Forrest Lang

F. Forrest Lang, M.D., age 75, of Johnson City, TN died at home on December 20, 2020 of Multiple System Atrophy (MSA). Born in Philadelphia, PA to the late “Bunny” and Pete Lang. Husband to Carol (nee Stango). Father to Ellen “Nelle” Nave (Chet), Mary Jacobs and James Lang. Pop-Pop to Ethan, Jack, and Caroline Nave, and Ben and Abby Jacobs. Brother to Peter Lang (Barbara), Shaker Heights, OH, David Lang, Bordentown, NJ and Abby Lang (Tim Wade), Upper Darby, PA.

Dr. Lang joined the faculty of the Department of Family Medicine, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University (ETSU) in 1984. For 27 years he worked as a respected physician, educator, researcher and mentor. At the time of his retirement in 2011, Dr. Lang was Professor and Vice Chairman, Director of Medical Education.

Dr. Lang’s professional accomplishments were many. Early on, in 1987, as director of the College’s Introduction to Clinical Medicine course he infused Standardized Patients into the curriculum and wrote scripts to guide instruction in doctor-patient communication. Reflecting on Dr. Lang’s contributions, Dr. Reid Blackwelder, Professor and Chair of the Department of Family Medicine, said “This course is a powerful and major legacy. It has become the...largest interprofessional communications course in the country.”

Among other innovations, Dr. Lang championed the Objective Simulated Clinical Experience that extends to all ETSU medical students and family medicine residents. He conceived of, developed and implemented the Appalachian Preceptorship, an integrated clinical-classroom experience of rural medicine and Appalachian culture, which still brings medical students from all over the country to ETSU and nearby rural communities. Colleagues say this course has led medical students to go into family medicine or primary care in underserved areas. Especially close to his heart, Dr. Lang spearheaded the Rural Primary Care Track in the Tennessee communities of Mountain City and Rogersville. His work always was accompanied by a deep love of Appalachia - the mountains and the people especially.

During his almost three decades on the faculty at ETSU, Dr. Lang was known for his distinctive bow ties and for collaborating with colleagues on funded research projects and co-authored more than 30 professional papers in journals such as Academic Medicine, The Journal of the American Board of American Board Of Family Medicine, Patient Education and Counseling and American Family Physician. Selected themes included patient-centered cancer communication, patient perspectives on their own illness, rural medical education training, and decision-making at the end of life. The Chinese Medical Doctor Association asked Dr. Lang and colleagues to develop a train-the-trainers program in doctor-patient communication designed to reach physicians throughout China.

Dr. Lang had a long and distinguished history of service to the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). In 1994 he served on an NBME standard-setting panel, followed by years of Item Writing to assess student learning. From 2010-12 he served on an NBME Communications Task Force. Upon learning of his death, a representative of the National Board shared that “fellow committee members described Dr. Lang as “awesome.”

In recognition of his contributions to the advancement of rural medicine, doctor-patient communication and innovations in student learning and assessment, Dr. Lang received numerous awards and recognitions. What he valued most was the colleagues who became friends, the patients whose lives he touched and the students he taught and mentored.

Forrest Lang was born on June 9, 1945 in Philadelphia, PA. He graduated from LaSalle College High School, the University of Pennsylvania and Hahnemann Medical College. Forrest expressed an early interest in science and nature by starting a reptile collection in his row house basement. It included snakes, turtles and an alligator! Following his older brother Peter’s example, one of Forrest’s favorite jobs was serving as a guide at the Franklin Institute’s “Giant Heart” exhibit, which he happily revisited with his own children.

Forrest’s love of the Jersey shore started at his grandparent’s house in Seaside Park, NJ where three brothers – David, Forrest and Peter – bodysurfed the waves, walked “the boards,” and hung out. Many years later, Carol and Forrest bought a 125+ year-old house further down the coast in Cape May, NJ. For almost 40 years, the family has vacationed there every June…treasuring the time to sit on the porch, go to the beach, enjoy fresh seafood feasts, visit the nature center, see migrating Monarch butterflies, and catch up with “First Avenue Friends.” Of course, Forrest also was always busy repainting the weathered wood siding, repairing rattling windows and tending to unexpected leaks.

Forrest had more hobbies than most people – perhaps, Carol would say, too many! He was always up for a nature hike, ran at least one marathon every decade, biked the Blue Ridge Parkway, perfected low maintenance gardening, traveled to China, Switzerland and South America but equally enjoyed snake hunting in the Pine Barrens or solitary paddling through a Florida swamp.

Forrest loved tradition and family history. With his own family he went to Christmastime brunch at the Grove Park Inn, had Easter Egg hunts in the back yard, made crepes and waffles on Sunday morning, and prepared beach plum jelly for Thanksgiving dinner. Over the course of many years, Forrest compiled an eclectic array of documents and photos to create an organic family history. Although Forrest and his brothers and sisters lived in different parts of the country, the four of them faithfully got together over the past 25 years, at his sister Abby’s house and more recently in Cape May. Forrest especially liked to hear how his many nieces and nephews were doing. But mainly the four siblings talked about growing up and, like all families, the good and the hard times.

Two traditions brought Forrest back to his hometown most years. On the first Saturday in June for a total of 45 times, he rode the 75 mile OBA bike trip from Philly’s Tacony Palmyra Bridge to Sea Isle City. Later in June, he would join friends from the old neighborhood in an athletic competition they dubbed ACHE - Athletic Competition of the Highest Echelon. Forrest’s lifelong friend Franny Dolan (they met in 5th grade) says “it may come as a surprise to many that this gentle, humble man was nicknamed ‘mad dog’ by his fellow competitors.”

Most of all, Forrest loved his family. He was married to Carol for 51 years. Their love affair began in 1964 and never stopped. Together they raised three children all of whom live in Johnson City - Nelle as a family physician, Mary as guidance counselor and James as a glass artist. Forrest especially loved being Pop-Pop to Ethan, Jack, Caroline, Ben and Abby. According to his daughters, Forrest wanted to hear all the funny and profound things the grandkids said. In turn, he loved to tell family stories and the grandkids actually liked hearing them.

People who knew Forrest say he was kind, curious, wise, reserved, a great listener and also had a fierce will. He always found a way to do what he wanted, which was a good thing for the world! He was encouraging of people to make their own decisions and some credit him with making them a better person. Forrest rarely said an unkind word or complained, even with the unwelcome diagnosis of MSA. He was accepting of different people and different points of view. But he wasn’t perfect and undoubtedly there was much that will never know behind his calm, quiet demeanor. What we do know is that Forrest lived life to the fullest - as a consummate professional, as the best of friends, as a loving husband, father and grandfather and will be sorely missed.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Quillen College of Medicine Rural Primary Care Track Endowment. Checks to be made to ETSU Foundation and sent to ETSU University Advancement, PO Box 70721, Johnson City, TN 37614. On the check memo line note Fund #683224 and Forrest’s name. Or visit www.ETSU.edu/give.

Details on a memorial for Forrest will be announced at a later date.