2011

WEEK OF Oclcl:er 2 , 114l (

Bowen named ECCC Alumnus of the Year Special to The Star DECATUR- For almost sixdecades, Dr. Frank Bowen has donned his suit and tie, strapped on his stethoscope and . reported to work serving the medical needs of the people of Leake County. He said he cannot remember a time he wanted to be anything other tl1at1 a doctor and at age 90, he doesn't seem to be looking towards a career change or retirement any time soon. .4 dans who returned to be community doc- tors in small towns. I had that and the G.l. Bill to pay for medical school. I was happy that I made the choice to be a small town doctor. People have been verygood to me." Bowen married the late Bobbie McPhail Bowen, whom he met when theywere students at East Central, on May 1, 1943, inTampa, F1a, while he was stationed in theArmv. After his discharge from the Army, the Bowens moved to Oxford where he enrolled at the University ofMississippi to complete his pre-med courses. Bowen received the bach– elor of arts degree in 1948. When he had not been accepted to medical school in September 1948, he was still interested in medicine and decided to enter graduate school to become a physiologist under the late Dr. Arthur Guyton, who is nowwidely known for his textbook on physiology used throughout the world. 'Things changed in just two weeks," Bowen said. "A medical studentchanged his mind and quit school because he did not like doing gross anatomy. in which we were dis– secting the bodies. Iv.'as taking every course the medical students were taking, with the exception ofhistology, and I had taken this in undergraduate school. The admi&>ions board said if I could pass the test the medical students had taken that I could become a medical student. I took the test and made 100 on it. That is how Igot into medical school– actually twoweeks after it had begun.'' Bowen finished the first two years ofmedical school on March 19, 1950, and was accepted to the University ofTen– nessee where he entered the junior year. After two short tours ofactive duty with the militaryduring his summers off, Bowen completed his last quarter oimedicalschool in September 1951. FoUov.ing graduation, Bowen interned at ~1ethodist Hospital in Memphis and he and hi<: v.ifc welcomed a son, Frank (Sonny) Bowen Jr., in May, 1952. Later that year, they moved to Walnut Grove, where Dr Bowen entered the prac– tice ofmedicine. Bowen, who will be honored as the 2011 East Central Community College Alumnus of theYear during activities scheduled for Saturday on the Decatur campus, has been a practicing physician since 1952 when he completed his internship at Methodist Hos· pital in Memphis, Tenn., and began his medical practice in Leake County "Inever wanted to do anything else," he said. ''Scholarshipswere available for physi- Bowen

Bowen's practice V.'llS thriving in Walnut Grove but the ho pital was in Carthage and he sayc: he couldQ 't be in two places at once so he moved his office there in 1957 and con– tinu.e~ to serv~ the medical needs of Leake County today. In addition to bemg a staffmember at Leake Memorial Hos– pital, where he has also served several times as Chit>f of Staff, he is ~e medical director for Golden living Center, a 99-bed nursmg home, and Sta·Home Hospice, both of Carthage. "When practicing medicine in a small town vou become part :;f the ~amilies you care for and they beco~ family to you, he said. -I havE.' somt- who have bent my ~r almost 60 years. Theydon't want another doctor: ~I "UJ)- pose I'll have to live longer than tl1ey do!" ' Bowen and his wife~;;tablh.hed a scholarship at the col– lege, whichVlas first awarded in 2010, for LeakeU>untv stu– dents who graduate in theTop 10 percent oftheir cla ;,at1d enroll full time at East Central. In addition to providing linattcial a.:~i--tance to area c:tu– dents, Bowen has also served as a preceptor for the Depart– ment of Family Medicine, which allows student..; to observe his medical practice. Th~ Leake Co~nty Chamber ofCommerce also spon– sors aJOb-shadowmg programfor high school seniors in which Bowen takes part. Aboar

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