Capt. (Ret.) Eric A. Elster, MD, FACS

Dr. Elster is dean of the School of Medicine at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) in Bethesda, Maryland, and executive vice president for USUHS medical affairs, where he leads medical education for more than 700 uniformed medical students and 400+ civilian and military graduate students, overseeing extensive research in various medical fields. Previously, Dr. Elster served as chair and the Norman M. Rich Professor of Surgery at USUHS and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He also directed the Surgical Critical Care Initiative, a program focused on developing clinical decision support tools.

Dr. Elster earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of South Florida in Tampa as a recipient of the US Navy’s Health Professional Scholarship Program. Upon graduation, he completed a general surgery residency at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, completed a transplantation fellowship, and directed a research program focused on trauma, transplantation, and advanced operative imaging.

His career includes service with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and deployment as a ship’s surgeon aboard the USS Kitty Hawk during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Dr. Elster's last deployment was as a surgeon and director of surgical services at the NATO Role 3 Military Medical Unit in Kandahar, Afghanistan.

Dr. Elster has co-chaired the Military Health System Strategic Partnership ACS, authored more than 250 scientific manuscripts in leading journals, and received research grants in various surgical areas.