I was born in Pretoria, South Africa, and grew up on a large cattle ranch in the farming
community of the Northern Transvaal. I subsequently lived in the central region of
Southern Africa before relocating to the sub-tropical city of Durban, located on Africa’s
Eastern seaboard, on the shores of the Indian Ocean. I have also lived in Zurich,
Switzerland, for a brief period. In March 2020 I relocated to the United States to
be with my family and children who were already here in Tennessee.
In 1989, I completed two Batchelor’s Degrees at the University of the Free State (UFS),
the first in Medicine (M.B.), and the second in General Surgery (Ch.B.). After a year
of Military Surgery in 1991, I returned to the UFS to specialize in Plastic and Reconstructive
Surgery. I completed my third degree, a Masters in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
(MMED) in 1998 and after Board Certification relocated to Durban to commence private
practice. At the same time, I also registered with the General Medical Council (GMC)
in London. I was the director of my practice, Dr. Leon Dumas Incorporated, for just
over 22 years during which I performed more than 24 000 surgical procedures. These
cases included general plastic and reconstructive surgery, flap surgery, aesthetic
procedures, cosmetic surgery, burns surgery, and microsurgery. Over this period, I
also developed a particular interest in hand surgery due to my large caseload. During
the time that I spent in Durban, I was also a faculty member of the Department of
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the academic complex of teaching hospitals in
Durban.
In March 2020 I transitioned to the United States to join my family and children here
and joined Quillen College of Medicine (QCOM) at East Tennessee State University as
an Assistant Professor. I commenced a full MBA in 2020 and will finalize the degree
in the fall semester. I currently serve as the Vice-President on the Faculty Advisory
Committee of QCOM.
I am affiliated with the Department of Medical Education (DME) at QCOM, and as such
my principal responsibility is the education of our students. In this regard I am
involved in teaching both the traditional CBL and new PBL programs of the TRAILS curriculum.
I am actively involved with the promotion of the anatomy program; both in a teaching
capacity with the M1 and PT students, as well as with advanced anatomic research for
the development of future surgical procedures. Within this scope of practice, I am
associated with the exciting new Center for Surgical Innovation and Training (CSI&T)
which will undoubtably revolutionize the way that surgical procedures are taught,
and future surgeons are trained. Beyond my clinical responsibilities I also perform
graduate academic duties in the way of teaching several different surgical electives
for the M4 students. Electives are provided in anesthesia, gynecology, general surgery,
vascular surgery, hand surgery and minor surgical procedures for general practice.
I additionally function as an instructor for the Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS)
and Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS) programs and am associated with the Center
for Excellence.
When not in the office you will find me off-roading with my trusty old Land Rover,
hiking, camping, fishing or busy with photography. Looking forward to meeting you
— please feel free to contact me via my e-mail address above.