Ep. 83 Legends in Urology: Turning the Key of Kindness with Dr. Ralph Clayman

In this episode of Legends in Urology, Dr. Manoj Monga, chair of urology at UC San Diego, interviews Dr. Ralph Clayman, a world renowned minimally invasive urologic surgeon, about his path to medicine and perspectives on the future of urology.

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SHOW NOTES

First, Dr. Clayman speaks about his childhood in New Jersey and his extensive family background in medicine, which encouraged him to pursue a career as a physician. He attended Grinnell College in Iowa for undergraduate, then UC San Diego for medical school. Dr. Clayman then went to the University of Minnesota for his surgical residency. During his intern year, he decided to do a urology rotation and was drawn to the specialty instantly. He also explains how he met his wife in medical school and elements of a successful relationship.

Next, he defines success, which he believes is the ability to solve problems creatively and with humility. Dr. Clayman also speaks about the future direction of urologic surgery, which he believes points towards improving and expanding upon minimally invasive surgery and medications to treat common conditions, such as kidney stones.

Finally, he shares his life lessons he has learned, such as taking advantage of mentorship opportunities, delineating the separation of work and home life, and the importance of resilience.