2023 ARRS Gold Medal Awarded to Dr Bernard F King, Jr
The American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) has awarded the 2023 ARRS Gold Medal Award to a former president of the association, Bernard F King, Jr, MD, FACR, FSAR.
Dr King is a Professor Emeritus in the department of radiology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Dr King received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame and his medical degree from the Washington University School of Medicine. He completed an internship in internal medicine at Indiana University Medical Center, then served two years in the Public Health Service in South Dakota. He returned to Indianapolis to complete a residency in radiology at the Indiana University Medical Center, where he served as chief resident. With the guidance of Indiana University radiology department chair, Dr Eugene Klatte, Dr King went on to complete a fellowship in genitourinary radiology at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Dr King joined the staff of Mayo Clinic in 1988 as a genitourinary radiologist. Along with Dr Robert Hattery and Dr Med James at Mayo, Dr King's early research into Doppler ultrasound evaluation of vasculogenic impotence led to the Gold Medal in Scientific Exhibits at the 1990 ARRS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC.
Under the guidance of Mayo Clinic’s Dr Glenn Hartman and Dr Byrn Williamson, Dr King and others began an effort to highlight the proper recognition and treatment of contrast media reactions. These efforts were instrumental in establishing the Mayo Clinic Advanced Radiology Life Support Course (ARLS). Under then ARRS President Dr Bruce McClennan, Drs. King and William Bush codirected the Advanced Radiology Life Support Course (ARLS) during the ARRS 1995 (Washington, DC), 1996 (San Diego, CA), and 1997 (Boston, MA) Annual Meetings. These efforts, along with others across the country, broadened and underscored the importance of teaching the proper recognition and treatment of contrast media reactions.
Also, Dr King was instrumental in the early introduction and adoption of digital radiologic imaging and Picture Archiving and Communications (PACS) systems at the Mayo Clinic during the 1990s. Dr King was an early advocate and researcher on MR angiographic techniques of renal arteries, as well as early investigation and utilization of prostate MRI in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. One of the most gratifying contributions for Dr King was being part of the NIH research team that contributed to the development of the first FDA-approved medication (tolvaptan) to slow the progression of Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD).
Dr King became chair of the division of abdominal radiology at Mayo Clinic in the early 2000s, later assuming the role of associate chair for clinical practice in the department of radiology at Mayo. Dr King then became chair of Mayo Clinic’s department of radiology, serving in that role from 2006–2013. Upon completing his role as chair of the radiology department, Dr King went on to serve as President of the Mayo Clinic Staff in 2013–2014.
In 2007, Bernard King joined Drs Jack Crowe, Joseph J T Lee, and others on the ARRS Executive Council, chairing the Membership Committee. Dr King would go on to become President of ARRS from 2017–2018. Presently, he serves on the ARRS Exhibit Review (since 2000), Program (2002), and Membership Committees (2007). While serving on the ARRS Executive Council, Dr King also joined the board of the Society of Abdominal Radiology (SAR), becoming SAR President from 2018–2019.