CARBONDALE - Twenty-two southern Illinois residents are among the 68 physicians and six graduate students at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine who received their diplomas Saturday, May 21, at the school’s 48th annual commencement. The ceremony was held at the Performing Arts Center at the University of Illinois Springfield.
SIU School of Medicine Dean and Provost Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH, awarded diplomas to the medical students, and Sheila Caldwell, EdD, vice-president for antiracism, diversity, equity and inclusion, and Chief Diversity Officer at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, conferred the degrees.
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Alumni, faculty members, and a graduating student received awards during the ceremony.
Mikaela Thurber, an instructor in anatomy in Carbondale, received the Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching. Jody Lack, MD, an associate professor in pediatrics, and Class of 2022 graduate Braidy Megeff, MD, received the Leonard Tow Humanism in Medicine Awards, presented by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.
Three alumni were honored: Traves Crabtree, MD (’95), 2022 Distinguished Alumni Achievement Award; Stephen Goetter, MD (’76), 2022 Distinguished Alumni Service Award; and Elizabeth Stewart, MD, (’07); Early Career Achievement Award.
Regina Rabinovich, MD, MPH, was the commencement speaker. She?is the ExxonMobil Malaria Scholar in Residence at Harvard University, and director of the Malaria Elimination Initiative at ISGLOBAL at the University of Barcelona. She is also an SIU School of Medicine alumna (Class of ’82).
The new SIU physicians will begin residency training in their chosen specialties in July.
SIU Medicine’s mission is to optimize the health of the people of central and southern Illinois through education, patient care, research, and service to the community. Established in 1970, the medical school is based dually in Carbondale and Springfield and is specifically oriented to educating new physicians prepared to practice in Illinois communities. Since 1975, 3,163 physicians have earned SIU medical degrees.
Here’s a list of the southern Illinois graduates and their post-graduation plans.
STUDENT & HOMETOWN FAMILY SPECIALTY @ RESIDENCY LOCATION
- Samantha Bibee of Belleville / Gayle Bibee of Belleville / Fam Med/Columbia-St Marys @ Med Coll Wisconsin Affil Hosps
- Amanda Brown of Fairfield / Malcolm Brown of Springfield and Heidi Hoffee of Fairfield / Plastic Surgery @ St Louis Univ SOM-MO
- Paul Cacioppo of Collinsville / Christopher and Hong Cacioppo of Collinsville / Anesthesiology @ Mayo Clinic School of Grad Med Educ-MN
- Blake Cain of Marion / Thomas and Rebecca Cain of Pittsburg & spouse of Heather Cain / Family Medicine @ SIU SOM & Affil Hosps-IL
- Komal Chaudhry of Carbondale / Anup and Mukesh Chaudhry of Vernon Hills / Anesthesiology @ U Tennessee Grad SOM-Knoxville
- David Edelstein of Edwardsville / Mark and Amy Edelstein of Colorado Springs, CO / Transitional & Anesthesiology @ U Illinois COM-Peoria OSF/Northwestern McGaw/NMH/VA-IL
- Nicholas Fiore of Belleville / Peter Fiore and Madelyn Lamb of Belleville / Surgery-Preliminary / Medical University of SC
- Jacob Franke of Maeystown / Jeffrey and Kimberly Franke of Maeystown & spouse of Katlyn (Woolford) Franke / Plastic Surgery @ Spectrum Health/Michigan State Univ
- Madison (Frerker) Plater of Nashville / Chris and Amber Frerker of Nashville & spouse of Mason Plater / Family Medicine @ Deaconess Hospital-IN
- Rebecca Griffon of Godfrey / David and Myra Griffon of Godfrey / Family Medicine/Alton @ SIU SOM & Affil Hosps-IL
- Jordyn Huston of Newton / Michael and Lisa Huston of Newton / Pediatrics @ St. Louis Univ SOM-MO
- Paige Kannall of Highland / Robert Kannall and Bryan and Hilary Chasteen, all of Highland / Pathology @ Duke Univ Med Ctr-NC
- Samuel Keck-Flory of Edwardsville / Donald Flory and Pamela Keck of Edwardsville & spouse of Brittany Keck-Flory / Psychiatry/Child Psych @ SIU SOM & Affil Hosps-IL
- Sasha Mozelewski-Hill of Du Quoin / Gary Mozelewski of Nashville and Keith and Ruth Sims of Du Quoin & spouse of A.J. Hill / Emergency Medicine @ Barnes-Jewish Hosp-MO
- Aaron Peach of Granite City / Terry and Diane Peach of Granite City / Transitional & Dermatology @ Ascension St. Vincent Hosp-IN/Indiana University SOM
- Nic Revelt of Edwardsville / John and Sonia Revelt of Edwardsville / Orthopedic Surgery @ SIU SOM & Affil Hosps-IL
- Jacob Trammel of Murphysboro / Jason Trammel of Carbondale and Holly Wright of DeSoto / Emergency Medicine @ SIU SOM & Affil Hosps-IL
- Matt Turner of Troy / Willard and Denise Turner of Troy / Medicine-Preliminary & Dermatology @ SIU SOM & Affil Hosps-IL/U Kansas SOM-Kansas City
- Frank Verdu of Edwardsville / Frank and Patricia Verdu of Edwardsville / Emergency Medicine @ SIU SOM & Affil Hosps-IL
- Kyle Whittington of Elkville / Greg and Jill Whittington of Elkville / Pediatrics @ St. Louis Children’s Hosp-MO
- Jordan Wills of Benton / Tim and Kelly Wills of Benton / Family Medicine @ Mercy Hospital St. Louis-MO
- Katlyn (Woolford) Franke of Salem / Alan and Donna Ford of Salem & spouse of Jacob Franke / Family Medicine @ Spectrum Health/Michigan State Univ
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