Meet Dr. Andrew Metzger

Dr. Andrew K. Metzger

Dr. Metzger was born in Redondo Beach, Calif., and grew up in Camarillo, California. He graduated from Stanford University in 1987 with a bachelors of science degree in biological sciences. He earned his medical degree from the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine in 1992. During his medical school training he became interested in neurological surgery through brain tumor research performed in the laboratory of Dr. Philip Cogen in the UCSF Brain Tumor Research Center (BTRC). He spent an additional year in medical school doing brain tumor research under the support of a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Medical Student Research Training Grant and received additional support from HHMI for the remainder of his medical school. Dr. Metzger stayed at UCSF for post-graduate training, and completed a surgical internship in the Department of Surgery in 1993 and a residency in the Department of Neurological Surgery at UCSF in 1998. In addition, Dr. Metzger completed postgraduate training in the UCSF Department of Neurological Surgery, where he received advanced training in Gamma Knife Radiosurgery.

After completing his postgraduate training, Dr. Metzger joined the faculty at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio where he was an Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery and Radiation Oncology. He served as Director of the Surgical Neuro-Oncology and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery Programs at University Hospitals of Cleveland. He was also a member of medical staff at Southwest General Health Center in Middleburg Heights, Ohio and Louis Stokes Veterans Administration Hospital in Cleveland. While at Case Western Reserve University, Dr. Metzger was involved in medical student teaching and residency training, and he maintained a research laboratory which investigated the molecular genetics of malignant brain tumors.

Dr. Metzger competing in the 2014 Boston Marathon. His marathon PR is 2:52:58 at the 2015 Boston Marathon.

Dr. Metzger has practiced neurosurgery in New Mexico since 2001. He initially practiced with Drs. Hal Hankinson and Mark Erasmus at New Mexico Neurosurgery. He opened his own practice, Southwest Neurosurgical Associates, in February of 2004. He performs surgery at Presbyterian Hospital, Lovelace Medical Center - Downtown, and New Mexico Surgery Center Multispecialty. Dr. Metzger is the Medical Director of the Gamma Knife Center of New Mexico.

Dr. Metzger’s professional affiliations include membership in the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and the Leksell Gamma Knife Society. His awards and distinctions include the 1997 Resident Award from the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and the 1997 Preuss Research Award from the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Metzger is board-certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Metzger enjoys being with his family and outdoor sports like skiing and distance running. He enjoys training for and competing in marathons and has run the Big Sur International Marathon, Philadelphia Marathon, New York City Marathon, Chicago Marathon, and Boston Marathon.