Established in the early 1930s, the three-year Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Iowa has a long tradition in its three-part mission to be a leader in teaching, research, and patient care.
We offer:
We welcome you to learn more about our people and programs.
As director of the Residency Program in the Department of Internal Medicine, it’s my honor to introduce you to the array of opportunities that exist at the University of Iowa. We believe we can provide you with the kind of individualized instruction and experiences that will help you transition from one phase of your professional career to the next. We aim to produce graduates who excel as clinicians, physician scientists, and teachers.
At our world-renowned residency, we offer:
We have a strong leadership team made up of outstanding associate program directors, motivated and inspired chief residents, creative and enthusiastic faculty, and dependable and involved site directors. Each of us works tirelessly to optimize the training experience for our resident physicians. Our program enables house staff to develop excellent clinical skills, while also preparing them to meet long-term career goals.
While we have a long tradition of training outstanding clinicians, we also continually work to keep our curriculum and methods cutting-edge. The program leadership works closely with chief residents and other core educators and invites input from residents in designing and refining innovative programs. For example, we’ve recently instituted a “4+1 program” that allows residents an improved ambulatory experience, guided career and mentor choice at the same time maintaining a balanced work-life experience. This allows residents to immediately begin exploring the subspecialty that interests them while also exposing them to fields they may not have previously considered.
Another example of our unique and cutting-edge program is our Master Clinician Program/Clinical Reasoning Curriculum. A pillar of our educational focus has been to teach our residents clinical reasoning and problem solving. Our residency produces life-long learners capable of unraveling the most impenetrable puzzles. No matter a resident’s area of career focus, our residency program significantly raises his or her clinical reasoning performance level.
We believe that our residents should not only be life-long learners of medicine but life-long teachers of medicine. To that end, we have developed the Teaching Skills Curriculum, which many residents find complements their formal training and enhances their clinical skills. One career path a resident may consider is becoming a clinician educator and thus may be interested in pursuing a Masters in Medical Education.
We understand that every resident has unique interests and career goals, and we have developed our training program to meet as many specifications as possible. No matter the resident’s long-term career goals, our residency program taps into a wealth of knowledge and experience that exists in our department’s faculty, creating specific mentorship experiences, and offering residents career-shaping opportunities.
If you are looking for a program that will challenge you and provide you with the experience and guidance to prepare you for the next step in your career, we hope you will continue to explore the University of Iowa’s Internal Medicine Residency program. If you have any questions about any aspect or whether our program is right for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us.
Watch Dr. Suneja's 2020 Carver College of Medicine Commencement Address:
The Department of Internal Medicine Residency Program is dedicated to educating future clinicians, physician scientists and scholars to serve the people of the state of Iowa, the nation and the world. Our program provides comprehensive, broad-based training and is dedicated to developing confident, knowledgeable, professional and caring internists who will be well prepared for their roles in the rapidly changing environment of healthcare. The three-year accredited program ensures that residents develop a strong foundation in general internal medicine so that they are able to address the wide range of problems encountered in clinical practice. The program also responds to special interests of residents by offering experiences and instruction to meet individual career goals and to help residents transition from one phase of their professional career to the next.
Mission: The mission of the program is to train the next generation of physicians in medicine who are well prepared to practice competently and independently in the areas of academic medicine, community practice and biomedical research.
Program Aims:
Core Values:
Our three-year categorical program emphasizes the development of not only well-rounded but also well-respected physicians, who are equipped with the essential tools and competency to excel in areas such as academic, sub-specialty, hospitalist and the community-based fields of internal medicine.
Our three-year categorical program emphasizes the development of well-rounded physicians, equipped with the tools to excel in all areas of internal medicine.
Residents within our program are provided progressive patient care responsibilities allowing for academic and professional growth as they transition toward independent practice. During this time, they are given the opportunity to explore potential career paths, including primary care, hospital medicine, sub-specialty care, and research.
While all residents will be exposed to the full breadth of internal medicine training through required rotations, we offer the opportunity to tailor educational opportunities to the individual resident. This is accomplished through longitudinal sub-specialty clinics in our outpatient Y-week curriculum, elective rotations that suit career-related interests, and opportunities for research. In addition, we also have hospital medicine and primary care focused pathways for interested residents.
See what else sets our program apart by exploring our site, where you can find in-depth descriptions and contact information for many of the exciting opportunities the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics has to offer.
We would love to hear from you, feel free to contact us with any further questions!
A one-year program is available for candidates who require Internal Medicine training prior to starting another specialty. The structure and requirements of this year are the same as the Categorical program, with the exception of omitting the Ambulatory curriculum.
The Internal Medicine and Psychiatry Combined Residency Program at the University of Iowa offers residents the opportunity to provide comprehensive care to patients with comorbid medical and psychiatric conditions.
The schedule adopted by the University of Iowa Internal Medicine Residency is a 4+1 model. Residents rotate for 4 weeks on an inpatient rotation or consult service followed by a 1 week ambulatory experience. The ambulatory week consists of 5 half days of continuity clinic, 2 half days of specialty clinics, an educational half day focused on ambulatory medicine, ultrasound, teaching skills, and quality improvement. This dedicated ambulatory week enhances the outpatient experience through patient continuity and educational opportunity.
