Catherine Watson, MD, has joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as an assistant professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, specializing in gynecologic oncology.

Watson completed her fellowship in gynecologic oncology at Duke University Medical Center. Previously, she saw patients in Memphis during her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), where she served as chief resident.

“Growing up, my mom had some health issues, so I watched her interactions with the healthcare system,” she said. “I also got to shadow a surgeon while in a high school mentoring program. I remember going into an operating room for the first times and just being amazed. I knew at that point that’s what I wanted to do.”

Watson grew up in South Carolina, received her undergraduate degree from Yale University and her medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. She worked at an AIDS hospice while attending college, which further confirmed her interest in medicine. She was awarded the highly competitive Felix Rutledge Gynecologic Oncology Fellowship – a one-month rotation at MD Anderson Cancer Center for third-year obstetrics and gynecology residents considering specializing in cancer treatment – then finished her fellowship at Duke.

“We are extremely fortunate to have Dr. Watson join the VUMC Division of Gynecologic Oncology. She is not only a great clinician surgeon but also a great educator and clinical investigator,” said Ronald Alvarez, MD, MBA, Betty and Lonnie S. Burnett Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.