Mel Barclay, M.D., Associate Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, will complete his retirement furlough on January 31. 2003, after a remarkably productive career as teacher, mentor and clinician. Mel Barclay was born in Detroit. Michigan in on January 27, 1942. He graduated from Mumford High School in Detroit in 1959. He completed his undergraduate education at Wayne State University in 1965 and received his medical degree from Wayne State University in 1967. From 1967 to 1968, he completed a rotating "O" at Detroit General Hospital and, subsequently, successfully served his residency in obstetrics and Gynecology at Sinai Hospital from 1968 to 1971. From 1971 to 1973, Dr. Barclay was a Major in the United States Air Force serving at the United States Air Force Medical Center, Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Mississippi. In 1973, he joined the faculty in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan as an Instructor. In 1977 he was promoted to Assistant Professor and achieved the rank of Associate Professor with tenure in 1982.

Dr. Barclay has directed the efforts of medical student teaching in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Michigan for over 20 years. He has been responsible for all rotational activities at the University of Michigan and curricular development. Dr. Barclay organized the Longitudinal Primary Care rotation for fourth year medical students. In recognition of his efforts the University of Michigan Medical School awarded Dr. Barclay the 1999 Kaiser Permanente Award for Excellence in Teaching in the Clinical Phase. Dr. Barclay has been involved in institutional medical student activities. He has served on numerous committees including the Component III and IV Curriculum Committee, the Comprehensive Clinical Assessment Committee, the Medical School Curriculum Evaluation Advisory Committee, Curricular Policy Committee and the Medical School's Primary Care Medical Student Education Committee. As a result of Dr. Barclay's dedication to education, there now exists a webpage which contains images of gross pathology to enhance the learning and teaching activities for students. As part of the University of Michigan third year Seminars in Medicine series, Dr. Barclay worked with a local attorney, Richard Boothman, to design a mock medical malpractice suite against the entire third year class. This experience was noted to be a very enlightening and beneficial exercise in beginning to understand the impact that legal issues play in the practice of medicine. For the past 13 years, Dr. Barclay has directed the MedNet Conference system, which has had over 75,000 interactions with medical students and faculty. He is nationally known for his introduction of various computer oriented teaching activities to the third year medical students and this work has been presented at national meetings including the Association of Professors of Gynecology and Obstetrics (APGO). Dr. Barclay has been twice (1992, 1995) chosen to receive the APGO Excellence in Teaching Award. He has served on the APGO Committee on Undergraduate Education, Task Force on Ethics in Undergraduate Medical Education, and the Testing and Technology Project. As a member of the NBME-APGO CBX Ad Hoc Advisory Committee, he was instrumental in developing the NBMEAPGO multiple-choice examination. Throughout all the above, Dr. Barclay has maintained an active clinical practice with a devoted patient base and has provided outstanding resident teaching, three times winning the department's prestigious Silver Speculum Award.

In retirement, Dr. Barclay will continue to support the University of Michigan through his continued effort in the teaching and clinical activities of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology.