Dr. Otis B. Rickman is a Board Certified Interventional Pulmonologist at Ascension Saint Thomas, where he directs Interventional Pulmonology and Bronchoscopy for the health system and is a founding partner of the Ascension Saint Thomas Chest and Lung Center. He also serves as a Professor of Clinical Education at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center.
Dr. Rickman is a highly accomplished physician, educator and administrator. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Biology (’94) and his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (’98) at Oklahoma State University. His advanced medical training included an internal medicine residency and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.
Immediately following his fellowship in 2004, Dr. Rickman joined the faculty at Mayo Clinic as a member of the advanced bronchoscopy and interventional pulmonology group. From 2009 to 2023, he founded and directed the interventional pulmonology section at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN.
His clinical work focuses on robotic bronchoscopy, lung nodules, lung cancer, pleural diseases, and interventional pulmonology, with clinical and translational research interests centered on medical devices, early diagnosis, and prevention of lung cancer.
Dr. Rickman is recognized internationally for his expertise in thoracic oncology, bronchoscopy and interventional pulmonology. He is a former member of the AABIP Board of Directors and has been repeatedly honored by the American College of Chest Physicians as a Distinguished CHEST Educator. He is actively involved in procedural education at local, national, and international levels.
His extensive expertise and commitment to advancing the field make him an invaluable asset to the medical community.