August 9, 2007

SIU Med School Recognizes Area Physician as “Mentor of the Year”

Dr. James O. Alexander is being recognized as the 2006-07 Mentor of the Year at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Carbondale for his work as a volunteer mentor to first-year medical students.

The medical students nominating Alexander said in their nominations -- “He is a hard-working, good-natured, practical physician who makes the mentor clinical experience both educational and enjoyable.  He taught me a lot about clinical interaction with patients but he also went beyond and told me a lot about his experience as a physician.” and “Dr. Alexander [showed me] his outstanding capabilities as a physician, as a teacher and as a mentor….Patients constantly told me what a wonderful physician he was.”

SIU School of Medicine provides the clinical mentor program for its first-years students in Carbondale.  Fifty-six area physicians served as mentors this last school year.  Alexander was one of 24 nominated for recognition.

A family practitioner, Alexander has been in practice since 1991 and now is based in Harrisburg with a satellite clinic in Marion.  He is board certified in family practice and is a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society.  He completed his family practice residency at Memorial Hospital in South Bend, Ind.  Alexander and his wife, Jennifer Lewis, have three children.  His parents are Lyndell and Janette Alexander of Harrisburg.

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, 2,061 physicians have earned SIU medical degrees.

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