Clerkship Administration

Gary Dunnington, M.D.
Department Chairman

Dr. Gary Dunnington joined the faculty in the Department of Surgery at Southern Illinois University in September of 1997, where he is Professor and Chair of Surgery and Program Director.
Having received his MD degree from Indiana University and his surgical training at the University of Arizona, Dr. Dunnington came to SIU after nearly six years at the University of Southern California where he was Associate Professor of Surgery, Clerkship and Program Director, and Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs for the USC School of Medicine. Dr. Dunnington's area of clinical practice is surgical oncology with a focus in breast disease, and he is the founder and Director of the Breast Center at SIU. He has received a total of twelve teaching awards, having been named Outstanding Faculty Teacher of the Year eight times at three institutions. He received the ASE Distinguished Educator Award in 1999. He has been the director of a fellowship program in surgical education at USC and now at SIU. He is past President of the Association for Surgical Education. He is a frequent visiting professor of education to Departments of Surgery throughout the United States and Canada.

Maggie L. Boehler, RN, MS
Clinical Nurse Instructor

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery

Maggie L. Boehler is a clinical nurse instructor for the Department of Surgery at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1983 from Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois. Her Masters of Science degree was completed in 2001 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

She joined the SIU Department of Surgery as the Clinical Nurse Instructor for the Surgery Clerkship in 1998. Prior to joining SIU Maggie was the Clinical Coordinator of the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit at Memorial Medical Center in Springfield, Illinois.

Maggie has received multiple awards and honors including the Excellence in Teaching Award for the Department of Surgery every year since she joined SIU in 1999. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau and Phi Kappa Phi. Her research interests include surgical education and she has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals.

Cathy J. Schwind, RN, MS
Clinical Nurse Instructor

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery

Cathy J. Schwind is a clinical nurse instructor for the Department of Surgery at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 1988 from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois. Her Masters of Science degree was completed in 2001 at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

She joined the SIU Department of Surgery as the Clinical Nurse Instructor for the Surgery Clerkship in 1998. Prior to accepting the position at SIU she was Charge Nurse on the Cardiac Surgery Intensive Care Unit. She also has experience in home health nursing.

Cathy has received multiple awards and honors including the Excellence in Teaching Award for the Department of Surgery every year since she joined SIU in 1998. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau. Her research interests include surgical education and she has numerous publications in peer reviewed journals.

Jessica D. Davis
Surgery Clerkship Coordinator

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
Department of Surgery

Jessica D. Davis is a clerkship coordinator for the Department of Surgery at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She received her Associate of Arts in Business in 2000 from Robert Morris College in Springfield, Illinois. She is currently enrolled in a Bachelor of Science program at University of Illinois Springfield where she was the recipient of the AAUW Sandra G. Hockenyos Scholarship. She joined the SIU Department of Surgery as the Clerkship Coordinator for the Surgery Clerkship in 2001.

She has been actively involved in many committees at SIU including: Civil Service Council where she was chair of the Special Events & Planning Committee as well as the Benefits Committee and actively participated in numerous other sub-committees. Currently she is the chair of the Department of Surgery Staff Enhancement Committee. She is also an active member of the Association of Surgical Education Coordinator Committee.