things and really challenging yourself . You see along the way that enthusiasm leaks over to the people you ’ re around . I ’ m grateful that in GLMS , my department and my state organizations , I ’ ve found enthusiastic mentors that keep me motivated and keep me pushing to be a better physician and surgeon for our patients .”
In addition to his mentors , he credits much of his success to his family .
“ I ’ m very blessed with love and support from my family . My mother and father taught me how to be humble , thankful and compassionate toward others . My wife has taught me so much about patience and my kids teach me every day about how to be a better person . If I ’ ve had any success in my profession or career , it ’ s because of things I ’ ve picked up from everyone around me ,” he said . “ As physicians , it ’ s easy to get caught up in the struggles , but if we go back to our roots and remember who gave us chances and how fortunate we are to be in these positions , it makes things seem not as daunting or challenging .”
While he loves his work , the best part of his day is coming home to see his wife and two daughters . “ My girls are the royalty of my life . They are my joy .”
After going to Philadelphia to get her master ’ s in clinical psychology , Stephania returned to Louisville . In 2007 , as they were getting very serious , Dr . Clark had an idea for a proposal that he thought would stand the test of time .
“ I was at a bachelor party , and I jumped out of an airplane . I knew I was close to asking her to marry me , so I thought that even if I died , at least she ’ d have video proof that I wanted to marry her . So I wrote ‘ MARRY ME ?’ on my hands in black Sharpie . As I jumped out of the airplane , they had someone filming me and they zoomed in on my hands and when I got back home , I asked her if she wanted to watch the video of me skydiving . As soon as she saw what was on my hands , I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me .”
They married in 2011 and later had two girls - Piper is 8 years old , and Harper just turned 6 years old . Like their parents , they ’ re into tennis as well as cross country and swimming , which keep them very busy but always laughing . They like to visit Stephania ’ s family in Aruba and recently they went to London , and all now have the travel bug , so they hope to continue discovering the world together . Locally , they like to go back to Dr . Clark ’ s parents ’ farm and spend time there .
“ My mom tills the garden and growing up , I used to plant in her garden . Now I see my daughters planting her garden with her , and it really hits home , it brings it full circle and I ’ m very thankful . Not everybody grows up with the blessings I had , the love and foundation that my family gave me . I thank my mother and father every day for that , and I ’ m lucky to have married someone who was given the same thing by her family . We gel really well together because of that shared experience .”
Dr . Clark is very into triathlons and especially loves cycling . He ’ s done a couple of half Ironmans ( with potential for a full Ironman in the distant future ) and completed the Kentucky Century Challenge , which is five bike rides over 100 miles in length in one year .
Looking forward , he knows that he wants to continue to develop his leadership skills , medical student education and advocacy for the profession within the state and nationally . He wants to make sure to leave a legacy and a lasting impression on those he teaches and cares for .
“ Along the way , I ’ ve found that in my passion for teaching medical students and fellows and residents , it ’ s more than just what ’ s in the text books . It ’ s also about how to be involved and believing in something that ’ s bigger than yourself . Just helping the younger generation understand that they ’ re part of something bigger , and that we should all be looking to give back . In giving back , we ’ re keeping our specialty alive for patients and the next generation .”
You could say that from his beginnings as a college tennis player to his roles today as a physician advocate and leader , a strong drive to serve has always saved the match point for Dr . Clark .
Kathryn Vance is the Communication Specialist at the Greater Louisville Medical Society .
September 2023 29