Wendi Wills El-Amin

Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine

Wendi Wills El-Amin, MD, is the Associate Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She is also on faculty in the Department of Family and Community Medicine and provides care at the Center for Family Medicine in Springfield. Dr. El-Amin is dually appointed to the SIU’s Department of Medical Education.

El-Amin served as assistant dean of medical education at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville (2007-10). She also served as director of outreach at the Center on Health Disparities and director of the UVA Cancer Center Health Disparity Initiative (2006-10) and as an assistant professor of family medicine and public health (2005-10), all at the University of Virginia. El-Amin was in private practice at Wills Diagnostic Clinic in Houston, TX. (2001-03).

She completed her residency in family practice and community medicine as chief resident at the University of Texas-Houston (2001). She earned her medical degree at Georgetown Medical School (1998) and a bachelor’s degree in biology at Hampton University in Virginia (1993).

Dr. El-Amin is board certified in family medicine and is a member of the National Medical Association, where she chaired the Women’s Health Section (2008 – 2019). She has been a community health advocate and activist. She is the mother to three little girls, who she calls her earth, wind, and fire.

Dr. Wendi’s passion for equity and dismantling the systems that underpin health disparities is unparalleled in their community. She has won numerous awards and accolades for her teaching, and she brings a heart for service, justice and healing to everything she does. Dr. Wendi serves on the boards of the Central Illinois Boys and Girls Club, Springfield YMCA, and the Community Foundation of the Land of Lincoln and is a member of the ELAM 2020 class of fellows.