Dr. James Bethea completed his undergraduate work at Davidson College with a Bachelor of Science degree in pre-medical studies in 1973. He subsequently enrolled at the Medical University of South Carolina, from where he received his M.D. in 1977, and where he completed his residency in 1982. Dr. Bethea spent most of his professional career practicing in Columbia, South Carolina, where he served as the president of the South Carolina Orthopaedic Association, the president of the Columbia Medical Society, and chairman of the Department of Orthopaedics at Providence-Palmetto Richland Hospital. He is a member of the Southern Orthopaedic Association, a former member of the board of councilors with the AAOS, and currently specializes in general orthopaedics and non-operative foot and ankle treatment.