The 2015 Legacy Banquet

Honorary Alumni of the Year Dr. Wayne Dickason Wayne L. Dickason, M.D., practiced plastic and reconstructive surgery for more than 30 years in Olympia, Washington. He started his career as a general surgeon for the United States Army, serving in Vietnam and Fort Ord, California, where he performed combat surgery. While serving in Vietnam, Wayne worked with local missionaries to provide medical relief and skills that would otherwise not have been available to locals in need. During his medical career, he took many medical missions trips to provide reconstructive surgery and medical relief. He recalls that his interest in missions and international travel began in his childhood. His mother was the Missionary Chairman of their church, which brought many furloughed missionaries to their home. His first experience practicing surgical missions was during his residency when he was taken by Dr. Dean Smith to the Dominican Republic. He recalls a particularly harrowing surgery during this trip that highlighted to him the significant need for surgical missions. It was during this trip that he decided to ensure that his children were exposed to the needs of others through medical missions once they reached their teens. Wayne was able to take his family on trips to the Dominican Republic and Mexico, which opened their eyes to the abundance that they had. During more than 130 international medical mission trips during his career and since his retirement, Dr. Dickason has had the opportunity to provide a wide range of medical relief. His experiences ranged from working in a dental clinic in South America, to surgery in primitive conditions, to educating plastic and reconstructive surgeons in Russia after the Cold War. Dr. Dickason attended Cedarville for a year before moving to Flint, Michigan, and attending Flint Junior College as a premed major. He later transferred to the University of Michigan, where he was selected for advanced entry into its medical school. He recalls that of all the students he interacted with during his 13 years of education, the Cedarville students he met his freshman year still stand out. He and his wife, Teri, have four children and five grandchildren, who are serving the Lord and involved in missions. He says of his life and experience in missions, “The rewards come from seeing the happy faces, the gratefulness of the patients as well as their families, and the appreciation of the administrative people of the hospitals, towns, or government officials.”