The W.H. Lakey Years - 1976 to 1986

Dr. Bill Lakey was raised in Medicine Hat and graduated from the University of Alberta in 1953. He spent three years in a general surgery residency at the University of Alberta Hospital. In 1957, he was awarded the Royal College Medal for Surgical Research. Dr. Walter C. MacKenzie organized his 3-year Urology residency training at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, under Dr. Reed M. Nesbit. During his residency in Michigan, he became interested in chronic renal failure therapy and kidney transplant surgery. His residency in the United States allowed him to meet many American colleagues who became close friends for the rest of his career. Such exposure to American Urology was achieved by many of the young colleagues who trained and eventually practiced Urology in Alberta.

Dr. Bill Lakey

He returned to the University of Alberta in 1960 as the first full-time Urologist. He assisted Dr. Lionel McLeod in the establishment of the first Chronic Hemo-Dialysis Program in Canada in 1961.In 1967, he performed the first kidney transplant at the University Hospital. With the help of Dr. Rex Boake, Dr. John Dossetor and Dr. Phil Halloran, he developed the Kidney Transplant Program at the University Hospital. His interest in surgical research resulted in the Urology Residency Program, including one year of surgical research. He supervised Master of Science theses by, Dr. Malcolm McPhee in 1968, Dr. John Bishop in 1972, Dr. John Milner in 1973, Dr. Bruce Piercy in 1975, Dr. Bryan Donnelly in 1982 and Dr. Saul Gonor in 1983. Dr. Lakey was appointed Director of the Division of Urology in 1976, a position he held until 1986. With the substantial funding available for residency training in those years, an impressive group of residents completed their residency during his tenure. In 1979, he received the Alberta Achievement Award in Medicine from the Province of Alberta. A research laboratory to evaluate estrogen and androgen receptors in prostate disease was established in association with Dr. Nick Bruchovsky and Dr. William McBlain.

Dr. Lakey participated in the activities of the Canadian Urologic Association for many years, serving as Secretary for five years and as President of the Banff Meeting in 1980. Dr. Lakey represented the Urology Division for eight years as a member of the Council of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. He was elected to the membership of the prestigious American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons in 1974. In June of 1981, he was awarded the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Canadian Urological Association at its Joint Meeting of the American Urologic Association and Canadian Urological Association in Toronto. He was also awarded the Distinguished Service Award for the Department of Surgery at the University of Alberta in 1993. Dr. Lakey had a keen interest in Canadian art and served as President of the Board of the Edmonton Art Gallery in 1982 and 1983. He was also Chairman of the Government House Foundation for ten years, during which time he was helpful in obtaining a fine collection of early Alberta art that now hangs in the Government House collection. Following retirement as Chief of Urology at the University Hospital in 1993, he became Emeritus Professor of Surgery and moved to the Misericordia Hospital where he practiced for four years until his retirement in 1997.

Dr. Randy Abele graduated from the University of Alberta in 1972. He trained in the Urology Residency Program at the University of Ottawa and obtained his Fellowship in 1979. He spent one year at the Cleveland Clinic completing his graduate training. He established his practice in Edmonton in 1980, specializing in the management of erectile dysfunction and Peyronie’s disease.

Dr. Michael Allard was raised in Edmonton and graduated from the University of Alberta in 1968. After his internship at the Edmonton General Hospital, he served in the Canadian Armed Forces in Germany from 1969 to 1972. He entered the Urology Training Program at the University of Alberta in 1972 and obtained his Fellowship in 1977. He has practiced Urology at the Sturgeon General Hospital, the Charles Camsell and the Edmonton General Hospital since 1977. He has been on staff at the Royal Alexandra Hospital since 1993, where he served as President of the Medical Staff in 1994 & 1995.

Dr. Bryan Donnelly graduated form the University College, Dublin, Ireland in 1973. Following his year of internship and graduate training in General Surgery and Urology with Mr. Anthony Walsh. He completed one year of Research and a Master’s Thesis at the University of Alberta in 1982. He established his practice in Edmonton at the Misericordia Hospital and the W.W. Cross Cancer Institute in 1982. He became Chief of Urology at the Misericordia Hospital in 1987, and then Director of the Lithotripsy facility at the Misericordia. He was also interested in Uro-Oncology. In 1994, he moved to Calgary to continue his career.

Dr. Gary Lieskovsky was raised in Blairmore and Edmonton. He obtained his M.D. from the University of Alberta in 1973. After an internship at the University of Alberta Hospital, he entered the Urology Training Program in 1974, and completed with a Fellowship in 1978. He was a fellow at UCLA under Dr. Don Skinner for one year. He returned to practice Urology at the Royal Alexandra Hospital from 1979 to 1980. He then moved to Los Angeles in 1980 and worked under Dr. Don Skinner of the Norton Cancer Hospital of the University of South California. He has published numerous scientific articles and in 1997, was appointed to the Don G. Skinner Chair of Urology at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Dr. David Mador graduated from the University of Toronto in 1977. After his internship, he entered the University of Alberta residency program and obtained his Fellowship in 1983. He spent three months in a Fellowship at the University of Southern California under Dr. Don Skinner and Dr. Gary Lieskovsky, and three months in a Fellowship at Roswell Park under Dr. E. Pontes. He established a practice in uro-oncology in January of 1984 at the Royal Alexandra Hospital. He has participated in the development of oncology and was interested in medical administration, serving as Chief of Surgery at the Royal Alexandra Hospital.

Dr. J.B. Metcalfe graduated from the University of Alberta in 1973 and had a surgical internship at the University of Alberta Hospital. He entered a residency at the University of Oregon under Dr. Clarence Hodges. He completed his residency and obtained his Fellowship in 1978, then he spent one year in London under Mr. Richard Turner-Warwick in reconstructive Urology. He returned to practice with his father, Dr. J.O. Metcalfe, in Edmonton in 1979. He has developed a large pediatric practice and has been an excellent surgeon and teacher. He was appointed Chief of Urology at the University of Alberta Hospital in 1995.

Residents who graduated during the Dr. W.H. Lakey years include: