May 13, 2008

SIU Med School Announces New Members to Honor Society

Eight new members have been inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha (AOA) Honor Medical Society by the Eta Chapter at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Springfield.  All eight were inducted at AOA’s spring banquet in Springfield.

Newly elected members from the Class of 2009 are Jennifer Creamer, daughter of Gary Creamer of Brimfield; Hassan Hassan, son of Drs. Alisa and Anisa Hassan of Joplin, Mo.; Kate Pedersen, daughter of Robert and Deborah Pedersen of Dunlap; and Gregory Tester, son of Thomas and Nancy Tester of Princeton.

Resident physicians from SIU residency programs selected were Dr. Joji Varghese, an internal medicine resident from Kollam, India, and Dr. Ibrahim Bulent Cetindag, a surgery resident from Izmir, Turkey.

Dr. Richard Rosher, professor of internal medicine, was elected an honorary faculty member.  Dr. Michael Pick, a Springfield community physician and 1976 graduate of SIU, was elected an alumni member of the society.

Election to AOA is based on integrity, leadership, compassion and fairness and scholastic excellence.  The only national honor medical society in the world, AOA recognizes and works to perpetuate excellence in the medical professions.  Among its aims are to promote scholarship and research and recognize high attainment in medical science, practice and related fields.

- 30 -