Class of 2023 White Coat Ceremony

Seventy-six medical students in the Class of 2023 have begun their academic medical training at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in Carbondale. The students participated in a White Coat Ceremony on Friday, August 16, in Shryock Auditorium.

SIU Medicine Dean and Provost Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH, and Associate Dean for Student Affairs & Admissions Erik Constance, MD, welcomed the students. Wendi El-Amin, MD, associate dean for equity, diversity and inclusion, and Elizabeth Cavanagh, MD, Class of 1998 and president of the school’s Alumni Society Board of Governors, presented them with white coats on behalf of the Alumni Society.  

Debra Klamen, MD, MHPE, senior associate dean for education and curriculum and chair of the Department of Medical Education at SIU Medicine, also welcomed the students and led them in reading the Physician’s Pledge.

SIU Medicine Associate Professor of Internal Medicine Vidhya Prakash, MD, presented the keynote address. Prakash received the school’s 2018 Humanism in Medicine Award.

The White Coat Ceremony is designed to establish a commitment to 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 2,900 physicians since the first class in 1975.

Student, Family & Hometown
 

Ademola Adeoshun, son of Abby Adeoshun and Funke Adeoshun of Chicago

Alikem Miriam Agamah, daughter of Dr. Edem and June Agamah of Springfield

Claude Andres, son of Corky and Kelly Joyner of Springfield

Kamawak Anota, son of Seifemichael Anota and Hangatu Nure of Saint Paul, Minn. and spouse of Edatu Bakuto

Taylor Badger, daughter of Michael and Kathy Badger of Springfield

Jeffrey Baker, son of Lee and Juli Baker of Granville                 

Danah Bakir, daughter of Dr. M. Haitham and Manar Bakir of Springfield

Madison Bandler, daughter of Ronald and Laura Bandler of

Joseph Bernard, son of Bernard Chinnapillai and Asha Bernard of Champaign

Robyn Blood, daughter of Robert and Dina Blood of Mattoon

Christopher Callahan, son of Patrick and Barbara Callahan of Carlinville

Austin Carey, son of Kevin and Paula Carey of Mt. Auburn and spouse of Carrie Carey

Suchana Chaulagain, daughter of Nawaraj and Mina Chaulagain of Normal

Kamaria Coleman, daughter of Gregory and Valerie Coleman of Memphis, Tenn.           

Joshua Crum, son of Andy and Julie Crum of Fairview Heights and spouse of Lexi Donnel

Mary Dickerson, daughter of Barry and Elizabeth Dickerson of Champaign

Ehitare Emuze, daughter of Lucky and Bukola Emuze of Springfield

Jacob Farris, son of Jared and Raeana Farris of Springfield

Ashley Gagen, daughter of Timothy and Diahann Gagen of Belleville

Emilee Gibson, daughter of Mark and Kathy Gibson of Bloomington

Michael Gleason, son of Chris and Susan Gleason of Springfield

Jordan Goodrich, son of Justin and Rita Goodrich of Huntley

Catherine Greene, daughter of Beatrice Greene of Houston, Texas      

J. Daniel Gumayan, son of Cesar and Marian Gumayan of Peoria

Jacob Hanes, son of William Hanes and Sheryl Harris, both of Mount Zion

Ben Harsin, son of Ken and Diane Harsin of Belleville

Danielle Hawthorne, daughter of Jim and Joni Hawthorne of Belleville

Allison Hofer, daughter of Darrin and Nancy Hofer of Loda

Carly Hofreiter, daughter of Paul Hofreiter and Gayle Perryman, both of Dalton City

Danny Holtz, son of Rob and Beth Holtz of Godfrey

Raquel Johnson, daughter of Bertram Johnson of Gardena, Calif., and Gemma Marcelin-Hall of Inglewood, Calif. 

