Roger P. Tatum, MD, FACS, is a board-certified surgeon, Chief of Surgery at VA Puget Sound,  a Professor of Surgery at UW School of Medicine, Associate Director of Medical Student Surgical Education and Chair of the UW's Elective Clerkship Committee.

Dr. Tatum has a particular interest in minimally invasive surgery, especially of the esophagus. He performs general and minimally invasive surgery, including anti-reflux surgery, hernia repair, gallbladder surgery, adrenalectomy, colorectal surgery, and diagnostic laparoscopy, among others. He believes that educating patients about their disease processes is vital, so patients fully understand what is being recommended and why. He stresses that all surgical decisions are the result of a partnership between the surgeon and the patient.

Dr. Tatum's research interests include esophageal motility disorders, GERD and minimally invasive surgery. He is deeply interested in medical student and surgical resident education, having served as the Director of Medical Student Surgical Education for the Department of Surgery from 2005 up until 2018, and has worked in the past with several Chinese universities to help reform their surgery training systems, as well as teaching minimally invasive techniques to surgical trainees in other countries.