Aspects Winter 2021 | SIU School of Medicine

Stronger Together

At SIU School of Medicine, we value diversity — of culture, ethnicity, gender and lifestyle. Above all, we value equity. Equity, diversity and inclusion are central strategies for SIU School of Medicine to meet its mission and to prepare the health care workforce of the future.

In this issue of Aspects, we invite you to discover the stories and strategies that motivate some of SIU’s equity leaders. Our feature story will lead you on the “Pathways to Equity” walked by our associate dean of equity, diversity and inclusion, Dr. Wendi El-Amin. As you read this issue, you will be introduced to other individuals and groups that challenge the status quo and hold us all accountable on issues of equity. We are grateful for their leadership, advocacy and all the ways they teach us all to amplify marginalized voices in academic medicine. Join us.

Read The Issue

FEATURE

New Face in a Safe Space

SIU’s Medical/Dental Education Preparatory Program — or MEDPREP — is the opposite of a disaster: It’s a proven success. The post-baccalaureate feeder program has been based in Wheeler Hall in Carbondale since 1972, producing 1455 alumni, of whom 253 have gone on to SIU School of Medicine (an average of nearly seven every year).

FEATURE

Six Generations of Family Medicine

Growing up in Chicago, Cynthia Thomas, MD, didn’t always dream of being a doctor, but she wanted a career where she could help others and excelled at math and science in middle school. 