The Journal of the Arkansas Medical Society Issue 1 Vol 115 | Page 8

by CASEY L. PENN
ROBERT LEE ARCHER, MD
F
orty years ago, Dennis Yelvington,
Joe Cloud, and I started medical
school,” said Lee Archer, MD, the
newest holder of the gavel as
your 2018-19 AMS President. “It’s been
quite a journey.”
Dr. Archer’s ongoing journey as a physician
began in the early 1980s. After attending the
University of Arkansas at Fayetteville on a track
scholarship, the science-minded young man
graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Natu-
ral Sciences and entered UAMS Medical School
(1978). “I liked the idea of combining my love and
respect for science with personal interactions
with people,” recalled Dr. Archer on choosing the
field of medicine. “Every time I see patients, I am
drawing on the scientific aspects of their prob-
lems and the humanistic aspects of how I will
shape a treatment plan to fit their situation.”
AMS President-elect Dennis Yelvington, MD,
said of his medical school classmate, “Lee was
one of the smartest students in the class. He was
friendly and outgoing, and he had a serious side
to him that we all appreciated. He’s a very com-
passionate man. When he was a professor of neu-
rology, my mother was ill, and I chose him for her
to see. It was a great experience with his clinic. I
have a lot of respect for Dr. Archer.” Dr. Lee Archer of Little Rock, is sworn in as president
of the Arkansas Medical Society by immediate past
president, Dr. Amy Cahill of Pine Bluff.
Joe Cloud, MD, shared his fond memo-
ries, too. “I think I can speak for the class,” he
explained of being a first-year medical student. “Everybody’s a little nervous. When it came time
for election of officers, nobody wanted to step for-
ward. I did and was elected class president. BUT
8 • THE JOURNAL OF THE ARKANSAS MEDICAL SOCIETY
VOLUME 115