Carrie Watson, DO, FACOS

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Get to know trauma surgeon Dr. Carrie Watson, who serves patients in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

A well-versed physician specializing in trauma surgery, Dr. Watson is a part of the team of professionals at Piedmont General Surgery Associates in Rock Hill, South Carolina. She also serves as the Trauma Medical Director and ICU Co-Director at Piedmont Medical Center, Rock Hill.

Her services include general surgery, trauma surgery (instructor for Advanced Trauma Life Support) rib fracture chest wall stabilization, laparoscopic surgery, robotic surgery with special interest in ventral hernias, inguinal hernias, and colon resection, as well as surgical critical care.

“I hope to provide excellent surgical, trauma and critical care for my patients and their families. My goal is to create a safe environment based on communication and treatment of the whole patient. I am passionate about people and treat my patients as if they are family. Trauma and emergency general surgeries are unexpected; I meet people and their family members on the scariest and worst days of their lives. I want to bring comfort and hope on these darkest of days” according to her philosophy of care.

Originally from Sand Springs, Oklahoma, Dr. Watson graduated summa cum laude from the University of Oklahoma’s Honors College. Growing up with a foundation and appreciation for osteopathic medicine, she pursued her medical degree at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Georgia Campus. She completed residency at Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center in Toledo, Ohio, where she was nationally recognized through the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons with the 2016 Resident Achievement Award. She then completed her surgical critical care fellowship at the University of Florida Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Florida.

Prior to her arrival at Piedmont, Dr. Watson practiced at a busy Level II trauma center and served as an assistant professor of trauma and general surgery and as assistant program director for the surgical critical care fellowship in Ocala, Florida. She was honored in 2018 as Ocala Health’s Physician of the Year and twice selected by the general surgery residency to receive the Attending of the Year award, 2018-2019 and 2020-2021. 

A Fellow of the American College of Osteopathic Surgeons (FACOS), she is dual board-certified in general surgery and surgical critical care by the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery (AOBS). The AOBS is an organization that provides board certification to qualified Doctors of Osteopathic Medicine who specialize in the use of surgery to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

A strong supporter of women, Dr. Watson has participated on the planning committee for the Women in Surgery National Annual Conference. She emphasizes communication, comradery, and patient-centered care in her practice. She is dedicated to further advancing surgical and intensive care through active participation in clinical research as well as regional and national presentations.

Trauma surgery is a surgical specialty that utilizes both operative and non-operative management to treat traumatic injuries, typically in an acute setting. Trauma surgeons generally complete residency training in general surgery and often fellowship training in trauma or surgical critical care. They are responsible for treating bone fractures, cuts, internal injuries, burns, and shock. They also perform surgery to repair penetrating and blunt-force injuries.

In her spare time, Dr. Watson spends time with her family and friends. She loves to paint, dance, listen to music, read, and explore the outdoors with her two Labradors.

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