DR. WHO?
MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
STUART URBACH, MD
Aaron Burch
S
tuart Urbach, MD, has lived a jam-packed life. He was a solo
practice doctor in the hills of Eastern Kentucky, worked in
the Air Force during the Korean War, has taught Internal
Medicine to generations, remains on the cutting edge, and has raised
three children with Sherrie, his wife of nearly 60 years.
At 92, he’s more active than many men half his age. He volunteers
at the VA each month, mentors at the U of L medicine clinic, practices French horn daily and plays in two bands. Despite a successful
career of some 60 odd years in medicine, Dr. Urbach came into the
field of health care almost by accident.
“My dad wanted me to be a farmer. He thought they had a good
life, and he liked the outdoors. I went to UK, had some seminars
with the farm boys while I was in high school, worked on farms
all summer long. And, I learned that way that I didn’t want to be a
farmer,” he laughed.
However, chemistry and physics came naturally to Dr. Urbach
as a young man. With good grades in those, his advisor suggested
medical school. “He told me that I could get in and I said ‘Okay,
put me down.’ It was that simple.”
There had been no doctors in the family yet. The Urbachs moved
from Louisville to Lexington when Stuart was seven. They, with his
younger sister Adele, lived on the last street in Lexington near where
Commonwealth Stadium stands today. Dr. Urbach’s dad, Leon, sold
life insurance and took care of a large grape arbor while his mom,
Rosa, taught piano.
“After school, there was always a parade of students coming to
my house to play piano. I had piano lessons but I can’t say I played
piano. In 7th grade, I wanted to play in the school band. The director
gave me a baritone that I played for a few years. But, a few years
later, someone suggested I try French horn since it was a cultured
classical instrument. I did that all through high school and college.”
Following pre-med classes at UK, Dr. Urbach came to study at
the U of L School of Medicine and graduated in 1947.
“It was pretty different back then. We had just two full time faculty,
and volunteer physicians from the city would come and give lectures.
There was an elective course put on by a general practitioner from a
small town. It was called ‘How to Start a Rural Practice for $1,000.’
You didn’t even need an internship. You could start a practice right
out of medical school.”
Several of his classmates moved to the coal towns of Eastern
Kentucky where there was a huge doctor shortage. Dr. Urbach had
his eye on Letcher County on the southeast tip of the state. He went
to the Dean of the School of Medicine to get his thoughts.
“I asked the Dean if he thought I was ready to do that. He said
‘Well you’re four years ahead of anyone else there.’ I said, ‘Okay.’ I
guess I was ready,” he laughed.
Living and working in Letcher County was a new experience
for Dr. Urbach. The mountainous region was still lacking in roads,
and telephones were prone to going out in bad weather. Also, most
everyone was armed.
“The chief of police became one of my patients. He asked, ‘What
kind of gun are you carrying? I said I wasn’t. He said, ‘What? Aren’t
you a Kentuckian by nature?’ Everybody had a gun. There was a
shotgun lying inside the door in every home just about. So he took
me back to the police station and had me raise my right hand. He
made me a deputy sheriff and gave me a revolver.”
The two men went shooting on Sundays, aiming at bottles in the
creek. The sheriff kept the target practice close to town, knowing
word would get out of the doctor and police chief practicing together.
Although Dr. Urbach never intended to or, thankfully, had to use his
new tool, it still was a measure of comfort in the near-wilderness.
“I’d get called to come after dark. I’d have to go up to the house
(continued on page 30)
Editor’s Note: Welcome to Louisville Medicine’s member spotlight section, Dr. Who? In the interest of simply
getting to know each other as a society of colleagues, we’ll be highlighting random GLMS physicians on a
regular basis. If you would like to recommend any GLMS physician member to the Editorial Board for this
section, please e-mail [email protected] or call him at 736-6338.
DECEMBER 2016
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