the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences in Memphis. Halfway through his medical school training, Souder found himself faced with another learning opportunity that would help to shape his career in medicine.
“Midway through medical school students were given a three month break. Many classmates traveled during this time but I needed a job. I approached gastroenterologist Dr. Jeremiah Upshaw but was told he was not hiring students. I looked into several other jobs but no one wanted someone for just three months, so I asked Dr. Upshaw if I could just shadow him,” said Souder. “He had a patient with a gastrointestinal bleed due to esophageal variceal bleed. I made a suggestion of a new way to administer the medication based on my medical school training, the patient quit bleeding and I got the job.”
After graduating medical school at the age of 24, Souder completed his internal residency in 1977 at John Gaston Hospital (The MED) in Memphis. While he was accepted into fellowship programs for dermatology and gastroenterology, it was his time with Dr. Upshaw that tipped the scale for him. He remained in Memphis and completed his GI fellowship in 1979. He is board certified in both internal medicine and gastroenterology.
While he had offers to go to other places, Souder made the decision to practice in Jackson because it was close to family and at the time there were no board certified gastroenterologists there. “Dr. Clyde Smith, an oncologist, came with me and we started Medical Specialty Clinic,” said Souder. “At the time there were no board certified subspecialists in Jackson. We recruited Drs. Larry Carruth, Joe Blankenship, Charlie Hertz. Tom Ellis and Wood Deming. Dr. Ram Chary came to town a year later and started his own clinic. We purchased, along with seven other doctors, what is now the West Tennessee Surgery Center, which we later sold to Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.”
In 1990, Souder left Medical Specialty Clinic and founded TransSouth Healthcare. In 1992 it moved into its current site on Physicians Drive. Prompted by Bill Clinton’s office’s proposal that a referral from a generalist was required to see a specialist, Souder began opening primary care clinics in areas adjacent to Madison County. In 1994, a Certificate of Need was granted to add a surgery center and a digestive diseases clinic. Two surgeons were hired. A urology clinic and a hepatolgy clinic were also added. Souder was also instrumental in bringing Cancer Care Centers of America to Jackson, which was eventually acquired by Dr. Permenter.
“I felt we needed some competition in the area. It was good business at the time,” said Souder. “Today we have down-sized, the primary care clinics were sold last year and our focus is digestive disease. The clinic offers full service radiology and lab services, including CT. We have our own pathology lab that works in conjunction with GI Pathology in Memphis. We have connections with several different entities such as West TN Anesthesia so that our patients can really one stop shop with us for their GI needs.”
Souder attributes much of his success to those around him. “I have been blessed to have great people to work with, that work well together, take care of one another and are always willing to help. I honestly don’t know what I would do without them. I have over ten employees that have been with me for over 25 years,” he said. “I work primarily at Jackson General and being able to share call there with other GI doctors has been good. We cover for one another which allows us all to have a break and get some down time.”
Downtime for Souder includes family. He and his wife Ashley enjoy time at their place in Pickwick skiing and boating with family. Although he may not be actively involved in sports, Souder still makes time to work out. Two of his three children live in the Nashville area and one lives in Colorado. With three grandchildren under the age of two, Souder is busy playing granddad every chance he gets.
One may think that after 35 years in practice, Souder would be considering retiring – not so. “I still work 12-14 hour days. I love to talk to my patients many of whom I have known a long time and consider friends. Coming from a small town I think has helped me relate to my patients and I have always tried to make them feel comfortable,” said Souder. “I can honestly say I love medicine and I love what I do. I go to all the meetings I can so that I can stay current on all the new technology. I wake up every morning excited and raring to go. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t practice medicine and as long as I am healthy I don’t plan on finding out.
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