Bucs Go Beyond: Doug Taylor

Doug Taylor’s legacy at ETSU lives on through every graduate of the Quillen College of Medicine over the past 50 years.

Since joining ETSU in 1974 and moving to the College of Medicine in 1978, Taylor has been part of the admissions process for every student admitted to the college – working under seven of the university’s nine presidents. And though Taylor transitioned from his longtime role as Associate Dean for Admissions and Records in 2024, he remains part of the college’s leadership team working closely with Dean Dr. Bill Block and the college’s alumni.

Over his time at ETSU, he’s met and worked with nearly 3,000 students – including Dean Block, one of the many graduates of the college Taylor recruited.

“I met Doug 37 years ago when he was introducing me to Quillen and recruiting me to be a student here,” said Block. “It’s impossible to overstate the impact that Doug has had on Quillen and health care for the region.”

The Quillen College of Medicine was established to help bolster the region’s health care system by graduating excellent, highly trained physicians with a focus on rural and primary care, and Taylor has been central to helping the college meet its mission to improve health care in Appalachia.

Because of people like Taylor, the college is one of the nation’s leading schools for rural medicine and primary care training, an honor consistently recognized by U.S. News and World Report.

Many of the college’s graduates elect to remain in our region after graduating, taking care of our area’s population to the tune of more than 400,000 patient visits each year – and millions of dollars in uncompensated care.

Taylor credited the college’s success to the culture built inside Stanton-Gerber Hall – a culture built on teamwork.

“The College of Medicine functions as one big team,” said Taylor. “We all have our roles, but ultimately we’re one team that’s focused on training physicians, and that’s why we call it the ‘Quillen Family.’”

“I like to say that, even in a leadership position, nobody worked for me – we all worked together,” Taylor added.

Ultimately, it’s the connections he’s built with others during his time at ETSU that have kept him here for nearly the entirety of his adult life.

“What’s kept me here over the 50 years are the people that I’ve gotten to work with, and there’s no better place on earth than this one right here and I fully believe that,” said Taylor. “ETSU is a great place. It’s got great leadership and great people, which is the most important thing. It gives you what you need. It lets you grow because if you’re not changing, you’re falling behind.”

By Jonathan Roberts   |   Photo by Charlie Warden