SMU College of Podiatric Medicine Celebrates Two Retiring Faculty Members
This week, the Samuel Merritt University College of Podiatric Medicine (SMU CPM) came together to celebrate the outstanding careers of two beloved faculty members, Dr. Tim Dutra, Assistant Professor of Podiatric Medicine, and Dr. Joel Clark, at retirement celebrations held Tuesday and Wednesday.
For more than 55 years, Dr. Joel Clark served the California College of Podiatric Medicine, the California School of Podiatric Medicine, and ultimately the Samuel Merritt University College of Podiatric Medicine. For many of those years, he and his colleagues at Parnassus Heights Podiatry Group opened their practice to students and residents, creating an exceptional learning environment where classroom knowledge became real-world experience. Thousands of podiatric medical students rotated through the practice over the years, and hundreds of podiatric surgery residents, along with Internal Medicine residents from Sutter Health and the University of California, San Francisco, benefited from his mentorship, clinical expertise, and patient-centered approach to care.
“Dr. Clark taught generations of us, from the first anatomy lab through our clinical years, and he never let a detail pass or an excuse stand,” recalls Dr. Razzante, Dean of the College of Podiatric Medicine. “He carried that same standard into how he mentored new faculty and new leaders, and he has been a champion for this profession for more than five decades.”
Dr. Tim Dutra, meanwhile, spent 17 years building a distinguished career marked by numerous prestigious honors, including the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine Lifetime Achievement Award in 2026, Samuel Merritt University's Health Impact Outstanding Service Award in 2023, Humanitarian of the Year from the California Podiatric Medical Association in 2016, and recognition as a Distinguished Practitioner by the National Academies of Practice in 2012, among many other honors reflecting his lasting impact on the field of podiatric medicine.
“I feel very fortunate to have been associated with the school my entire career,” Dr. Dutra reflected during his retirement celebration. “I was a student starting in 1981 and became a clinical assistant professor in 1986 and full time in 2009. I've been with the school a long time and in a lot of capacities.”
Esther Kwon, Associate Dean of Clinical Affairs, echoed that sentiment, remarking that Dr. Dutra “has been a fixture ever since I was a student,” adding that he “has been a mentor, always present here…all the way into being colleagues now.”
Dr. Dutra and Dr. Clark's retirements cap off a year of milestones for SMU CPM. Cherri Choate, Senior Advisor to the Dean, retired in March, and David Tran, Assistant Professor of Podiatric Medicine, retired in December. All four faculty members will be celebrated together at an event this December.
SMU CPM extends its deepest gratitude to Dr. Dutra and Dr. Clark for their decades of mentorship, clinical excellence, and service to the field of podiatric medicine.
