Six highly trained fellows graduated June 25 from the renowned Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica.
The ceremony was hosted in the elegant westside residence of Ruth Weil, longtime benefactor of JWCI.
Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, Professor of Surgery and Chief of Medicine at JWCI, welcomed more than 100 guests who attended.
Speakers included Donald L. Morton, MD, Distinguished Professor of Surgery and Founder of the Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program, and Mark Faries, MD, Professor of Surgery and Director of the Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program.
The keynote address was provided by Steven Chen, MD, MBA, Associate Professor at City of Hope National Medical Center, who graduated from JWCI Fellowship Program as the Carolyn Dirks Fellow.
Dr. Chen, who now leads City of Hope’s Fellowship Program, spoke passionately about the value of passing the knowledge he gained from JWCI to the fellows they now train and encouraged each JWCI fellow to “carry on the mission of innovative cancer research and make a difference.”
JWCI Board Chairman Patrick Wayne and son Michael Wayne, Chairman of the JWCI Board of Advisors, along with Ruth Weil, presented each fellow with a gift.
JWCI Fellows have become leaders in cancer research and treatment at top medical centers across the nation.
JWCI was recently one of the first of eight institutions in the nation to be accredited to train surgical oncologists for board certification.
The JWCI Surgical Oncology Fellowship Program is made possible through the generous philanthropic support of individuals and foundations.
For more information, call the JWCI Development Office at 310.315.6111.
