SIU Welcomes Class of 2021 with White Coat Ceremony
Seventy-four medical students began their medical training last week at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Carbondale. The students participated in a “White Coat Ceremony” on Friday, August 11, in Shryock Auditorium.
During the ceremony, Debra Klamen, MD, MHPE, senior associate dean for education and curriculum and chair of the Department of Medical Education, welcomed the students and read the Hippocratic Oath.
Wendi Wills El-Amin, MD, associate dean for equity, diversity and inclusion, presented the medical students. Elizabeth Cavanagh, MD, an anesthesiologist in St. Louis and a member of the Class of 1998, gave the students their first white coat, which is provided by the school’s Alumni Society. The students also received a pin containing the words “Compassion, Respect and Integrity” from the SIU Foundation.
Tracy Lower, MD, professor of pediatrics, provided the keynote address, presented by Erik Constance, MD, associate dean for student affairs. Lower received the school’s 2016 Humanism in Medicine Award.
Most of the students are from the southern two-thirds of the state, says Constance, a 1988 graduate. The class has 37 males and 37 females.
The White Coat Ceremony is designed to establish a “psychological contract for professionalism and empathy” in medicine and is held at most US medical schools each fall.
Established in 1970, SIU School of Medicine is based in Springfield and Carbondale and focused on the health care needs of downstate Illinois. It educates physicians to practice in Illinois communities and has graduated more than 2,800 physicians since the first class in 1975.
Class of 2021 students, parents and hometowns:
Nasrah Acheampong, daughter of Issah Kwame and Samea Acheampong of Mampong-Ashanti, Ghana
Treshawn Anthony, spouse of Brian Davis of Hazelcrest and daughter of Tremayne Anthony and Michelle Hairl of Lansing
Sai Balasubramanian, son of Balasubramanian Ganesh and Bhuvana Balasubramanian of Plano, Texas
Jace Battrell, son of Mark Battrell of Wilmette and Carol Ysla of Chicago
John Belz, son of John and Lisa Belz of Springfield
Brandon Blewett, son of William and Kelly Blewett of Carbondale
Ryan Bowman, son of Rosa Bowman of Quincy
Kristen Cecil, daughter of Jay and Jill Bruce of Marion
Rachel Christopherson, daughter of Jeff and Indu Christopherson of Normal
Jasmine Davila, daughter of Jose and Eva Davila of Moline
Bailey Flamm, daughter of Richard and Cindy Flamm of Cobden
Abbie Fox, daughter of Shawn Fox of East Peoria and Beth Hayes of Morton
Travis Fulk, son of Steven and Cheryl Fulk of Effingham
Robert Gause-Wills, son of Therman and Brenda Wills of Lansing, Mich.
Molly Geraghty, daughter of James A. and Mary Clare Geraghty of Peoria
Kelly Gorrell, daughter of Azliyati Azizan of Tampa, Fla.
Tayler Grabner, daughter of Winston and Tina Grabner of Litchfield
Rebecca Griffon, daughter of David and Myra Griffon of Godfrey
Christine Grubb, daughter of Edward and Julie Grubb of Belleville
Quentin Guillory, son of Karen Guillory-West of Lake Charles, La.
Hannah Gutzwiller, daughter of Jeffrey and Annette Gutzwiller of Peoria
Gregory Harpring, son of Jeff and Nancy Harpring of Sherman
Bredesen Hartmann, son of Kent and Shawn Hartmann of Centralia
Bailey Hester, daughter of Brad and Michele Hester of Salem
Shemariah Israel, son of Eluzai Israel and Audrey Moore-Israel, both of North Chicago
Jasmine James, daughter of Jo Ann Matory of Carmel, Ind.
Moosa Kamran, son of Muhammad and Seema Kamran of Carbondale
Leighton Kraft, son of William and Carolyn Kraft of Kankakee
Grace Kumor, daughter of Stan and Marcie Kumor of Morris
Katherine Lincoln, daughter of Craig and Diane Lincoln of Morris
Mustafa Mahmood, son of Maher and Wafa Mahood of Smithton
Manish Mandava, son of Venkateswara and Manasi Mandava of Normal
Sophia Matos, daughter of Gabor and Judit Matos of Springfield
Zach McCallips, son of Mike and Amy McCallips of Durand
Andrew McClintock, son of Roger and Mary Beth McClintock of Rochester
Tyler McGowan, spouse of Michaela McGowan of Harrisburg and son of Kyle and Debbie McGowan of Harrisburg
Puja Mehta, daughter of Parul Mehta of Harrisburg
Megan Meinke, daughter of Lawrence and Karen Meinke of Edwards
Amber Meyer, daughter of James and Rinda Meyer of Oakland
Roxana Moraga, daughter of Reinaldo Moraga and Jeannette Baez of DeKalb
Maria Mosley, daughter of Drs. Robert and Katherine Hild-Mosley of Springfield
Ryan Mueller, son of Leland and Wendy Mueller of Maeystown
Alexandria Mullink, daughter of Steve and Brandie Mullink of Girard
Brett Nelson, son of Tim and Stephanie Nelson of Carlinville
Anthony Nestler, son of Tony Nestler of Springfield and Beth Nestler of Chicago
Nicholas Nosbisch, son of Mike and Mindy Nosbisch of Effingham
Michael Oltman, son of Stephen and Cynthia Oltman of Edwardsville
Zachary Paquin of Urbana, son of James Patten and Vicki Paquin
Payal Patel, daughter of Prakash and Pratima Patel of Kankakee
Rachel Plantholt, daughter of Mike and Kate Plantholt of Normal
Adam Riggs, son of Daniel and Ginger Riggs of Quincy
Matthew Riley, son of Todd Riley of Aviston and Susan Riley of Columbia
Rukmini Roy, daughter of Dr. Vijay and Sapana Roy of Bloomington, Ind.
Benjamin Ryan, son of Jeffrey and Laurie of Washington
Michael Sabo, son of John and Jane Sabo of Shiloh
Bethany Salm, daughter of Brent and Debra Salm of Normal
Rachel Schmalshof, daughter of Karen Schmalshof of Auburn and the late Brent Schmalshof
Sarah Schuh, daughter of Bill and Kim Schuh of Mahomet
Stephanie Short, daughter of Keith Short of Edwardsville and Cyndi Talley of Murphysboro
Roberta Steinert, daughter of Linda Cross of Normal
Connor Stephenson, son of John and Lisa Stephenson of Salem
Audra Storm, daughter of Steve and Verna Storm of Edelstein
Skyler Taylor, son of Jeff and Sonya Taylor of Marana, Ariz.
Chad Thompson, son of Jim and Michelle Thompson of Quincy
Ashay Vaidya, son of Udesh and Medha Vaidya of Bloomington
Claire Varney, daughter of Dr. Andrew and Carol Varney of Springfield
Emily Wade, daughter of Trev Wade of Stonington and Catherine Wade of Taylorville
Morgan Watts, daughter of Mike and Paula Watts of Waldorf, Md.
Alexandria Wellman, daughter of Dr. Richard Wellman and Catherine Wellman, JD, LLM, of Bloomington
Kyle Whittington, son of Greg and Jill Whittington of Elkville
Patrick Wieland, son of John and Kathleen Wieland of Bloomington
Alexander Worix, son of Vance and Dr. Cheryl Anthony-Worix of Crete
William Yarnell of Fairfield
Kevin Yum, son of Eul Kgun and Soon Ja Yum of Dajeon, South Korea
