Dr. Linda Cooke is a board certified Dermatologist. As a young mother, she earned her undergraduate degree from St. Louis University, graduation with Magna Cum Laude Honors. During her undergraduate studies, she was awarded the Craig Johnson Memorial Scholarship for her original research. She also selected to be a member Phi Beta Kappa which is usually considered to be the most prestigious academic honor society in the United States.

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Dr. Cooke was one of the superiorly qualified applicants to be accepted in the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS) Medical School in Bethesda, MD. Dr. Cooke chose this acceptance over her acceptances to the Missouri medical schools as it relieved much of the financial burden associated with the medical school training. Students at USUHS are challenged to acquire the knowledge of traditional medical education while also navigating the course of military and public health medicine. By graduation, students are trained to be leaders and are able to confidently perform under difficult circumstances, anywhere in the world.

 

After her internship at National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Dr. Cooke was honored to be a part of the Vietnam POW study. She was then selected for U.S. Navy Flight Surgery training in Pensacola, FL. The United States Navy has the most intensive, rigorous, educational flight surgeon training course in the world. Flight Surgery students go through extensive physical training daily, land and water survival courses including helicopter and jet dunkersm and didactics on flight crew health and safety. There is also extensive training on mishap investigations. Dr. Cooke earned her U.S. Navy Flight Surgeon Wings in 1995.

 

After her tour as a Flight Surgeon, Dr. Cooke was selected into the the highly competitive dermatology residency at Naval Medical Center, San Diego. During residency, she participated in research resulting in FDA approval for the first hair removal laser safe to use in dark skin. She also published several articles in the leading dermatology journals and presented cases and research at many national dermatology meetings. She was also honored to serve as Chief Resident during her training in San Diego. Dr. Cooke was the first Navy resident allowed to do a Cosmetic Dermatology rotation with a prestigious, civilian cosmetic dermatologist in La Jolla, CA.

 

After serving in the U.S. Navy for fifteen years, Dr. Cooke chose to come to Hannibal, MO. This area is greatly underserved in dermatology. Dr. Cooke feels her well-rounded training enables her to have a positive impact on the community by serving her dermatology patients. The area also provides wonderful environment for her 6 children and 5 grandchildren and is not far from her extended family in St. Louis.

 

Dr. Cooke has been in Hannibal serving dermatology since June 2004. She is committed to the community and completely dedicated to providing the best dermatology care to her patients.