Dr. Robert (Rob) Minkes brings over twenty years of healthcare leadership experience and is passionate about educating and empowering the next generation of physicians to realize their dreams and potential to become compassionate physicians and leaders. Dr. Minkes believes in the power of coaching partnerships that foster new and healthy perspectives. Dr. Minkes joined Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine in July 2023 as a founding faculty member and professor of surgery and anatomy and now serves as the Department of Specialty Medicine Chair. Dr. Minkes is a board-certified general and pediatric surgeon who has experience in both academic and private practice. He provided leadership to help open two hospitals: Children’s Medical Center in Plano and Golisano Children’s Hospital of Southwest Florida. Dr. Minkes most recently served as the System Medical Director for Adult Specialty and Surgical Services at Lee Health in Fort Myers, Florida, and supported leadership development, financial recovery, and alignment to the care continuum and value transformation. Dr. Minkes was responsible for clinical and patient experience initiatives, recruiting and onboarding, performance evaluation, and peer support programs.

Dr. Minkes grew up in Miami, Florida, and received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Miami. He attended Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, earning a Ph.D. in pharmacology in 1991 and his medical degree in 1992. He completed his general and pediatric surgical training at Washington University in St. Louis. He previously served as Chief of Pediatric Surgery for Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center and Professor of Surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas. Dr. Minkes received his Master of Science in Leadership and Organizational Development from the University of Texas at Dallas and earned certificates in Transformational Leadership and Executive and Professional Coaching He is an International Coaching Federation credentialed coach.