By Allison Frederick, Health Science Relations
Coming to the University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine was a no-brainer for Ian Kenning, a native of Iowa who grew up attending Hawkeye football games with his father.
"I'm from Iowa, and the Carver College of Medicine has a great reputation," he said.
Kenning, a self-proclaimed "doodler and daydreamer," was born and raised in Ottumwa, Iowa. His parents, Greg and Miriam, are high school teachers and his sister, Sydney, is a sophomore at St. Mary’s College in Winona, Minn. Kenning graduated from Iowa State University with a B.S. in biology. His interest in the human body and life sciences, coupled with his enjoyment of working with people, prompted him to study medicine.
Kenning is content with the choice he made in coming to the UI. Right away, he noticed the faculty’s enthusiasm for teaching. "I have found that the Carver College of Medicine abounds with those willing to guide students towards their goal of becoming better physicians," he said.
Among his mentors at the UI, Kenning counts his classmates. "The diversity of thought and background I have discovered among my classmates has led me to finding mentorship in areas such as social justice and health care advocacy amongst my peers."
Kenning also has learned a great deal outside of the classroom through his involvement with the Mobile Clinic, a student-run program that provides underserved individuals within the community free screening, treatment, and prevention services. Kenning and his classmates take time from their coursework to maintain continuity of care at the various sites in and around Iowa City.
"The inspiring aspect I found about the Mobile Clinic is that it is fueled by student energy and ideals," Kenning said.
With three years already under his belt, Kenning considers his greatest achievement at the UI to be achieving balance. Initially overwhelmed by the workload medical school entailed and the "breadth of knowledge necessary to obtain," Kenning now feels that he has "a sense of equilibrium with academia and personal and social pursuits."
Ultimately, Kenning wants to focus on primary care. "If I had my druthers, I'd have a practice where I saw multiple different conditions in a given day, and was able to talk to my patients as much as they needed, while maintaining continuity with my patients throughout the years," he said.
Like any college student, Kenning finds relief by taking part in activities that allow him to have fun outside of class notes and textbooks. He considers music a big part of his life, and has been involved in the medical school marching band in its first three years.
"I think we're a crowd favorite," he said.
He is also a member of a drum circle titled ‘SPITATGOATS” (Smacking Percussion In The Attempt To Groove Out All Tension and Stress). Students, and even innocent bystanders, come together to make music.
"The process involves listening, communicating and creating, and there have been times when the music we've created has been pretty darn good," he said.
Eventually, Kenning wants to live in a place that caters to his love of the outdoors. "I hope to someday end up in a place where hiking, trail running and mountain biking are a hop, skip and jump away,” he said.
Wine, cheese and good conversation among friends and his fiancée are Kenning's ingredients for an enjoyable evening. He loves a good run and a good book, enjoys cheering on the Cubs, and notes that, "Saturdays at Kinnick can be a good time, too."