As a teenager John Boxberger, MD, was an athlete who loved sports, especially basketball. He played on the high school team in his hometown of Austin Texas, as well as on the men’s basketball team during his college years at Trinity University in San Antonio.
“I’ve been involved in team sports my whole life and always enjoyed being part of a team,” explains Dr. Boxberger.
The team aspect is one of the things that drew Dr. Boxberger to become a General Surgeon. “Performing surgery is very much a team effort,” he says. “Being in the Operating Room and working together with the Scrub Tech, Anesthesia, and the nurses. It all appealed to me.”
Dr. Boxberger admits he took a “different path” to his eventual career in medicine. Originally planning to pursue a career in environmental economics, Dr. Boxberger spent time after graduating college reconnecting with family and working for a non-profit cancer research company in California. He moved to Kansas and worked in hospital administration. Dr. Boxberger respected the care and empathy he witnessed in the physicians.
“It was very inspiring to watch how the physicians connected with their patients when they were fragile and going through a difficult time. I appreciated their dedication and how much they wanted to help people,” recalls Dr. Boxberger. “It inspired me to go to medical school.”
Dr. Boxberger earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Long School of Medicine in San Antonio. He was drawn surgical care and completed his Residency in General Surgery at Brookwood Baptist Health in Birmingham, Alabama.
“With surgery, I like the instant impact you can have on someone’s life and the disease process,” he explains. “Especially with minimally invasive and robotic surgeries, patients have less pain and an earlier recovery, and that’s important.”
Dr. Boxberger recently joined Premier Surgical Associates in Cleveland, TN. He says he and his fiancé Neurologist Laura “Lizzy” Snider, MD, chose East Tennessee. “We wanted a place where we could set down roots and start a family,” smiles Dr. Boxberger. “We love that there are four seasons and the area is growing so fast!”
Dr. Boxberger is eager to start meeting patients and get involved in the community. “There are really good people here. Our surgeons, Drs. Dunn, Wenger, and Worthington are great guys! I’m excited to be part of the Premier Surgical team!”
He looks forward to meeting and caring for surgery patients in East Tennessee.
“I want them to know that my whole reason for being here is for them. I want to take as much time as needed to make sure they’re comfortable with their procedure. When someone is literally putting their life in your hands, it’s important to connect with them and help them understand the process completely.”
Dr. Boxberger is accepting new general surgery patients. To request an appointment with him, call Premier Surgical Cleveland at (423) 472-5423 or visit https://www.premiersurgical.com/premier-cleveland-appointment-request/.