Class of 2006: Profiles

Mike Antonis
Mike was born and raised in Western Pennsylvania and received his undergraduate degree from Washington and Jefferson College. While in college, he studied Wildebeest migration in East Africa and worked as an ambulance EMT. Mike graduated from Chicago Osteopathic Medical School where the Dean described him as "one of the top students in his class." He was elected to the Sigma Sigma Phi Academic Honor Society. His testing abilities (COMLEX) put him in the top 5 percent nationally. After graduating from medical school, Mike began a residency in internal medicine at Advocate Christ Medical Center where he completed his second year in June 2003. He enjoys snow/water skiing, racketball, tennis and running.

Tyson Bryant
Tyson was born in Ohio and grew up in the Lake Zurich area. Tyson attended Penn State University, where he was a member of the varsity gymnastics team (a top 6 team in the country during that time) and was a member of the Big 10 Conference All Academic Team. Tyson graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine. He excelled academically, finishing in the top quarter of his class. His testing abilities (USMLE) put him in the top 10 percent nationally. His academics, leadership ability and volunteerism (United Way and Big Brother Programs) were rewarded when the Dean's Office nominated him for the 2001 AAMC Herbert Nickens National Scholarship and the 2002 National Medical Fellowship Franklin C. McLean Awards. Tyson enjoys staying fit and outdoor activities.

Jennifer Caris
Jennifer was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. She received her undergraduate degree at the University of Illinois and a Master of Science degree in the Physician Assistant program at Chicago Medical School. Her master's thesis was entitled "A Prediction of Academic Performance in a Physician Assistant Program." Jennifer graduated in the top 5 percent of her class from Rush Medical College. While in medical school, she was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society in her junior year. Her testing abilities (USMLE) put her in the top 5 percent nationally. During medical school, she spent a summer as a volunteer medical worker in Manta, Ecuador. Jennifer's husband is a wild life biologist (recently working on the longhorn beetle) and they enjoy skiing, sailing and traveling.

Jason Foreman
Jason was born and raised in the Chicagoland area. He received his undergraduate degree from Brigham Young University, where he was a member of the men's gymnastic team and an Academic All-American from 1995 to 1998. Jason graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, where he excelled inside and outside the classroom. Jason's testing abilities (USMLE) put him in the top 15 percent nationally. He was a student representative at the UIC's M-4 Subcommittee, tutored over 100 first-year medical students in physiology, and volunteered at a student-run medical clinic. One of his most amazing feats was riding his bicycle from Seattle to Washington, D.C., raising money ($7,000) for the American Lung Association. Jason is married (his wife is a lawyer) and enjoys bicycling, hiking, camping, guitar playing and writing music.

Michael Hawthorne
Michael was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas, and received his undergraduate degree from Wichita State University. Mike worked his way through college and medical school as a surgical technologist. He received his medical degree from Kansas University. Mike ranks in the top 14 percent of his graduating medical school class, and his testing abilities (USMLE) put him in the top 10 percent nationally. Mike took part in numerous volunteer activities and was involved in research on geriatric end-of-life issues. Mike enjoys many outdoor activities, including water/snow skiing, hiking, and running in team sports. Indoors, he enjoys reading and on-line games.

Steven Jennings
Steve was born and raised in the Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, area. He graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Phi (top 5 percent) from Texas A & M University before beginning medical school at the University of Texas Southwestern in Dallas, where he graduated in 2003. While in medical school, he succeeded academically, honoring many rotations including his Emergency Medicine rotations at Parkland and at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His test taking abilities (USMLE) put him at the top 10 percent nationally. Steve was also engaged in EMS research, spent a month in Guatemala, and was involved in numerous extracurricular activities. Steve enjoys skiing, scuba diving, tennis, ultimate Frisbee and music (guitar, piano and drums).

Peter Peraud
Peter was born and raised in Iowa and received his undergraduate degree in economics from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Peter received his medical degree from the University of Iowa. In medical school, Peter honored half his clinical rotations, and his testing abilities (USMLE) put him in the top 17 percent nationally. While in medical school, he was selected for the AMA's Government Relations Internship Program, where he worked in the Coverage and Analysis Group at HCFA, and co-authored a national coverage policy for ultrasound bone stimulators. Peter enjoys basketball, running, skiing, barbecuing, and was the 2002 University of Iowa Intramural (doubles) Dart Champion.

Gregory Roslund
Greg was born and raised in Michigan and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Michigan, where he was a research assistant in three areas: herpetology, gene mapping of hearing, and native Alaskan plant pharmaceuticals. Greg graduated from Loyola University Medical School, where he received honors in nearly half his clinical rotations. While in medical school, Greg was a leader (elected to the Class of 2003 Executive Board) and was highly involved in volunteer activities. Among his activities were time spent as a medical assistant in Belize and co-founder/co-coordinator of the medical school talent show, which he helped start in 1999 and which has now grown into one of the largest campus-wide fundraisers with over 150 student and faculty participants. He earned extra money during medical school as a piano accompanist and piano teacher. Greg enjoys basketball and all types of music.

Sakina Sayeed
Sakina was born and raised in the Chicagoland area and received her undergraduate degree from Northwestern University, where she co-authored a paper on prostatic cancer. She earned her Master of Science degree in applied physiology from Chicago Medical School and graduated from Chicago Medical School in 2003. In medical school, she was in the top 8 percent of her class and was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Her testing abilities (USMLE) put her in the top 15 percent nationally. She is also involved in numerous extracurricular volunteer activities and was the public relations chair for her school's American Medical Women's Association. Sakina enjoys staying fit with aerobics and reading.

Michael Sims
Michael is from the Chicagoland area and received his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, was elected Phi Beta Kappa, and was the only graduating student to receive the Achievement Award from the College of Health and Human Development Sciences. Michael graduated from St. Louis University Medical School, where he was elected to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. His testing abilities (USMLE) put him in the top 15 percent nationally. While in medical school, he was involved in numerous extracurricular activities and was a research assistant both at St. Louis University (non-bridging external fixators for distal radius fractures) and Washington University (ED Geriatric Abdominal Pain Project). Michael has a long history of playing and coaching ice hockey; he and his wife (a psychiatric nurse) enjoy hiking, movies, and "furthering culinary skills."

Mark Thompson
Mark was born in Michigan, but has lived and worked in Germany, Switzerland and Australia. He and his family now call Glen Ellyn their home. Mark graduated from Purdue University with a degree in computer science and for 10 years was a senior manager for Accenture. Mark graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he received honors in half his clinical rotations. His testing abilities (USMLE) put him in the top 10 percent nationally. Mark has an extensive list of voluntary activities, including the Glen Ellyn Historical Society, the Public Media Foundation Board of Directors for the Village of Glen Ellyn, and Disaster Relief for the American Red Cross. While in medical school, he conducted a study and wrote a paper entitled "Impact of Drug and Alcohol Use by Medical Students at a Public Urban U.S. Medical School." Mark enjoys spending time with his wife and children, mountain biking, hiking, camping, kayaking, running and traveling.