Clinical Faculty Services

Core Clinical Faculty

Members of the core clinical faculty are an integral part of the overall educational experience delivered by the West Virginia University Department of Surgery/Charleston Division, as they have contributed to the department’s mission for many years. Their teaching expertise adds and complements many of the activities undertaken by the department’s surgeons in all areas of surgery. Their consistent presence adds value to the conferences and lecture series, and their instruction in clinical situations provides residents and students with an opportunity to see a larger volume and variety of surgical problems.

The clinical faculty members are in sync with the University’s Department of Surgery in all areas of patient care, from procedural standards to quality measures, and they are actively involved in the development of the competencies surgical residents must acquire during their training.

General Surgery

Stacey Copeland, MD, FACS
Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery
Breast and General Surgery 

Dr. Copeland is a Board Certified surgeon with an appointment in the School of Medicine, whose expertise is focused in the diagnosis and treatment of Diseases of the Breast and in General Surgery. She is consistently involved in teaching medical students and residents. She is also involved in the hospital-wide system of quality assurance through her membership in the Peer Review Committee, and she is a member of the decision-making leadership group responsible for the operations of the Breast Center.


Roland E. Hamrick, Jr., MD, FACS
Clinical Associate Professor of Surgery
General, Vascular and Breast Surgery

Dr. Hamrick is a Board Certified General surgeon with an appointment in the School of Medicine, whose many accomplishments have added significant value to the experience of students and surgical residents rotating through his service. He has expertise in general, vascular, laparoscopic and breast surgery. Four times he has been the recipient of a distinguished award given to the surgeon contributing the most to resident education. His educational skills have impacted a large number of graduates during the 29 years that he has consistently served as a member of the teaching faculty.

Edward H. Tiley, MD, FACS
Clinical Professor of Surgery
General, Vascular and Breast Surgery

Dr. Tiley is a Board Certified surgeon with an appointment in the School of Medicine, who is among the most experienced minimally invasive experts in the community. He has a vast experience performing robotic and laparoscopic repair of hiatal hernias, among others, and he is equally adept treating patients with general and breast surgical diseases. He is closely involved with the teaching of residents and medical students, an endeavor which he has regularly adhered to for over 20 years.

Maxillofacial and Oral Surgery 

David P. Wise, MD, DDS
Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery
Director, Facial Surgery Center, Charleston-WV

Dr. Wise is a Board Certified surgeon and dentist with appointments in both the School of Medicine and Dentistry and significant expertise in Facial Surgery who has been supporting trauma services and providing patients with specialized assistance since 1996. He has offered educational opportunities to general surgery and dental residents since his arrival in Charleston. His educational credentials are enhanced by his many contributions to the medical staff through scientific presentations and publications. “I enjoy teaching and feel that there is always something new to learn,” says Dr. Wise.

Bruce B. Horswell, MD, DDS, MS, FACS
Clinical Assistant Professor of Surgery

Dr. Horswell is a Board Certified surgeon and dentist with appointments in both the School of Medicine and Dentistry, who consistently contributes to the educational mission of the department through lectures and research. Dr. Horswell regularly produces scholarly journal articles and book chapters reflecting his expertise in maxillofacial issues, including trauma and complex and acquired facial deformities in children. His teaching credits include international appearances in South America, Australia, and dozens of invitations to lecture locally and nationally.

Neurosurgery


John Henry Schmidt, III, M.D., F.A.C.S.
Clinical Professor of Surgery


Dr. Schmidt is a neurosurgeon with an appointment in the School of Medicine who has been involved in the education of surgical residents and medical students for many years. He is a past Chief-of-Staff, and served as President of the West Virginia State Neurosurgical Society, President of the Kanawha County Medical Society and President of the West Virginia State Medical Association. His educational expertise has been recognized by his several nominations as the Clinical Faculty of the Year. At the core of his work is his interest in improving quality of care, an endeavor manifested through his involvement in a myriad of hospital committees. He has vast experience and knowledge in the treatment of head trauma. His contributions to the care of trauma victims are numerous, and his expertise is punctuated by his nationally recognized research: his innovative work in cerebral decompression was felt to be so significant that it was featured in the cover of the Journal of Neurosurgery in 2007.