Millennium Magazine_2ndEd

48 MILLENNIUM-SECOND EDITION D r. Maria Lourdes Banaad-Omiotek followed her parents’ dream for her to become a doctor and was exposed to the field through her uncle, who served as a physician. With a genuine interest in the sciences, she earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from Ateneo de Manila University, located in the Philippines, in 1989. She subsequently obtained a Doctor of Medicine from University of the East - Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center in 1993 and completed a residency program in internal medicine. When she migrated to the United States, Dr. Banaad-Omiotek applied to an internal medicine program focusing on family medicine. She was matched with a family practice residency and because of this experience knew that she did not want to focus her studies on surgery. Dr. Banaad-Omiotek provides preventative care services to families through both her private practice and Presence Health, a hospital system based in Chicago. As there is a very large Filipino population in Chicago, she has gained a following due to her ability to communicate with people in their native language so they understand and feel comfortable with her. Aside from her work in the medical field, she has given back to her community as the director of the scholarship program at Ateneo de Manila University. She was inducted to the VIA Times Hall of Fame for excellence in medicine by CPRTV and VIA Times. She is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Board of Family Medicine, Inc. Dr. Banaad-Omiotek attributes her success to the encouragement she received from her parents to pursue a career in science, because she actually became successful in her field. MARIA LOURDES BANAAD-OMIOTEK MEDICAL DOCTOR Swedish Covenant Hospital Chicago, IL