The School of Nursing is so proud of our alumni and we are excited to highlight your accomplishments. If you know of someone we should highlight, please email us at
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Major Cory Williams was admitted to the Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist track with a focus on critical care in the fall of 2002. As with most graduate students, Cory taught fellow students and faculty, while the faculty taught him.
He enlivened class discussions with interesting clinical questions and humorous similes while exploring the diagnosis, treatment, and effects of serious illnesses on adults. Cory took extra courses related to critical care and trauma to support his upcoming role as commanding officer of the 555th Forward Surgical Team from Ft. Hood, Texas.
Major Williams graduated in May 2004 with an MSN from the Adult Clinical Nurse Specialist track. Major Williams is a member of Sigma Theta Tau.
In December of 2004, Major Williams was deployed with his team to Iraq, where he served until their return in October of 2005. “We commanded a surgical team for a multinational fire base south of Baghdad,” says Cory. “We treated trauma patients from 14 different coalition countries participating in the effort. Additionally, we ran a clinic for Iraqi civilians, Iraqi police, and Iraqi Army troops. We performed many routine surgeries for [Iraqi] men, women, and children as they did not have the ability to procure such services in their towns due to money and no medical infrastructure.”
“I flew on many critical care flight missions, treated trauma patients, treated post operative and inpatients, hospice patients, ran primary care and surgery clinics, acted as a case manager, and taught many classes to young medics and nurses.”
Cory attributes his education at UAB with helping to prepare him to lead and manage his team effectively, care for the troops and civilians effectively, and instruct new Army personnel. In addition, his UAB education supported him while he helped teach Iraqi medical personnel more about preoperative and post-operative care.
We are glad to welcome Major Cory Williams home. His next assignment is to be a teaching assignment. He wonders now if teaching will ultimately be his career path.