The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
What is your hometown?
Burlington, Iowa
How or when did you become interested in science and medicine?
Growing up, I always looked up to my parents and their love of medicine. They always seemed to be challenged and very fulfilled by their work as physicians. As an undergraduate at Dartmouth College I really enjoyed my science classes, especially those that were taught by clinicians and were more clinically focused. But what really sold me on medicine was the chance to work directly with patients through several volunteer organizations I was active in at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Those patient care experiences, and getting the chance to see science directly translated into improving someone’s health, helped me to know for sure that medicine was the career I wanted to pursue.
How or why did you choose the University of Iowa to attend medical school?
I grew up in Iowa and much of my family lives here. After being away for four years, I knew that I wanted to be a little closer to home for medical school. I knew from doing summer research at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics that Iowa would be a good fit for me and would make we well prepared to compete for a top residency in whatever field I chose.
Is there a teacher, mentor or University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine faculty member who has helped shape your education?
There have been several faculty members who have had a big impact on my education and career goals. One of the first people I got to work with was Dr. Peter Kaboli (89BS, 94MD, 00MS) in Internal Medicine, who was my research mentor during my pre-M1 summer through the Summer Research Fellowship program. Working with him throughout my medical school experience really helped me to realize that I wanted clinical research to be a big part of my career going forward. Additionally, there have been several clinical mentors like Dr. John Fieselmann (68BS, 72MD, 75R, 78F-Internal Medicine) and Dr. Scott Wilson that have taught me a lot about the art of medicine and patient care and have solidified my interest in Internal Medicine.
What kinds of opportunities or advantages does being a medical student at Iowa provide? What about challenges?
I believe one of Iowa’s biggest strengths is that it offers students close contact with faculty throughout medical school and really allows students to develop and maintain relationships with mentors. Faculty here are very eager to teach and work with students, and that’s true not only in the clinics and inpatient floors but also throughout the first and second years in small groups and other settings. As far as challenges, I think they are the same that medical students everywhere face. The biggest challenge is probably having such limited time to balance all of your medical school requirements with outside interests and other commitments.
Please describe your professional goals and interests?
I’m currently applying for Internal Medicine residencies, and my long-term goal is to be on the faculty at one of the top Internal Medicine departments in the country. Two of my biggest professional interests are teaching and being involved with research, so I know a career in academics will be a good fit for me.
What are some of your outside interests?
Spending time with family and friends is really important to me, so that’s something I always try to prioritize with the limited free time we have. I also really love sports, both to watch and to play when I get the chance. Skiing and traveling are two of my favorite hobbies, and I’m hoping that fourth-year and breaks along the residency interview trail will give me more opportunities to do both.
Do you participate in any community service/outreach projects? If so, what are they and what have your experiences been?
I’ve been fortunate to help out with several different service projects and they have all been very rewarding experiences. The one I was probably most involved with was as Vice President for the Medical Student Ambassador Program (MSAP) during my first and second years. Through MSAP I helped with several activities, such as giving tours for prospective medical students, alumni, and other visitors. We also traveled throughout Iowa City and surrounding communities to give health related presentations at elementary schools and to help coordinate job shadowing experiences for older students. I really enjoy teaching and mentoring, and MSAP provided several great opportunities for this.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your work?
I think every physician knows that he or she is one of the most important educators in the lives of their patients, so everyday I just try to learn as much as I can and continue developing the skills that will allow me to be as effective as possible in communicating with and educating my patients.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
Like most people who work in our health care system, I would love to see a shift toward more preventative medicine - both in our medical culture and in the reimbursement policies of government and insurance companies that unfortunately have a large influence in many of our health care decisions.
What one piece of advice would you give to students who are interested in applying to medical school?
Take time to explore your interests and find a true passion for some aspect of medicine. Whether that’s research or volunteering, or any other activity, find something you’re truly excited about and commit to it all out. Not only will you be happier, you’ll be far more successful in the application process than others who just do certain things because they think they need to “jump through hoops” in order to be a strong applicant.
What do you see as "the future" of medicine?
I think this is an extremely exciting time to be a physician, and I expect our understanding of disease and treatment options to continue to expand faster than it has at any point in history. I am always humbled when I think about some of the retiring professors I had at Dartmouth who would tell us how DNA had not even been discovered when they were at our stage of training, and I can’t even imagine what new breakthroughs will revolutionize medicine during my career ahead.