Dr. James Watson joined the Department of Medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine as an instructor in July 2019. He was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia and graduated from the Collegiate School in 2002. He went on to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Commerce with Concentrations in Finance and Accounting at the University of Virginia (UVA). Dr. Watson graduated with distinction from the McIntire School of Commerce at UVA in 2006 and accepted a position as an investment banking analyst in the Healthcare Services Group of Wachovia Securities in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2006. There he worked on merger and acquisition advisory and debt and equity financing transactions for large healthcare services organizations. After three years in banking, Dr. Watson decided to switch careers and pursue medicine. He moved back to Richmond, Virginia where he enrolled in and completed a Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Health Sciences Certificate Program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). While completing medical school pre-requisite courses, he worked as a lab specialist and research fellow in the lab of Dr. Kristoffer Valerie, Ph.D. at the VCU Massey Cancer Center in the Department of Radiation Oncology. His project centered around the role of PP2A in AKT signaling by ATM in the radiation-induced DNA damage response. In 2012, he enrolled in medical school at VCU School of Medicine (VCU SOM). He was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha in August 2014. In May of 2016, he graduated from the VCU SOM and was recognized with the Dean’s Award for Academic Achievement. He went on to complete his internship and residency in Internal Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis / Barnes-Jewish Hospital from 2016-2019. During residency, Dr. Watson enjoyed exposure to many subspecialties, but ultimately discovered a passion for taking care of patients with a broad spectrum of disease in the inpatient setting. He joined the faculty as an instructor in the Department of Medicine in the Division of Hospital Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine / Barnes-Jewish Hospital in July 2019. In addition to caring for patients, Dr. Watson looks forward to continued opportunities for teaching and mentoring medical students and residents. He was formerly a swim coach of nearly ten years and a teaching assistant in both anatomy and organic chemistry. During his free time, he enjoys yoga, running, traveling, and sampling St. Louis restaurants with friends.