Education
University of Virginia, B.A. 1986
University of Virginia, M.D. 1990

Personal
Dr. John Pilcher’s first priority is his patients: “Every patient meets with me directly and personally,” he says.

Born in Roanoke, Va., a town in a valley of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Dr. Pilcher is the first of three children. Now a father of four, he and his wife (who is a plastic surgeon) live in San Antonio.

After graduating from high school, Dr. Pilcher began what would be 13 years of advanced study at the University of Virginia. He earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry in 1986, then, with the help of an Air Force scholarship, went on to medical school. His M.D. was awarded in 1990.

Dr. Pilcher continued at UVa for his residency training in general surgery. During this five-year period, he trained intensively in the full range of surgical care, especially the practices of minimally invasive surgery, complex biliary surgery, surgical intensive care, and surgery for obesity.

Upon completion of surgery residency, Dr. Pilcher was selected to serve his Air Force duty at Wilford Hall Medical Center – the Air Force’s worldwide referral and medical training center – in San Antonio. On the staff at Wilford Hall, he was responsible for the care of a substantial volume of varied surgical problems, and for teaching surgical residents in the care of these patients. Based on these responsibilities and many hours of study, he progressed to achieve the status of Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery in February of 1996.

Currently, Dr. Pilcher enjoys seeking the balance in surgical care between the application of advanced technology and keeping a personal touch that ensures the patient and family are "on board" with the surgical plans.  His philosophy is to remain abreast of current developments, especially in the areas of laparoscopy and minimally invasive endocrine surgery, in order to achieve the maximum surgical benefit with mimimum surgical impact.