Illinois Medicine

medical alumni council by Alice Patenaude SO FAR AND YET SO CLOSE New chair of the Medical Alumni Council continues to tighten the alumni connection Continuing to expand and promote that opportunity is the chief challenge of the new chair of the Medical Alumni Council, Adrienne Segovia, MD '90. "We want alumni to know that they can make a difference in students' lives," she says. "The way to improve things is by being involved." But Segovia also recognizes that alumni have many competing demands on their time, so she's trying to make reconnecting with the university and students as simple as possible. To do that, she is exploring the use of technology, such as Skype, to enhance alumni involvement. "I would love to have more alumni become a part of the council, and using technology would just make it easier for them to participate," she says. A 38 | WINTER 2012 Segovia understands the time challenges physicians face. She is a forensic pathologist for the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, a position she has held since 1995. After completing her internship, Segovia undertook a pathology residency at Loyola and a fellowship at the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office, where she was asked to stay. During her three-year tenure as council chair, Segovia plans to build upon the initiatives of her predecessor, John Mason '53, MD '55, Res '59, who concentrated on expanding alumni presence throughout all the major milestones of the medical student experience. Those milestones include freshman orientation, the White Coat Ceremony, Match Day, the Hooding Ceremony, commencement and annual reunions. For example, alumni now present students with the iconic symbol of the profession—the white coat. "My goal was to put an 'alumni face' on these events," says Mason, who will remain part of the council. "Prior to the council, students went through their medical career with no real feeling that there was a larger body that they were becoming a part of." He adds, "We want to reach out to our key population centers—New York, Los Angeles and Denver, among others—to develop alumni clubs, increase participation in the council and engage our 25,000 alumni." LUMNI HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY that they're best equipped to fulfill: sharing their experiences and becoming coaches to current medical students. PHOTO: DIANE SMUTNY Launched in 2005, the Medical Alumni Council was the dream of Milton Kramer, MD '54, and Elizabeth Skinner, the director of development. Kramer served as its first chairman from 2005 until 2008. As a result of the council's efforts, alumni present students with gifts during each year of their training, including leather note pads, pocket medicine texts, padfolios and business card holders. The council also supports the Match Day ceremony and participates in the family-oriented Hooding Ceremony and annual reunions. And alumni are encouraged to take an active role in connecting with students by fundraising for scholarships, interviewing new students coming into the college and serving as mentors. To further the connection between students and alumni, the council was also instrumental in developing a contact directory of alumni to assist students once they graduate. "At graduation, we welcome students into the alumni. We want them to feel that they are part of a large family," says Mason. Segovia stresses the importance of students remaining active participants in the College of Medicine from the time they come to the school until the time they become alumni. "I tell medical students that they were chosen to be here," she says. "The College of Medicine is so much more than buildings. From the minute they walk through the door with their spirit, enthusiasm and integrity, medical students are the University of Illinois." Segovia says that spirit should continue as alumni. "When we become alumni, we have a unique opportunity to share our experience and to make a difference for medical students," she says. "We have the power to make this university even better." Medical Alumni Council chair Adrienne Segovia, MD '90, wants to make reconnecting with the university as simple as possible for alumni.

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