He was a medical educator, particularly in surgical residency training, and was known for his research in orthopedics, intestinal obstruction, and vascular surgery.
He was appointed first Professor and Chief of Surgery at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1925 where he served until his death in 1952 from a hemorrhagic stroke.
While at Hopkins, he worked for two years as a high school science teacher to supplement the cost.
He did his internship in surgery under William Halsted but was not offered an appointment as surgical resident, so he completed his residency at The Barnes Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, after which he joined the surgical staff at Washington University School of Medicine.
At both at Washington University and Vanderbilt, Brooks established productive laboratories in surgical pathology.