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The goal of the ambulatory week is to promote a stronger emphasis on ambulatory medicine including focused practice and education. Organized around a number of outpatient medicine themes, residents will be exposed to a comprehensive, longitudinal curriculum delivered through interactive workshops, peer teaching, and self-directed and experiential learning.
This is an example of what your ambulatory week may look like.
Continuity Clinics
Specialty Clinics
Pre-clinic conference
Administrative Half Day
Quality Improvement Half Day
Ultrasound Training
Board Review
Ambulatory Workshops
Quality Improvement Curriculum
Resident Teaching Skills Curriculum
Although every resident at UIHC rotates through a handful of required services, schedules are readily tailored to fit the career goals of each individual resident.
Comprised of a staff Cardiologist, a senior resident, and two interns, the inpatient cardiology team diagnoses and manages patients with acute cardiovascular illness who do not require an ICU admission. Common problems seen on this service include acute coronary syndromes, decompensated heart failure, valvular disease, pulmonary hypertension, pericarditis, and endocarditis. The team admits patients daily, with no overnight call for team members, as the patients are monitored by the on-call CVICU resident. Didactic lectures are given by the staff physician on service during established dedicated teaching time
Comprised of a staff Cardiologist, a Cardiology fellow, and four senior medical residents, the CVICU team manages up to 16 patients requiring ICU admission for cardiac causes. Common problems seen on this service include severe decompensated heart failure/cardiogenic shock, STEMI, aortic dissection, and acute severe valvular dysfunction.
Residents will become comfortable with management of invasive hemodynamic monitoring including PA catheters, cardiac assist devices including Intra-aortic balloon pump and Impella, as well as cardiac ultrasound/echocardiography.
Each resident takes call every 4th night with one day off per week. At night, the on-call resident covers the Cardiology teaching service in addition to the CVICU.
Comprised of a staff Hematologist-Oncologist, a senior resident, and two interns, the Hematology-Oncology inpatient service manages patients with acute hematologic or oncologic issues, chemotherapy complications, and palliative care/symptom management. The team works in concert with our palliative care services as well as various other consultative services to provide care. The team admits patients daily, with no overnight call for team members. Overnight admissions are supported by a night float senior resident and intern.
Two teams, comprised of a Pulmonary/Critical Care physician, a Pulmonary/Critical Care fellow, 2-3 senior residents, and Advanced Practice Providers (APPs), the MICU teams staff and care for patients in our 26 bed medical intensive care unit.
Emergency medicine residents will, at times, rotate in the MICU and participate in the care teams.
Common problems managed in the MICU include sepsis/shock, acute and chronic respiratory failure, and other critical conditions.
One team, comprised of Medicine and Psychiatry staff, one senior resident, and two interns care for up to a total of 15 patients with medical and psychiatric complaints. The team admits patients daily with no overnight call. Overnight admissions are supported by a night float senior resident and intern. If you are interested in a combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry residency, please visit their page:
“The teaching resident elective readily helped me identify my strengths and weaknesses”
“Really fun rotation…good to have a dedicated time to focus on how to educate”
The Teaching Resident Rotation is designed as a 4-week experience to improve the teaching skills of participating third-year residents as well as prepare these residents for serving effectively in the role of medical educator. The rotation also provides a dedicated educational venue to demonstrate skills obtained through participation in the longitudinal Teaching Skills Curriculum.
Extensive teaching opportunities support residents in the development of skills essential for effective teaching in common situations. These teaching opportunities include small group facilitation, interactive classroom lecturing, simulation sessions and bedside instruction. The resident will also develop skills of how to prepare and work with multiple levels of learners as well as develop time management skills needed to be an effective medical educator.
Feedback is provided to each resident through written evaluations from students he/she taught during the rotation as well as after direct observation by a faculty mentor (usually the rotation director). The resident will also perform a self-reflection of his/her teaching by evaluating a video recording of a teaching session of his/her choosing.
Further Training Opportunities in Medical Education
The Teaching Resident rotation is designed to improve the teaching skills of participating residents and to prepare third-year residents for serving effectively in the role of teacher/medical educator. Through training, extensive opportunities to teach, and feedback and evaluation, the Teaching Resident is able to develop the skills necessary to provide quality educational experiences to medical students and colleagues. Built into this 4-week experience is the opportunity to interact with faculty mentors who provide feedback and evaluation of the resident’s performance in various teaching activities.
Contact Information:
M. Lee Sanders, PhD, MD, FACP
Director, Teaching Resident Rotation
For further information on our ambulatory curriculum, please visit the ambulatory curriculum homepage.
Three teams, comprised of a Teaching Hospitalist, one senior resident, three interns, and 2-3 medical students diagnose and mange adults of all ages and backgrounds with a wide range of medical conditions.The teams rotate through a pre-determined call cycle, admitting patients on “pre-call” and “on-call” days but not on “post-call” days. Two of the interns take care of the patients during the daytime, in addition to admitting patients. The third intern rotates on an overnight call schedule (working every third night), averaging 3-4 nights per rotation. The senior resident is not responsible for night coverage, as this is provided by a night-float senior resident.
