Chicago Medical School Distinguished Alumnus Award

2022 Award Recipients

Distinguished Alumni Award for Achievement is bestowed upon CMS alumni who have made a significant impact in the field of medicine and whose efforts have brought distinction to the Chicago Medical School.

Kimberley Darey, MD ’04

Kimberley Darey, MD ’04, received the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award for Service recognizing Chicago Medical School alumni who have unselfishly devoted time and service in a professional capacity or in the broader community.

Dr. Darey was named president of Elmhurst Hospital (Elmurst, Ill.) and will assume her new role in January 2023. Dr. Darey is board-certified in obstetrics and gynecology and has been on the medical staff at Elmhurst Hospital since 2010. She previously held positions of medical director of the Elmhurst Hospital Family Birthing Center and chief medical officer/VP of medical affairs.

Dr. Darey is the first African American medical director at Elmhurst Hospital in obstetrics and gynecology. She also serves as chair of the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council and the Health Equity Taskforce. Dr. Darey also serves on the Board of Trustees for Elmhurst Hospital Foundation.

Dr. Darey is active in civic and humanitarian organizations where she holds several leadership roles. She is a charter member of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Chicago Metropolitan Chapter, and she supports African American women experiencing infertility. She is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

In 2017, Dr. Darey received the Chicago Defender’s Women of Excellence Award. This year, Crain's Chicago Business recognized her among its 2022 Most Notable Executives of Color in Healthcare.

Alan Blank, MD, MS, ’11

Alan Blank, MD, MS, ’11, received the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award for Early Career Achievement. The award celebrates alumni who have achieved early distinction in the past 15 years, proudly reflecting the power of a Chicago Medical School education.

Dr. Blank, a fellowship trained orthopedic oncologist, is an assistant professor at Rush University Medical Center. He specializes in malignant and benign musculoskeletal growths and performing limb-salvage surgery in adults and children.

Blank served as class president at Chicago Medical School and earned both his MD and a master’s in biomedical sciences and research. After medical school, he completed his orthopedic surgery residency at New York University Hospital for Joint Diseases (New York City). While there, he received the Resident Research Award for his work on prophylactic surgical treatment for metastatic bone disease.

Dr. Blank also completed a year of training in adult and pediatric musculoskeletal oncology and sarcoma surgery at the renowned Huntsman Cancer Institute and Hospital in Salt Lake City.

Dr. Blank has published many peer reviewed scientific articles in the field of orthopedic oncology, co-authored a number of textbook chapters, and presented at internationally attended academic conferences. He also treats a comprehensive set of non-tumor related conditions such as joint reconstruction, fractures and other general orthopedics.

Dr. Blank has received a number of honors, including Crain's Chicago Business Magazine 40 under 40 Award Winner in 2019 and the Golden Apple Teaching Award.