Goodloe follows family path to emergency medicine

For Travis Bedsole Goodloe III, M.D., an emergency medicine physician at USA Health and an assistant professor of emergency medicine at the Frederick P. Whiddon College of Medicine, being an ER doc is in his blood. 

As a child, he listened to stories from his grandfather – Travis Bedsole Goodloe Sr., M.D. – about interesting patients and cases he encountered in the emergency department. His grandfather started in pediatrics, but he transitioned to emergency medicine during the infancy of the specialty, having never completed formal residency training in the field.

Goodloe’s path to emergency medicine continued to develop while he was an undergrad at Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia. During his freshman year, he took an Emergency Medical Technician-Basic course and became a certified EMT. He worked throughout college for the Prince Edward Volunteer Rescue Squad in Farmville, Virginia, as well as the Hampden-Sydney Volunteer Fire Department. 

Due to his experience in EMS, he matriculated into medical school at the Whiddon College of Medicine fairly certain that emergency medicine was going to be his career path. While a medical student, he was named to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society and received the Merck Award, given to the senior student who demonstrated superior academic achievement. He also received the Department of Emergency Medicine’s Award of Excellence for outstanding performance and academic excellence in emergency medicine. 

Goodloe received a medical degree from the Whiddon College of Medicine in 2020. He completed his residency training in emergency medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, followed by a one-year EMS fellowship at UTHealth Houston. 

Now, he’s back in his hometown of Mobile, excited to make a difference at USA Health and the Whiddon College of Medicine. 

“When my wife and I moved to Birmingham for my residency, we knew that we would ultimately return to Mobile,” Goodloe said. “We are both lifelong Mobilians, and this is the community where I have always wanted the impact of my career as a physician to be, just like my grandfather. 

“During my medical school years, I was continually impressed with the strides that USA Health was making as a health system. I wanted to be a part of that growth, and thus I am very happy to be back!”

Goodloe’s role will extend beyond the emergency department due to his extensive background and training in EMS. Over the next few weeks and months, he will be getting involved in the prehospital environment with many local EMS partners. 

“Being in a position to deliver emergent care/comfort to a patient during their most critical or desperate time is unique and a privilege not to be taken lightly,” he said. “I find these interactions incredibly rewarding, especially when we have the ability to positively affect a patient's life.”

Goodloe is a member of the American College of Emergency Physicians, the American Medical Association, the National Association of EMS Physicians, and the Medical Association of the State of Alabama.