Urology community mourns Dr. Resnick

Martin Resnick, MD, who chaired the department of urology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland and headed several national urology associations, died of complications of acute myeloid leukemia on June 24.

Dr. Resnick began teaching at Case and treating patients at University Hospitals in 1981. He previously taught at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC, where he had earned a medical degree in 1969. During his career, Dr. Resnick served as AUA president from 2003 to 2004, and as president of the American Board of Urology from 2002 to 2003.

He earned numerous honors for his dedication to raising the status of the field of urology in the medical world and to the public. He received AUA’s Gold Cystoscope Award in 1985 and its Distinguished Past Scholar Award in May. He also received the Société Internationale d’Urologie’s Distinguished Career Award and the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons’ Spence Medal for 2007.

Dr. Resnick was the founding editor of Contemporary Urology, and served as editor of the Journal of Urology, a post he held from 2004 until the time of his death.

He wrote about his illness in a series of recent Journal of Urology editorials, including one published in the July 2007 issue (J Urol 2007; 178:9).

“First and foremost, I believe I am fortunate to have a wonderful family and group of friends who provide overwhelming support,” Dr. Resnick wrote. “A caring wife, two children and their spouses, several grandchildren and many friends are always there for me. What surprised me was the hundreds of cards I received from patients I cared for over the years; all waiting for me to return to work and be their physician again.”

Dr. Resnick is survived by his wife, Vicki Ann; sons, Andrew and Jeffrey; three grandchildren; and a sister.