Support staff includes team-specific social workers, nurse navigators, pharmacists, undergraduate assistants, and unit clerks who assist with discharge planning and follow-up appointments.
Educational Opportunities
Wards 101 - During the UIHC Inpatient medicine rotation, there is protected time for intern-focused teaching on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. During these sessions, interns and medical students are given an opportunity to discuss and work through cases, focus on practical management of common inpatient issues, and discuss evidence-based topics pertinent to hospital medicine.
Ultrasound - Ultrasound machines are readily available for the inpatient medical service to assist in performing hemodynamic assessment as well as guidance for procedures. Ultrasound education is integrated into our ambulatory curriculum. We are also working on obtaining handheld Butterfly devices for easier access and use on the wards!
Three teams, comprised of a Teaching Hospitalist, one senior resident, two interns, a pharmacist, and medical students admit, diagnose, and manage a populations of veterans with a wide range of medical conditions. The Iowa City VA features an open ICU which allows the inpatient teams to care for a mixture of ward and ICU patients. The ICU patients are staffed daily with a pulmonary/critical care staff physician and fellow.
Each inpatient team admits daily, with interns rotating on overnight call every 6th night. The senior resident is not responsible for overnight admissions, as this is covered by a night-float senior.
DIME is a two-year pathway which provides experiences and further educational instruction beyond the current three-year longitudinal resident teaching skills curriculum. The DIME pathway is open to senior residents who are in good standing in the residency program. Application for the pathway occurs in the spring PGY1 year. Residents participating in DIME are immersed in a flexible, experience-based curriculum with hands-on teaching activities at its core. To foster skills in educational scholarship, residents are paired with a clinical educator mentor to complete a scholarly project. The first class of residents to be awarded the Distinction in Medical Education certificate graduated in 2021.
The DIME curriculum:
Requirements required for the successful completion of DIME:
Residents successfully completing the pathway requirements graduate with a Distinction in Medical Education. This information may be included in the overall summative graduation letter as well as placed in the residency program letter for fellowship and employment.
2020 Scholarly Projects
2021 Scholarly Projects
Contact Information:
Jennifer Strouse, MD
Director, Distinction in Medical Education
Visit the
Internal Medicine Chief Residents' Blog
for easy access to conference recordings and educational materials.
Resident Core Conferences - Core conferences are held Monday-Friday at noon. These conferences are protected (pagers are covered by administrative staff) and lunch is provided. Goals of these conferences include enhancing medical knowledge, developing diagnostic-reasoning skills, and promoting principles of life-long learning.
Core Topics in Internal Medicine - Lecture series provided by a diverse set of clinical and research faculty ranging from general medicine, internal medicine subspecialties, and outside departments addressing clinical topics relevant to the training internal medicine resident
Case Presentations/Live from 6RC - A series of interactive conferences during which a case is presented by a Chief Resident or Inpatient Medicine senior resident. As the case unfolds, residents work as a group or in teams to build a differential diagnosis, work-up difficult cases, and discuss clinical reasoning and management strategies.
Journal Club - Monthly, senior residents in conjunction with pre-assigned faculty lead discussion on a critical appraisal of current primary literature in internal medicine or internal medicine subspecialties. There is added focus on study design and evidence-based medicine, fostering skills that will be essential as an independent practitioner.
R2 Talks - All second-year residents participate in creating and delivering a noon conference lecture as well as a handout on an educational topic of choice. Residents are paired with faculty mentors and are given feedback on effective presentation skills.
Monthly physiology lectures - This monthly case-based conference is designed to demonstrate how the application of physiologic principles enhances clinical reasoning. The format is case-based and interactive, and the discussion is facilitated by the Program Director and an Associate Program Director.
Clinical Reasoning Week - We conduct an intensive, week-long curriculum on diagnostic and clinical reasoning emphasizing the cognitive theory underlying clinical decision-making, the language of clinical reasoning, frameworks to approach a concern or disease and illness script models for organization, cognitive biases, and categorization of information. These concepts are reinforced throughout the year in all other didactic session and in clinical experiences.
Wards 101 - During the UIHC Inpatient medicine rotation, there is protected time for intern-focused teaching on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. During these sessions, interns and medical students are given an opportunity to discuss and work through cases, focus on practical management of common inpatient issues, and discuss evidence-based topics pertinent to hospital medicine.
Morning Report - Our weekly morning report is hosted by a resident on an ambulatory/elective rotation and progressively works through an interesting/difficult case in a small group setting with junior and senior residents. The focus is on clinical reasoning and the process of working up a chief complaint, with several short teaching points at the end.