Todd Johnson, son of David and Lisa Johnson of Belleville                     

Stacey Joseph, daughter of Carl and Rose-mai Joseph of Deltona, Florida

Morgan Keyser, daughter of Brad and Leigh Ann Keyser of Marion

Brooke Koebele, daughter of Ronald and Karla Koebele of Wheeler

Eric Kong, son of Feiteng Su and Deqi Kong of Champaign

Lexi Kremer, daughter of Doug and Marlene Kremer of Mattoon

John Kunzeman, son of John and Karla Kunzeman of Springfield

Sarah Leaf, daughter of Mike and Tami Genin of Springfield and spouse of Jordan Leaf

Joseph Lesus, son of Joseph Lesus Sr. of Naperville and Tania Lesus of Elmhurst

Rebecca Lewis, daughter of Ronald and Susan Lewis of Danville

Hannah Logsdon, daughter of Jackson Logsdon and Susie Scates, both of Shawneetown

Ryan Luce, son of Dylan and Bonnie Luce of Harrisburg and spouse of Tori Luce

Janet Martin, daughter of Charles Martin and Bridgett Collier-Martin of Orland Park

Aaron Mattix-Wand, son of Gerard and Paula Mattix-Wand of Bethalto

Matthew Mosley, son of Robert and Katherine Mosley of Springfield and spouse of Rachel Bultas

Samuel Mounce, son of Daniel and Diane Mounce of Spaulding

Rebekah Nulty, daughter of W. Greg and Christina Nulty of Washington

Keaboka Nyumbu, daughter of Tunta Lungu and Inonge Nyumbu of Charlestown, Mass.

Hannah O’Neill, daughter of David and Lynn O’Neill of Smithton

Mirena Pebley, daughter of Kenneth and Patti Loveless of Gillespie

Hevin Poon, son of Hau Hing Poon and Fung Ching Cheng of Dunlap

Evan Riggs, son of Daniel and Ginger Riggs of Quincy

Caleb Rumple, son of Ron and Renee Rumple of Pekin

Laryn Sapetti, daughter of Larry Sapetti and Julie Sapetti, both of Rochester

Ashley Schneider, daughter of Byron and Patricia Schneider of Nokomis

Sydney Schwegel, daughter of Steve Schwegel and Gina Schwegel, both of Bunker Hill, and spouse of Adam Brewer

Kennedy Sheedy, daughter of Michael and Gloria Sheedy of Springfield

Austin Sinn, son of Jeffrey and Tammy Sinn of Marissa

Katelyn Stoker, daughter of Cliff and Kristy Stoker of Philo and spouse of Geoff Miller

Jill Thiede, daughter of Tom Thiede of Edwardsville and Patty Navin of Bluffton, Ohio, and spouse of John Navin          

Gabriella Tison, daughter of Michael and Gloria Tison of Harrisburg

Gabrielle Thro, daughter of Jacques and Donna Thro of Swansea                        

Darrow Traylor, son of Darrow Traylor and Lawanda Long of Dolton

Stephen Troop, son of Michael and Debra Troop of Marion

Cagla Unal, daughter of Mesut and Nurhayat Unal of East Savoy

Sephra Urbas, daughter of John Urbas of Springfield and Sheila and Larry Sims of Sherman                       

Danel Voorhees, daughter of Jay Voorhees of Dunlap and Carol Voorhees of Peoria

Niyant Vora, son of Shrenik and Anughna Vora of Bloomington

Connor Vorreyer, son of Joe Vorreyer and Jennifer Vorreyer, both of Springfield            

Ryan Wiegand, son of Tom Wiegand and Kim Gryl, both of Morton, and spouse of Emily Williams

Kaitie Wildman, daughter of Mike and Cassi Wildman of Atwood

Matthew Woodbury, son of John and Wendy Woodbury of Oswego and spouse of Megan Sieg

Stephanie Wooten, daughter of Steve and Romona Wooten of East Saint Louis

Kimberly Woudenberg, daughter of Larry and Ren Lybbert of Gallup, New Mexico