Professor and Chairman of The Department of Urology Accepted as Member of Prestigious Clinical Society for Genitourinary Surgeons

Professor and Chairman of the Department of Urology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Michael S. Cookson, M.D., was recently accepted as a member of the prestigious Clinical Society for Genitourinary Surgeons.

The society promotes top-tier education of reconstructive urology, supports research in tissue engineering and the design of medical devices, and supports its members to become international leaders and experts in transitional care medicine and surgery as well as cancer survivorship care.

“Throughout his career, Dr. Cookson has been a leader in oncology care and education and has worked with both the American Urologic Association and the Society of Urologic Oncology to improve efforts to standardize and progress,” said Leonard Gomella, M.D., who nominated Cookson.

Cookson holds the Donald D. Albers Endowed Chair in Urology at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences. He is an accomplished researcher and lecturer and is the author of more than 250 peer-reviewed journal publications and 30 chapters of various textbooks in urology and urologic surgery and has been recognized nationally for his outstanding contributions to urologic oncology.

As the chief of urology at the OU Health Stephenson Cancer Center and chairman of the Department of Urology within the OU College of Medicine, Cookson’s leadership demands different approaches to ensure the institution standardizes its procedures and education as well as progresses with innovative research in the field. 

Cookson’s expertise is in the treatment of patients dealing with urologic cancers, representing roughly 28% of cancer diagnoses in Oklahoma. With the state ranking near the lowest in the country in cancer-related outcomes, Cookson and his teams remain poised to meet the challenge by administering health care and educating the next generation of professionals.

“The wonderful part of my job is I get to contribute to enhancing both (health care and education),” said Cookson. “At OU College of Medicine, we work with the best in the brightest medical students, residents, and fellows.

“Under (director of the Stephenson Cancer Center) Dr. Robert Mannel’s leadership, we have now become a National Cancer Center designated Cancer Center and we are rapidly closing in on comprehensive cancer center status,” said Cookson. “This allows for the people of Oklahoma to access state-of-the-art treatment for their cancer, as well as to have access to important national clinical trials for those difficult-to-treat cancers.”

Throughout his career, Cookson has been a leader in oncology care and education. He established a national benchmark for the educational development of urologic oncology learning by co-founding the Oncology Knowledge Assessment Test (OKAT), which is administered annually by the Society of Urologic Oncology (SUO), for which he serves as president. In addition, Cookson also serves as the president of the South Central section of the American Urological Association as well as the president of the Society of Urological Oncology.

“Different environments and different teams require somewhat different styles,” said Cookson. If we were using a sports analogy, I would consider myself a player-coach. I’ve also found that surrounding yourself with talented people is one of the most effective ways to be successful.”

After receiving his doctorate in medicine from OU in 1988, Cookson earned his master's in management in health care from Vanderbilt. Equipped with a medical background and the organizational and business acumen necessary to lead in health care, Cookson returned to his alma mater in 2013 as a professor and chairman in what he described as an emotional experience and the “highlight of his career” after being away for 20 years.

“I had lived in Oklahoma when I was younger as my dad was in the military and stationed at Tinker, Air Force Base,” said Cookson. “I met my wife Kimberly here while I was in medical school. 

“Having been gone for two decades, I was completely enamored by the changes that had occurred on the Health Science Center campus. It has been extremely rewarding for me to recruit and retain people from major academic institutions across the country and to see them thrive in the OU College of Medicine and OU health environment.”

Now, through his membership in the Clinical Society of Genitourinary Reconstructive Surgeons, Cookson will have greater reach in developing current and future leaders in the field of urology as well as elevating the standards of genitourinary surgery.