Board Review - During the ambulatory Thursday afternoon curriculum, residents meet with a faculty facilitator or chief residents to participate in interactive group sessions. The assigned facilitator utilizes prepared ABIM-focused content with MKSAP question in order to reinforce clinical reasoning, key points, and test taking strategies. A faculty member from each subspecialty provides an in-depth review of internal medicine topics tailored to the ABIM certification exam. This is open to residents at any level of training.
Internal Medicine Grand Rounds - This traditional weekly conference provides an opportunity for the entire department to convene for an academic discussion which may range from innovative research, comprehensive updates on key topics, or visiting lecturers. In addition, Clinical Pathology Conferences (CPCs) are held monthly, integrating basic pathology into clinical scenarios.
Morbidity, Mortality, and Improvement Conference - Interdisciplinary case-based conference presented by residents and faculty evaluating a medical error, adverse, event, or near-miss scenario. Broad group discussion is utilized to identify contributors to adverse events. Monthly updates are provided on the outcomes of previously identified safety issues and the steps taken to resolve them.
House Staff Meetings - On a monthly basis, all of the residents meet with the chief residents and faculty to receive updates regarding anticipated events, program changes, and to provide an open forum for discussion of concerns.
The Internal Medicine Residency Program offers the following pathways:
Hospital medicine is rapidly gaining recognition as a medical specialty organized around the care of hospitalized patients. The hospitalist pathway is designed to enhance the educational experiences of residents through increased exposure to settings and topics likely to be encountered as a hospitalist. Residents are able to interact with their peers as well as faculty mentors who are interested in hospital medicine.
The Hospitalist Pathway rotations are designed to help residents
While continuing in the categorical curriculum, residents following this pathway will experience increased exposure to hospital-based medicine through a series of career-specific rotations that emphasize inpatient management necessary for providing comprehensive inpatient care. Additional educational experiences highlight health care delivery systems, patient safety, multidisciplinary care and the business and management aspects of medicine. The Hospitalist Pathway requires residents to complete a one-on-one experience with an experienced hospitalist on a non-teaching hospitalist service in either the academic or community setting. Residents also are able to individualize their experiences by selecting from a number of electives including Stroke Team, SNICU, Sub-Consultant rotation, and Palliative care rotation.
Cedar Rapids, IA
Chillicothe, OH
Decorah, IA
Iowa City, IA
Naperville, IL
Portland, OR
Sun City West, AZ
St. George, UT
St. Paul, MN
Tucson, AZ
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics
University of Michigan
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
University of San Diego
Wenatchee Washington
A career goal for many practicing internists is to establish long-term relationships with patients in the ambulatory care setting. The Primary Care Pathway has been designed for residents who wish to prepare for the practice of ambulatory medicine and offers a concentrated exposure to ambulatory experiences over the three years of training. The pathway is a flexible program that provides not only clinical experiences and education tailored to the care of ambulatory patients, but also supports residents by pairing them with a mentor who shares similar interests and career goals. Serving as primary care physicians for their own panel of patients, residents in this pathway practice with selected faculty to improve and measure outcomes of care.
The Primary Care Pathway rotations are designed to help residents develop:
Residents choosing this pathway will participate in a 3-year longitudinal office-based practice rotation within the academic setting as well as in community-based private practice experience designed to address issues such as lifestyle, economics, and office management. The Primary Care Pathway also allows the resident to pursue special interests through rotations such as sports medicine, ophthalmology, dermatology, social and community medicine, and alternative/complementary medicine.
The Masters in Medical Education (MME) is a competitive, 30 semester-hour program coordinated through the Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education at the Carver College of Medicine. Learners enrolled in the masters program take seven core courses covering topics including educational measurement in medical education, current issues in medical education, instructional design and technology, teaching methods, clinical teaching, assessment in medical education and educational research and evaluation as well as electives. In addition to coursework, the participant develops a summative portfolio project.
"The Masters in Medical Education (MME) program provides residents, fellows and staff the opportunity to develop teaching skills specific to medical education. Guided by the faculty in the Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education (OCRME), the curriculum introduces learners to different areas of evidence-based assessment and educational principles, and invites participants to contribute to this growing area of research while allowing them to complete a strong portfolio. Classes are physician schedule-friendly with online options or weekly seminars after 5:30 pm. The program timeline is flexible and highly supported by the department of Internal Medicine. I highly recommend this opportunity to any healthcare provider interested in utilizing medical education as a part of his/her career."
Andrea Weber, MD
Medicine-Psychiarty Resident ('17)
The Physician-Scientist Training Pathway (PSTP) is designed to streamline postgraduate training and to foster the early career development of physician-scientists who will be future leaders in academic medicine. The PSTP integrates residency training, clinical fellowship, and basic or clinical postdoctoral research training, thus facilitating the transition period between completion of the MD degree and first faculty position. Iowa’s PSTP is unique in the breadth of clinical programs and research opportunities. In addition to internal medicine, we accept trainees in eight departments and support research training with numerous T32 training grants.
