D. Kay Clawson, M.D., a founding member of the American Orthopaedic Society of Sports Medicine, passed away on March 11, 2016 at the age of 88. Dr. Clawson was an orthopedic surgeon who served as dean of the University of Kentucky (UK) College of Medicine from 1975 to 1983.
Dr. Clawson is survived by his wife, Janet; a daughter, Dr. Kim Rosenstein of Lexington; a son, Dr. David Clawson of Seattle, and five grandchildren.
A celebration of his life is planned for this summer in Lexington, Kentucky.
Dr. Clawson, a native of Salt Lake City, was a graduate of Harvard Medical School. Prior to his time in Kentucky, Dr. Clawson was head of orthopedic surgery at the University of Washington for 17 years.
During his retirement, Dr. Clawson did private consulting for hospitals and medical schools. Since 1996, he had been a consultant at the UK College of Medicine.
For nearly 40 years Dr. Clawson was a mentor, colleague, and friend to Carol Elam, Ed.D. Dr. Elan told OTW, “I think his development of the clinical practice plan at Kentucky was his finest achievement at our institution. He was also a huge advocate of advancing the educational mission here at Kentucky. He was the driving force behind our annual New Faculty Development retreats, which were held annually at State Parks throughout Kentucky. These two-day events brought newly hired faculty together in a rural setting that gave individuals a sense of place in Kentucky.”
“At the retreat, institutional leaders would talk about the mission of the college and the role of UKCOM as a statewide health care provider. Time would be provided for educational activities including an overview of our medical curriculum and sessions on how to be a better teacher. Focused sessions addressing the promotion and tenure process were regularly presented. The overall retreat program was designed to provide new faculty with insight into the state, the College, and their own track to being successful in academic medicine. Informal time provided opportunities for developing relationships across the faculty who were appointed to all the departments in the medical school…often leading to research collaborations that continue today. In short, Dr. Clawson understood the importance of building community within an institution.”
“He was very encouraging of all medical education initiatives at Kentucky. He took pride in the atmosphere of innovation in education that was nurtured while he was dean. Through the work of the Office of Educational Development, nationally recognized initiatives in faculty development, curriculum, evaluation, and student support were implemented.”
Asked what she thinks he was most proud of, Dr. Elam commented, “I am not sure. But I think he was an incredible leader and visionary. He always had a sense of what he wanted to accomplish…and was able to identify and support the individuals who could help him implement his vision. He knew how to identify the right people to be on his team…and understood the power of teamwork.”
“Again, I think he would have been very proud of his work as the Chairman of the Association of American Medical Colleges. In 1989, he delivered the Chairman’s Address at the 100th Annual Meeting of the Association of American Medical Colleges. The Education of the Physician, a paper published in 1990 in Academic Medicine, addresses issues that continue to be pertinent today.”
“Dr. Clawson never lost his passion for work… and his desire to influence the next generation of physicians. As an Emeritus Professor, he joined the Admissions Committee of UKCOM where he served as a member for 21 years. He was inspired by the candidates he interviewed. He was a strong advocate of the applicants who he thought were well prepared in intellect and in passion for the profession. For those students who were not quite ready for the challenges of medical education, he offered them encouragement and targeted counseling, helping them to redress their areas of needed improvement. Numerous current students and graduates have shared with me that Dr. Clawson supplied them with encouragement and inspiration as they prepared for medical school, and that they were grateful that he shared his wisdom and demonstrated particular care for them as individuals.”
