SIU Med School Recognizes Area Physician as "Mentor of the Year"

Dr. Mohammad Mansuri has been recognized as the Mentor of the Year for the 2004-05 academic year at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Carbondale for his work as a volunteer mentor to first-year medical students.

"Dr. Mansuri is a highly valued mentor and has been nominated for this award the last four years. We greatly appreciate his contribution along with the 56 other volunteer mentors," said Dr. William Hamilton, professor of pediatrics, in announcing the award. Hamilton is director of the doctoring committee for year one of the medical school’s curriculum.

The medical students nominating Mansuri, who supervised four students during the year, said "He teaches us information pertaining to medical school, about doctoring and even about being teachers ourselves. Each time I walked out of his office my desire to be a doctor had grown. There are many things that I could say, but really, he is just a good person. He is happy and makes those around him happy. He cares about life as shown by his actions and knowledge." Mansuri was one of 25 area physicians nominated for the recognition.

A cardiologist, Mansuri practices at the Marion VA Health Care System. He is a member of the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association. Mansuri completed his internal medicine residency at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit and his cardiology fellowship at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Hartford, Conn. He and his wife, Dr. Shaheda Mansuri, have three sons and live in Carterville.

The SIU School of Medicine is based in Carbondale and Springfield and is specifically oriented to educating new physicians prepared to practice in Illinois communities. Since 1975, 1,986 physicians have earned SIU medical degrees and two thirds are now in primary care fields. The School consistently ranks among the leaders of all U.S. medical schools for training graduates who practice in primary care.

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