Tara Hughes, MD,

Board-Certified: American Board of Surgery Fellow: American College of Surgeons MD: University of Mississippi School of Medicine, Jackson, MS Surgical Residency: Complex General Surgical Oncology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN

Despite having no one in my family in the medical field, I knew from the age of 6 at my
first career day that I was meant to be a physician. I have always loved fixing things and
the field of surgery was a natural fit for me. During my surgical residency, I found that
the field of surgical oncology was the most rewarding experience of my surgical training.
I enjoyed the complexity of the operations and the challenge of finding a way to remove
tumors in difficult locations.


I completed two years of pancreatic cancer research at MD Anderson on an NIH T32
grant and two years of additional subspecialty training in complex surgical oncology at
the University of Tennessee with the goal of bringing top tier cancer knowledge back to
my home state. Mississippians should not feel like they need to travel out of the state to
receive specialized cancer care and it is my honor to bring my expertise back to my
hometown. Any new cancer diagnosis is a stressful and uncertain time. I consider it a
privilege to help guide patients and their families through this difficult journey and be a
part of their treatment team. The most rewarding part of my job is celebrating with my
patients after a successful cancer operation.

I live in Jackson with my husband and two sons. I enjoy spending time
with my family, reading and baking in my spare time.