Meet the 2018-2019 CHEST President, Clayton Cowl, MD, MS, FCCP

By: Kristin Crowe

October 26, 2018

At CHEST 2018 in San Antonio, Texas, Clayton Cowl, MD, MS, FCCP, of the Mayo Clinic officially became CHEST President after the term of John Studdard, MD, FCCP, of Jackson Pulmonary Associates. Dr. Cowl began his CHEST membership as a fellow and has continued his work with the organization for over 20 years; during this time, he has participated in almost all areas of the college including the CHEST SEEK™ Editorial Board and the CHEST Enterprises Board.  

“CHEST is a very welcoming organization that allows members to become fantastic educators through diverse thought and opinion,” says Cowl. “…Ultimately, the reason we work on projects, such as coming up with innovative ways to teach and educate, is to teach clinicians how to communicate with patients and how to work better as a team.”

As a clinician who loves innovation and is always thinking of new ideas that can be brought to life through teamwork and collaboration, Dr. Cowl’s hope during his year as CHEST President is to be an innovator and to explore how education is delivered. He plans to examine how the organization can raise the bar in presenting new areas of research, along with getting CHEST membership more involved in the array of programs in the organization.

“CHEST isn’t just about attending the annual meeting or a board review course; CHEST offers a pallet of programs to enhance practices around the world and provide tips on how to survive a changing medical environment, and overall, how to be better providers.”

On Monday, October 8, Dr. Cowl became CHEST President during the opening session at CHEST 2018. During his speech, Dr. Cowl encouraged attendees to be aware of all of the crowds in their lives—giving an emphasis on his own family and colleagues, along with the CHEST crowd as a whole. He encouraged attendees and those listening at home to be thankful for the proverbial crowds in their lives and to be a leader in positive change every day. “CHEST is much bigger and much wiser than any one person.”

Dr. Cowl is optimistic about his year as CHEST President and striving to get heavier membership involvement and to build new, innovative ways to educate clinicians. “Together, we will create a culture of innovation that underscores the development of new programs that move our mission forward more effectively.”