Key Features
Contact Information
Marian Carson
PSTP Program Coordinator
200 CMAB
Iowa City, IA 52242
(319) 335-6760
marian-carson@uiowa.edu
David Stoltz, MD, PhD
Director, PSTP Program
david-stoltz@uiowa.edu
Studies have estimated that residents spend up to 20% of their time on teaching activities regardless of their department or future career plans. Despite this significant responsibility for teaching medical students and colleagues along with patients and their families, residents often have not received formal instruction on how to be effective teachers.
The Internal Medicine Residency Program values the important role that residents assume as teachers. The program also recognizes how complex medical teaching can be when the teacher must meet the needs of the learner while providing care for the patient.
In an effort to help residents develop teaching skills as well as gain confidence as teachers, the program has designed opportuni9ties for residents to improve their teaching skills during their training.
All residents participate in a 3-year longitudinal Resident Teaching Skills curriculum during the “Y” week block (Thursday afternoon ambulatory curriculum). The goal of the curriculum is to introduce residents to a knowledge base and skill set used when serving in the role of a clinical educator. The curriculum delivers an experiential skill-based teaching curriculum allowing all residents to acquire, practice and implement specific skills for effective teaching; 2) provides recurring spaced teaching skills instruction promoting deliberate practice and reflection; and 3) helps residents gain confidence in their teaching skills.
The Teaching Resident rotation is designed as a 4-week experience to improve the teaching skills of participating third-year residents as well as prepare these residents for serving effectively in the role of medical educator. The rotation also provides a dedicated educational venue to demonstrate skills obtained through participation in the longitudinal Resident Teaching Skills curriculum.
The Internal Medicine Residency Distinction in Medical Education (DIME) pathway is designed for residents who are interested in becoming clinician educators or wish to include medical education as part of their professional career. The DIME curriculum provides experiences and further educational instruction beyond the current three-year longitudinal resident teaching skills curriculum by focusing on curriculum design and development, educational innovations and educational scholarship.
Learn more about the Distinction in Medical Education pathway.
The purpose of the Master in Medical Education is to develop a community of academic medical faculty with formal training in education who will create and sustain a culture of educational excellence with the Carver College of Medicine, the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the university and the medical education community at-large. The 30 semester hour degree brings together individuals across different departments in the Carver College of Medicine. Learners take seven core courses, in addition to a summative educational portfolio project and electives.
In addition to a three-year, rolling curriculum, our program also offers a dedicated teaching rotation in the third year, as well as more advanced training.
Our longitudinal training in point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) results in residency graduates with skills that would normally only be obtained in radiology or emergency medicine programs.
Quality improvement benefits our patients and our systems, but it also provides our residents with an opportunity to lead a focused project often resulting in a publication or presentation at a regional or national society meeting. We have carved-out protected time for this work and our VA-funded Chief Resident for Quality & Safety is just one of the mentors guiding residents.
Through the department, we have been able to develop an app available for our residents called qUIkcoach. This is a new app that is able to request and provide just-in-time feedback on a variety of different skills including clinical reasoning, communication, oral presentation, and notes. This allows for more directed feedback with a quicker turnaround time.
The University of Iowa Internal Medicine Residency Program Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) Curriculum is a longitudinal, integrated, and progressive learning experience. The POCUS curriculum is focused on teaching basic bedside ultrasonography and how it is utilized and applied to patient care in clinical internal medicine. The curriculum is integrated into and taught longitudinally during the academic half day during each resident’s ambulatory week (y-week). POCUS instruction is delivered by experienced faculty members, critical care fellows, and chief residents. POCUS skills assessments are completed for residents during each year of their training and the POCUS curriculum is modified on a yearly basis to best adapt to the needs of the trainees.
Curriculum Goal: At the end of the longitudinal POCUS curriculum, the resident will be able to acquire, interpret, and apply focused cardiac, lung, pleural, abdominal, and vascular ultrasound imaging into their clinical reasoning and medical decision making.
Teaching Methods:
Modules:
Basic POCUS Modules (PGY-1) | Advanced POCUS Modules (PGY-2 and above) |
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Assessment: Pre- and post-curriculum assessment is completed annually to assess each individual trainee’s skills and knowledge acquisition and retention. These yearly assessments are also used to assess the curriculum and guide ongoing improvements in the POCUS curriculum. Assessment is completed using live ultrasound skills testing with faculty proctors, an electronic ultrasound knowledge assessment, and a resident survey.
Studies have estimated that residents spend up to 20% of their time on teaching activities regardless of their department or future career plans. Despite the significant responsibility for teaching medical students and colleagues along with patients and their families residents often have not received formal instruction on how to be effective teachers.
The Internal Medicine Residency Program values the important role that residents assume as teachers. The program also recognizes how complex medical teaching can be when the teacher must meet the needs of the learner while providing care for the patient.
In an effort to help residents develop teaching skills as well as gain confidence as teachers, the program has designed opportunities for residents to improve their teaching skills during their training.
Teaching Skills Curriculum: Residents participate in a longitudinal teaching skills curriculum during the “Y” week block. The goal of the Teaching Skills curriculum is to introduce residents to a knowledge base and skill set used when serving in the role of a clinical educator. The curriculum for all residents presents concepts and allows time for skill development.
