What happens when three groups of urologists moonlighting as rock stars put their “second-greatest” talent in the spotlight to support a good cause? The answer isn’t a punchline; it’s the first Docs That Rock benefit concert, a unique battle of the bands event created by local urologists to raise funds for the New York Section of the American Urological Association (AUA).
Classic rock/pop cover band Clean Catch & Co. (all urology puns are completely intentional) represented Montefiore Einstein at the event, which took place at Pilsener Haus & Biergarten in Hoboken, New Jersey, for an audience of 150 people. Clean Catch & Co, which includes seven Montefiore Einstein faculty in its lineup, competed against Live Stream, a band of urologists from Hackensack Meridian Health; and Hot Seeds, whose members practice urology at Northwell Health. Sponsoring partner Focal One, a company that makes robotic ultrasound equipment for noninvasive prostate procedures, made the event possible by covering the cost of the venue rental. The battle raised nearly $4,000 to keep the AUA New York Section’s diversity, equity and inclusion programs flowing.
“DEI initiatives are especially important in urology, where women and people of color are still starkly underrepresented,” said Alexander I. Sankin, MD, MS, Attending Physician, Urology, Montefiore Einstein, and Associate Professor, Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine. “There’s also a real importance to having female providers in the field, because they provide a completely different and valuable perspective.”
Clean Catch & Co. has been playing together in various forms since 2017, when the founding members staged a debut performance at the Montefiore Einstein Department of Urology holiday party. Despite the bandmates’ busy schedules in the clinic and classroom, Clean Catch & Co has come a long way in a few short years. The group now rehearses in a Westchester studio, a far cry from the shed in Queens—separated with barbed wire from LaGuardia Airport property—where these rockers got their start.
“Montefiore Einstein Urology is a pretty cohesive department with a really good culture. We’re not just colleagues, we’re actually friends,” Dr. Sankin said. “We formed Clean Catch & Co originally as not exactly a prank, but kind of a fun little surprise. And then we just never stopped.”
The lineup that played Docs That Rock included Dr. Sankin on keyboards, bass, harmonica and vocals; Mark P. Schoenberg, MD, Chair, Urology, Montefiore Einstein, and Professor, Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine on guitar; vocalists Nitya E. Abraham, MD, Director, Urology Residency Program, Attending Physician, Urology, Montefiore Einstein, and Associate Professor, Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Kara L. Watts, MD, Director, Quality Assurance and Improvement, Attending Physician, Urology, Montefiore Einstein, and Associate Professor, Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and Jillian R. Donnelly, DO, Attending Physician, Urology, Montefiore Einstein, and Assistant Professor, Urology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine; as well as enthusiastic outliers from anesthesia and surgery, guitarist Curtis Choice, MD, Director of Clinical Anesthesia, Montefiore Einstein, and Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, drummer Oren M. Tepper, MD, Director, Aesthetic Surgery, Montefiore Einstein, Director, Craniofacial Surgery Program, Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Einstein, and Associate Professor, Surgery (Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery), Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
The band’s offbeat name—a “clean catch” refers to a sterilely obtained urine specimen—also started as a bit of a joke, courtesy of Dr. Schoenberg. “We never even had a meeting about it or anything,” Dr. Sankin laughed. “We needed a name. It just stuck. That was it.”
Since the battle of the bands, there’s been some discussion of making the fundraiser an annual event, or even taking it to the national level for an AUA annual conference. But for now, Dr. Sankin hopes to take the stage again for the Montefiore Einstein community.
