In 1975, the first class graduated from the then just five-year-old SIU School of Medicine. To look at the class photo, two things stand out for those of us looking at it with a 2017 gaze: in this small class of 24 people, there is only one person of color, and not one is female. The 1976 class, the charter class of the school, was significantly larger. The class of ’76 saw 43 graduates. Among those 43, there were no minorities, and just five women: Cris Anderson, MD, Brenda Baumann, MD, Regina Kovach, MD, Kathleen Link, MD, and Mary (Witges) Bengtson, MD. The charter women of SIU School of

In 1975, the first class graduated from the then just five-year-old SIU School of Medicine. To look at the class photo, two things stand out for those of us looking at it with a 2017 gaze: in this small class of 24 people, there is only one person of color, and not one is female. The 1976 class, the charter class of the school, was significantly larger. The class of ’76 saw 43 graduates. Among those 43, there were no minorities, and just five women: Cris Anderson, MD, Brenda Baumann, MD, Regina Kovach, MD, Kathleen Link, MD, and Mary (Witges) Bengtson, MD. The charter women of SIU School of

In 1975, the first class graduated from the then just five-year-old SIU School of Medicine. To look at the class photo, two things stand out for those of us looking at it with a 2017 gaze: in this small class of 24 people, there is only one person of color, and not one is female. The 1976 class, the charter class of the school, was significantly larger. The class of ’76 saw 43 graduates. Among those 43, there were no minorities, and just five women: Cris Anderson, MD, Brenda Baumann, MD, Regina Kovach, MD, Kathleen Link, MD, and Mary (Witges) Bengtson, MD. The charter women of SIU School of

“I encourage everybody. I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what letters you have behind your name—if you’re interested in learning about what I’m doing, I will teach you.” It’s that sort of egalitarian attitude that’s immediately striking about Sandra Ettema, who, despite not caring about the letters behind your name, has an alphabet behind hers: Sandra Ettema, MD, PhD, CCC/SLP. “Teaching my team and having them teach me is better overall for everybody,” says Dr. Ettema, an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery who specializes in laryngology. “I want it to be more of a group

“I encourage everybody. I don’t care who you are, I don’t care what letters you have behind your name—if you’re interested in learning about what I’m doing, I will teach you.” It’s that sort of egalitarian attitude that’s immediately striking about Sandra Ettema, who, despite not caring about the letters behind your name, has an alphabet behind hers: Sandra Ettema, MD, PhD, CCC/SLP. “Teaching my team and having them teach me is better overall for everybody,” says Dr. Ettema, an assistant professor in the Department of Surgery who specializes in laryngology. “I want it to be more of a group

The Physician Assistant Program Class of 2017 at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Carbondale has selected eight central and southern Illinois physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners to receive the “Preceptor of the Year” award. “Preceptors are the heart of a medical education program,” said Rhonda Pulver, assistant professor and coordinator of the Physician Assistant Program at the School of Medicine. “They’re not paid; they volunteer their time to be a mentor. We rely on each preceptor to educate the students in the journey to becoming an efficient health

The Physician Assistant Program Class of 2017 at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Carbondale has selected eight central and southern Illinois physicians, physician assistants and nurse practitioners to receive the “Preceptor of the Year” award. “Preceptors are the heart of a medical education program,” said Rhonda Pulver, assistant professor and coordinator of the Physician Assistant Program at the School of Medicine. “They’re not paid; they volunteer their time to be a mentor. We rely on each preceptor to educate the students in the journey to becoming an efficient health

Southern Illinois University Medicine is planning a new Office of Regional Programs branch in Canton. The office will host an open house to celebrate the new location at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 20, at 175 S. Main St. on the second floor of the E.P. Coleman office building in Canton. The public is welcome to attend. Bob Senneff, president and CEO of Graham Health System, and SIU Medicine Dean and Provost Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH, will provide remarks. A Canton Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting will follow. Covering more than 25,000 square miles and two million people, the Office of Regional

Southern Illinois University Medicine is planning a new Office of Regional Programs branch in Canton. The office will host an open house to celebrate the new location at 10 a.m. on Thursday, July 20, at 175 S. Main St. on the second floor of the E.P. Coleman office building in Canton. The public is welcome to attend. Bob Senneff, president and CEO of Graham Health System, and SIU Medicine Dean and Provost Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH, will provide remarks. A Canton Chamber of Commerce ribbon-cutting will follow. Covering more than 25,000 square miles and two million people, the Office of Regional

As American lifespans increase due to progress made on other medical frontiers, the toll from Alzheimer’s disease (AD) grows. More than 5 million Americans are living with the disease, and by 2050 this number could rise as high as 16 million, according to the Alzheimer’s Association. The key to maintaining a functional quality of life resides in the recesses of the brain. A research scientist at Southern Illinois University Medicine has been awarded a $30,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Public Health’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Fund to study brain energetics—the flow and