Teaching Resident Rotation: For residents interested in further advancing their teaching skills, the residency program also offers a “Teaching Resident” rotation during the PGY3 year. Residents who participate in this 4-week block are provided with extensive opportunities and resources to develop skills for effective teaching including skills for small group facilitation, interacting and teaching with multiple levels of learners and time management. These residents have time available to develop an educational project such as a topic pocket card, a patient simulation or an electronic teaching module. Built into this experience is the opportunity to interact with faculty members who provide feedback and evaluation of the resident’s teaching skills in a variety of teaching activities and venues.
Masters of Medical Education: This program offers a Master in Medical Education degree in order to develop a community of academic medical faculty with formal training in education who will create and sustain a culture of educational excellence within the College of Medicine, the university, and the medical education community at-large.
Jane A. Rowat, MS
Director for Educational Development
The goal of the Teaching Skills curriculum is to introduce residents to a knowledge base and skill set used when serving in the role of a clinical educator. The longitudinal curriculum for all residents presents concepts and allows residents to practice skills associated with topics such as establishing the learning climate, motivating the learner, one-minute preceptor and feedback and evaluation as well as interactive teaching and evaluation.
Sessions are interactive covering a topic related to current best teaching practices. There is time for skill development and through the process of deliberate practice, residents design an action plan for further skill development. Residents complete pre-session readings and following each session are expected to refer to their action plan in teaching encounters.
Session #1: Introduction to Teaching Skills, Learning Climate and Effective Teachers
Session #2: Motivating the Learner
Session #3: One-Minute Preceptor
Session #4: Feedback
Session #5: Interactive Teaching/Use of Technology
Session #6: Evaluation of Students, Peers and Faculty
Check out the
QI information on our blog
The Internal Medicine Residency Program at the University of Iowa is committed to engaging residents in team-based Patient Safety/Quality Improvement projects to develop their knowledge and skills. It is our goal for every resident to be empowered to impact the quality and safety of their patients’ care during their residency and in their future careers. Our ground breaking curriculum was published in the Journal of Graduate Medical Education.
Carly Kuehn, MD
Educational Director - Safety and Quality
Clinical Professor of Internal Medicine
Derek Hupp, MD
Chief Resident of Quality and Safety
Iowa City VA Medical Center
The University of Iowa Department of Medicine understands that Quality Improvement and Patient Safety presents a phenomenal opportunity for scholarship for our residents. To showcase our commitment to our patient’s safety and to provide an avenue for scholarship the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics host an annual Quality and Safety Symposium in which our resident teams are given the opportunity, encouragement, resources, and mentorship to submit and present their projects. After this, many teams submit their projects to large regional and national meetings.
Since the development of our curriculum we have had…
“I felt as though I was making a quality change to improve the outpatient experience.”
“The QI curriculum gave us an opportunity for ownership over real positive change for our patients.”
“I actually know now the basics of how to design, implement, and interpret the results of a quality improvement project, which I didn’t know before.”
Different from many residency programs, ours will immerse you in research that's informed by your own curiosity and passion. You’ll not only have the support of a faculty mentor, but the laboratory and computing resources of a major academic medical center. Residents are provided the opportunity for dedicated research time during their second and third years in addition to their quality improvement time. Our residents have used their research experiences as a foundation for a career of pursuing the great questions of modern medicine. They regularly present their findings at conferences and publish in scholarly journals.
"As an Internal Medicine resident at the University of Iowa, I have been able to develop skills that will be beneficial throughout an academic career in Cardiology. I came into residency without a strong knowledge of the nuances associated with clinical research and the writing skills needed to be successful in the field. I was able to develop these skills during my time at the University of Iowa thanks to the support of our program including setting residents up with faculty mentors who are truly invested in our growth as investigators. During my time at Iowa, I have focused on clinical studies on the validity of billing codes in cardiac arrest patients, outcomes of patients after atrial fibrillation ablation, and numerous case reports. Thanks to dedicated time to research and constant support from the program and our department, I have been able to present at national meetings each year of residency including the Society of Hospital Medicine, Society of General Internal Medicine, International Academy of Cardiology and even on the world stage at the European Society of Cardiology in Munich, Germany. These projects have also led to abstract and manuscript publications in peer reviewed journals." – Chris DeZorzi, MD
Dr. DeZorzi earned a Best Poster Award at the 2018 European Society of Cardiology meeting in Munich in August. Read the article here.
Learn about the University of Iowa's Physician Scientist Training Program.
Find out who is doing research in Internal Medicine
Learn more about our department's research.
Several of our residents have taken advantage of the international health experiences offered through our partnerships with other residency programs at the University of Iowa. Here are a few experiences from recent resident rotations.
During the months of April and November, rotations are available to travel to Mazatlán, Mexico with a group of healthcare professionals. Two weeks of clinical experience are incorporated into the elective, aimed at working within the significantly underserved areas of the city in an ambulatory setting. Depending on your level of fluency, Spanish interpreters are available to assist with history taking and patient counseling. Recreational time is often spent exploring and taking in the sights of the city and Pacific coast while becoming immersed in the local culture.
