Dr. James Joseph Hamilton, MD

Dr. James Hamilton’s fascination with surgery began at an early age. As a child in the small Western Kansas town of WaKeeney, he often followed his physician father on ward rounds and house calls. In high school, Jim and his best friend developed anesthesia and surgical techniques that allowed them to successfully remove a kidney from each of 6 white rats in order to measure the enlargement of the other kidney over time. All six of the rats survived. This experiment earned Jim an expenses paid trip to the National Youth Science Camp in West Virginia. Jim graduated valedictorian of his high school class of 1973 in WaKeeney, where he lettered in football and basketball. Jim attended Kansas State University, graduating Magna cum Laude with the highest GPA in chemistry in the Class of 1977. He was a member of Blue Key, Phi Beta Kappa, and Phi Kappa Phi, and was chairman of the Academic Affairs Committee of the Student Senate. He was chosen to represent Kansas State as the faculty’s nominee for the Rhodes scholarship. Dr. Hamilton was accepted by early decision for admission to the University of Kansas School of Medicine, where he was elected President of the Medical Student Assembly, and served as President of Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society. Jim won class awards in Pharmacology and the History of Medicine, and received a Dean’s Recognition award for outstanding service to the School of Medicine. As his fiancée was completing her master’s degree in organ at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, Jim decided to follow his heart back East for a surgical residency at the New England Deaconess/Harvard Surgical Service. While a resident at Harvard, Dr. Hamilton served as Exchange Registrar in general and vascular surgery at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Jim also developed an orientation program for new surgical interns, the first program of its kind in the Harvard system. After finishing as Chief Resident, Dr. Hamilton returned to Kansas to join Dr. Robert McElroy in Topeka. Shortly thereafter, Jim accepted a fellowship in liver surgery at the University of Bern in Switzerland, where he studied advanced techniques of liver resection and participated in the liver transplant program. Jim cared for patients and taught medical students using the German language. Inspired by the ability of the Swiss to speak several languages fluently, Dr Hamilton and his wife spent three months in Paris studying French before returning to Topeka and an anxious Dr. McElroy. Dr. Hamilton has seen his Topeka partnership with Dr. McElroy grow from two surgeons into the five surgeons of St. Francis General, Vascular & Bariatric Surgery at Tallgrass. Jim is board certified in Surgery, and is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Hamilton enjoys teaching, and serves as Associate Clinical Professor of Surgery at the University of Kansas School of Medicine, where he is director of the surgical residency program in Topeka. Jim has also served as the Surgical Course Coordinator for the Family Medicine Residency Program of Topeka. He is currently the chair of the Advocacy Committee of the national Commission on Cancer for the American College of Surgeons. Dr. Hamilton’s surgical interests include liver and pancreas surgery, as well as general, pediatric, vascular, bariatric and laparoscopic surgery. Jim loves to sing, and is a member of the Topeka Festival Singers. He is often caught singing in the operating rooms and hospital halls or at the bedsides of his patients. As a father of three, he spends his free time at his children’s activities, musical performances, or as a member at Grace Episcopal Cathedral.