GREENVILLE, S.C. (April 23, 2025) – Dr. Marc Chetta, School of Health Professions faculty, is the 2025 South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities (SCICU) Excellence in Teaching Award recipient for Bob Jones University. He was recognized, along with honorees from each of SCICU’s member institutions, on Tuesday, April 22, in Columbia, South Carolina.
Dr. Chetta holds a BS in Zoology from Louisiana State University and earned an MD from Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center at New Orleans. He received the C.V. Mosby scholarship award from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine for graduating in the top 10% of his class. In 1981, he finished his family medicine residency program at the Tallahassee Memorial Regional Medical Center, where his peers and attending doctors selected him as chief resident from 1980-1981.
While a teaching resident, Dr. Chetta received the Parke-Davis Teacher Development Award, one of only 12 residents selected from across the entire country. During the first 10 years of his professional career, Dr. Chetta was in private practice in rural Mississippi and served as assistant clinical professor of Family Medicine at LSU for 7 of those years. In 1991, he became the ER medical director at Habersham County Medical Center in Georgia, and in 2005, with two colleagues, he formed Covenant Emergency Physicians, LLC and served as its president for six years.
He came to teach at BJU in January 2011. Dr. Chetta is widely praised for his dynamic teaching style, engaging storytelling, and deep personal investment in his students. His courses are rigorous yet deeply enriching, blending medical expertise with a biblical worldview. Students appreciate his ability to make complex concepts accessible as well as his encouragement and mentorship.
One student remarked, “Dr. Chetta does a fantastic job of presenting material in a fascinating and biblical way. He is very caring toward his ‘young professionals’ but also challenges us to work hard and learn effectively.” Another noted, “Even though the class is large, he asks questions to engage student thinking and provides great real-life examples from his experience as an ER doctor.”
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Chetta is known for his genuine compassion, humor, and unwavering commitment to student success. His impact extends far beyond academics, shaping the next generation of medical professionals with knowledge, integrity, and a Christ-centered perspective.
“Dr. Chetta has high expectations for students,” said Dr. Gary Weier, Provost, “but he doesn’t just hold them accountable. He supports and challenges them and helps them understand their potential is greater than they realize.”
BJU recognized Dr. Chetta at a luncheon with Dr. Crockett and the Dean’s Council on Monday, April 21, and he was honored at SCICU’s 2025 Excellence in Teaching Awards Dinner in Columbia in April. For a complete list of winners and event sponsors, visit the SCICU website.