Alexis Wickersham recounts her experience in Mazatlán, Mexico
I traveled to Mazatlán, Mexico for a two week outpatient experience, providing free medical evaluation to the city’s underserved populations. [more...]Residents who have a passion for international health are also welcome to set up their own independent elective, aimed towards helping them pursue specific career goals. All international health rotations do require prior authorization by the residency program and it is encouraged to start establishing the rotation’s objectives several months in advance. Reimbursement for travel expenses is available for those interested, however, it is not guaranteed for all.
Maria Story's elective in Manali, India
I went to Lady Willington Hospital in Manali, India during my third year of residency for 4 weeks. Manali is a rural hill station (small town) in the state of Himachal Pradesh in north central India. [more...]Tropical Medicine in rural Ghana - Josiah Zubaru
I spent 2 weeks in the village of Agbozume, Volta Region in Ghana in the Spring of 2017 during my 3rd year of residency. This was my second time visiting and providing healthcare to this community of mostly farmers and traders. [more...]Juan Caraballo’s elective in Niger
I spent the last 3 weeks and a half in Niamey, Niger. Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa. I worked under the supervision of Dr. Susan Beebout in the Clinique Olivia, a clinic in a poor part of the city associated with Evangelical Church of Niger. [more...]Click here for additional information.
The Internal Medicine Residency program offers international elective rotations, which are intended to give the participating house staff member a more global perspective in cultural, social, economic and political issues of another country that may impact that nation’s healthcare system. Learning occurs through both independent study and hands-on experiences. Mentoring by the elective’s director or identified faculty helps the house staff member design the experience to meet the goals and objectives set out in International Elective Policy for Graduate Medical Education.
For questions regarding an international elective during residency, please contact the Residency Program at intmedres@uiowa.edu.
For my international elective rotation, I traveled to Mazatlán, Mexico for a two week outpatient experience, providing free medical evaluation to the city’s underserved populations. Every day, we traveled to makeshift clinics in churches throughout the city and evaluated anywhere from 80-150 patients per day. Through the help of translators, we conducted thorough histories about current complaints, reviewed current medications and performed a limited physical exam. At the end of the appointment, medications were prescribed, if appropriate. The majority of chronic adult illnesses that were managed included hypertension, diabetes, hyperlipidemia and heart disease. Acute medical illnesses were less common, but pyelonephritis and pneumonia were diagnosed in two adults based on only history and clinical exam.
The rotation allowed for a good balance between work and free time. When we were not working, we had the opportunity to explore the city and become immersed in its local culture, including trips to the city center and historic colonial districts, areas enriched by local artists, musicians and beautiful architecture. And with a hotel on the beach, evenings were spent watching the sunset and indulging in fresh local seafood.
This experience gave me a glimpse into global health discrepancies and gave me a greater appreciation for the work that I do and the gift of healing that I am able to share with users. It has inspired me to continue to travel to explore new areas, all the while giving back to those less fortunate and most vulnerable. I look forward to further medical missions that I will be able to take as my career progresses.
- Alexis Wickersham, MD
*Photos Courtesy of Bria Giacomino, DO
I went to Lady Willington Hospital in Manali, India during my third year of residency for 4 weeks. Manali is a rural hill station (small town) in the state of Himachal Pradesh in north central India. The Lady Willingdon Hospital is a Christian mission hospital that has been serving the local community since 1935. The catchment area is extremely broad, serving patients up to 10 hour drive on poor quality mountainous dirt roads since there is minimal medical infrastructure in the this area (Himalayan Mountains).
I stayed on the hospital campus (they have small rooms available for rotating trainees) and there were several students from the UK also doing an elective rotation. In the morning we did hospital rounds on infants and children, patients hospitalized for medical conditions, and post-surgical patients. In the late morning and through the afternoon we did outpatient clinic, which was essentially an acute care clinic. There is very little chronic disease management or focus on health prevention. Basic laboratory testing and X Rays were available when absolutely indicated. There is also a labor and delivery room (which I did not participate much in, given that I was an Internal Medicine trainee) and an 24-hour Emergency Department.
I saw a wide variety of illnesses, including TB, Scrub Typhus, Entamoeba histolytica, dysentery, a variety of worm infections, and typical bacterial pathogens. There was a high number of accident-related injuries, primarily from MVA’s and unsafe work conditions. Older people presented with respiratory symptoms, probably from some form of obstructive lung disease from smoke exposure from cooking fires and inhaled dust/dirt from hard labor.
Throughout my elective, I was impressed that the staff at Lady Willingdon Hospital were able to provide excellent care with minimal resources by our standards. I did experience a degree of ‘culture shock,’ but overall it was a very valuable experience and I am thankful for the opportunity to travel to India during residency. I felt safe throughout my time in Manali, the scenery was amazing, and I had the opportunity to meet many wonderful people.
