Director, Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education
What is your hometown?
Brainerd, Minnesota
When did you join the UI faculty?
In 1996, though I’ve been at the College of Medicine since 1983.
How/when did you become interested in medicine and education?
I was a medical social worker before going back to school in public health. I worked every day with physicians and residents in caring for patients. At the University of Michigan School of Public Health, one of my focus areas was physician-patient communication, and that interest led to my initial position as patient education and evaluation consultant.
What interested you to pursue a career in medical education?
Although I enjoyed direct contact with patients, I found teaching medical students even more rewarding.
Is there a teacher or mentor who helped shape your career?
At Michigan, the Health Belief Model guys (Rosenstock, Kirscht, and Becker) helped me understand the research process. At Iowa, Peter Densen led the way as we developed and implemented the new curriculum, and he challenged me to set very high standards for myself.
How or why did you choose the UI?
My original position in the Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education was ideally suited to my interests and training. I have stayed here because the work continues to be interesting and varied.
What kinds of professional opportunities or advantages does being a faculty member at Iowa provide? What about challenges?
When I first came to Iowa, I was struck by the spirit of collegiality and collaboration. That continues to be true, and is often noticed by others who visit our campus. The main challenge is getting people outside of Iowa (on the periphery of the country) to recognize all of the good work that goes on here.
Please describe your professional interests?
Helping faculty to become better teachers, especially in their role as small group leaders, is a particular interest. We are ready to launch a Master in Medical Education degree for residents, faculty, and fellows. That has been and will continue to be an exciting process. I’m also interested in educational scholarship, particularly projects that offer practical suggestions for improving the educational process.
What are some of your outside interests?
I am part of a writing group, learning about writing personal essays. I play golf and am a die-hard Cubs fan.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your professional work?
I have a plaque on my file cabinet that says, “I am still learning.”
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
I would like to see us recapture the sense of possibility and optimism that seems to have been drowned out by some of the administrative hassles.
What is the biggest change you've experienced in your field since you were a student?
Medical education research funds have always been limited, but they have dropped off even more in the last five years or so. At the same time, demands for providing consulting services for curricular change have increased dramatically, so the nature of the work has changed.
What one piece of advice you would give to today's students?
Take care of yourself and your colleagues.
What do you see as "the future" of medicine?
We will need to find creative ways to accomplish the educational mission in academic health centers.
In what ways are you engaged with the greater Iowa public?
Over the years, I’ve worked extensively with health voluntary organizations locally and around the state. Recently, my work with the Injury Prevention Center has led to collaboration with groups such as the Safe Kids Coalition.