By Naomi Gitlin

“Do what you need to do to make it better and then do it.”

That was just one of the many lessons and insights Mark E. Cichon, DO, received from a mentor when he began his career at Loyola University Health System (LUHS). Today, Cichon, professor and former chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, reflects on mentorship and a career of service, as he accepts the 2024 Stritch Medal, the school’s highest honor.

Cichon takes seriously the concept of stewardship and mentoring– whether it is related to one’s personal or professional life. 

“Mentoring – realizing that you are a steward to help pave the way for the next generation – is a significant responsibility and one that energizes me,” said Cichon. The strong commitment to mentorship was one of the many features that attracted him to Stritch.

The son of Polish immigrants, Cichon said his calling to medicine began growing up in Chicago, attending Catholic schools. While he was not always strong in English or literature, he enjoyed and gravitated to math and science.

He chose to become a Doctor of Osteopathic (DO) Medicine because he wanted to work as a general practitioner in a rural community; at the time, 85 percent of DOs went into primary care. Realistically, he also knew that he wanted to practice medicine well into his 60s.

Building a Department

An Emergency Medicine (EM) rotation in his fourth year of medical school introduced Cichon to that specialty. The EM department chair, Dr. Robert Hambrick, shared his experience with Cichon and asked him to consider a career in EM. Cichon pursued an EM residency at the Osteopathic Health System on Chicago’s south side, where he rotated through various hospitals, including LUHS.

While involved with the Chicago Committee on Trauma – Advanced Life Support Program, Cichon met Richard Gamelli, MD, former department of surgery chair and Health Sciences Campus provost, who died in 2022. Gamelli recruited Cichon to Loyola to lead the Pre-hospital program in 1996. With Gamelli's support, Cichon grew the division of Emergency Medical Services in the Department of Surgery, eventually moving it to an independent department in 2012.

The Department of Emergency Medicine has continued to grow and develop with diverse faculty representation, fellowship-trained subspecialties in EM, an active research and educational program, and a vast patient population making its clinical and educational experiences a perfect training ground for the Emergency Medicine Residency Program which began in 2018. Faculty has achieved professional recognition both in academic promotions and in various regional and national organizations. Today, the department has more than 30 attendings and three classes of residents (six per class). 

People for and With Others

Another feature that attracted Cichon to Loyola/Stritch: the people. “The people at Loyola really help you navigate and support each other, especially during tough times,” he said.  “Trauma surgeons, critical care physicians, nursing staff, techs, secretaries, staff delivering food to patients – there’s such incredible teamwork. When the rubber meets the road, people are there for their patients and for each other,” said Cichon.    

Cichon has taken to heart both the Stritch concept of mentorship and the idea of “paying it forward.” 

Up until this year – the first time in about 24 years – Cichon did not participate in the Mechanisms of Human Disease (MHD) course, teaching and learning with small groups of M2s. Admittedly, he missed it. “That course made me a better physician because I learned from my mentees,” he said. “It’s incredible to watch the lights come on in their eyes as they learn,” said Cichon.

“Medicine is not a sprint,” he continued. “The rewards are an opportunity to serve others, to be at a patient’s bedside at some of their most difficult times – and to be the person from whom they seek comfort. That’s a calling -- a profession -- not just a job!” Cichon said. 

Throughout his career, Cichon, like other successful physicians, has learned how to handle failure. “First, it comes with understanding that you will fail at some point – and you are not alone in that failure,” he said. It was an important “lesson” for him and one that he shares with medical students. According to one of his mentors, "It has been said that you can learn for your entire life from mistakes you make in your first year, or you can make first year mistakes for your entire life.” Cichon said it’s the support and encouragement from those around you that enable you to better handle the highs and lows.

Understanding Balance

Being a physician can be stressful; being an Emergency Medicine physician can be even more stressful. Cichon credits his wife (and his family) for helping to ground him.  Janine Cichon was instrumental in raising their family, dedicated to ensuring that they did things together, as a family. The Cichons recently celebrated their 40^th wedding anniversary, along with their four children, their spouses, and two grandchildren.

Since Cichon became an EM physician, the EM field has grown and changed, responding to emerging needs.  What was once a specialty to cover individuals who could not see a doctor immediately, EM has become a broader safety net, incorporating various technologies to improve patient care. 

As Cichon steps away from chairing the department and spending less time practicing, he has passed the torch to Interim Chair (and Stritch alumna) Shannon Lovett, MD. 

Though for Cichon, he will not stop working. He will continue to be involved in teaching, the Barbara G. and John L. Keeley, Jr. Center for Emergency Medicine Education, and Loyola Stands, a collaboration to take a stand against gun violence and develop trainings and partnerships to help people seeking to address the issue in their communities.

It is just another example of how Cichon is following his mentor’s advice: “Do what you need to do to make it better and then do it.”

August 2024