I spent 2 weeks in the village of Agbozume, Volta Region in Ghana in the Spring of 2017 during my 3rd year of residency. This was my second time visiting and providing healthcare to this community of mostly farmers and traders. It was very positive experience for exposure to clinical work, community education and understanding disparities in healthcare access. I was exposed to multiple array of interesting pathology and medical cases, some with very limited resources for further evaluation and management. I had to make grasp of whatever limited options I had to pursue care of these people. Exchanging ideas with local physicians and people in the community was also very educative. I plan to continue to visit Agbozume.
I am thankful that the medicine department could support me in many ways for my trip to Ghana. I will encourage many others with interest in International Health to consider this tremendous opportunity.
I spent the last 3 weeks and a half in Niamey, Niger. Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa. I worked under the supervision of Dr. Susan Beebout in the Clinique Olivia, a clinic in a poor part of the city associated with Evangelical Church of Niger. During my time in Niger I had the unique opportunity to work with an underserved population and with limited resources. I had the opportunity to see and help a broad spectrum of patients with a broad spectrum of pathologies, including diabetes and hypertension, typhoid, tuberculosis, sickle cell disease and many more. I would see around 10-12 patients daily with the help of a medical assistance that will also serve as translator. Most patient speak only their native language (Hausa, Zarma) and only around 20% speak French. Only very limited labs were available and most patients were not able to afford extensive diagnostic work up.
Practicing in an environment where laboratories test and imaging are not readily available I learned to trust my history taking and physical exam, and to formulate a clinical assessment with just limited information. Having to serve a population with limited resources strengthen my resourcefulness and taught me about cost-effectiveness in a very direct and practical way.
During my rotation in Niger I had the opportunity to spent one week at the National Hospital of Niamey, where I was part of the team taking care of 32 patients in the women general ward. I learn about the logistics of patient care and education in a teaching hospital and the day to day life of my colleagues residents in Niger. Even though the National Hospital is one of the main three hospitals in Niamey, the capital of Niger, there are no ventilators, angiography or MRI, and most medications routinely used in US are not available there, at all. Being able to see the highest level of care that is available in one of the poorest countries in the world, compared with United States, was a humbling and enlightening experience that I feel fortunate to have had and I m positive it has enriched me no only professionally but personally.
Our residents have many choices available to them following their residency training. The Department if Internal Medicine excels in placing residents in subspecialty training in competitive fellowships here and around the country. Residents who elect to go into practice directly find rewarding opportunities available to them, within UI Health Care, in all parts of the country, and in exciting places globally.
The department is committed to developing an individualized career path for each of our trainees. Each resident is given career guidance throughout residency by the Program Director, Associate Program Directors, and faculty mentor(s) of his or her choice. In addition to semi-annual individual meetings with an Associate Program Director, a designated faculty assists residents with securing fellowship training.
From 2014-2018, 55% of our graduates pursued fellowship training, 94% matched obtaining subspecialty fellowship positions in many of the finest programs nationwide (see below). 32% of these graduates chose to stay at University of Iowa for their fellowship training, attesting to resident satisfaction with the educational environment, hospital system, and collegiality. Over the past five years, 37% of graduating residents remained in general internal medicine, taking positions as hospitalists and primary care physicians at University of Iowa and across the country.
Destinations of 2020 Graduates
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Allergy-Immunology
University of Iowa
Cardiology
University of Iowa (2)
University of Minnesota (2)
Wake Forest
The Ohio State University
Washington University, St. Louis
Gastroenterology
University of Iowa
Indiana University
Tulane
The Ohio State University
SUNY
Hematology/Oncology
University of Iowa
Gundersen Health System
Infectious Disease
University of Iowa
Nephrology
University of Iowa
Pulmonary-Critical Care
University of Iowa
Rheumatology
University of Iowa
Saint Louis University
Read about where some of our program graduates have landed in our Where Are They Now series!
Check back often for additional profiles.
Residents are encouraged to participate in one of our committees:
The Resident Liaison Committee (RLC) is comprised of 15-18 residents that serve as representatives for the entire cohort of residents. The committee provides a forum for residents to voice concerns directly with program administration, and participate in the ongoing evolution of the residency program and curriculum. The committee also organizes social events throughout the year.
Committee Responsibilities
The Internal Medicine Residency Program Evaluation Committee (PEC) is charged with ensuring the quality of the residency program by overseeing program evaluation, design and improvement.
Committee Responsibilities:
The Resident Wellness Committee is comprised of residents in different stages of the program, one chief resident, and one faculty. The goal of the committee is to establish a formal framework by which to improve wellness and cohesion between residents and the residency program. The committee aims to facilitate team-building by way of mentorship and wellness events.
Committee Responsibilities
The University of Iowa Internal Medicine Residency strongly believes that resident wellness is integral to our mission of excellence in patient care and in training physicians who are prepared for a fulfilling, life-long career in the path of their choosing. We utilize a diverse set of opportunities and activities to help keep residents happy and healthy, while ensuring easy access to further services if needs arise.
Transition into Residency
Encourage Connections between Peers, Faculty and within Interprofessional Teams
Close Monitoring by Program Director/Associate Program Directors/Chief Residents
Encourage Healthy Lifestyle and to Seek Timely Healthcare Services