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:

• broad clinical experiences across both inpatient and ambulatory settings
• access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment
• dedicated teaching faculty who are thought-leaders in their fields
• strong camaraderie with colleagues
• house-staff research opportunities
• development of teaching skills
• career counseling

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:

• Train future physicians to be lifelong learners, committed to self-reflection, self-assessment and improvement
• Deliver a core curriculum allowing residents to gain knowledge that reflects understanding in the art of inquiry and science of discovery
• Develop clinical reasoning and judgement skills necessary to approach complex as well as common problems that present to the generalist
• Develop the necessary skills and knowledge used in the areas of teaching, quality and safety,  and scholarship
• Provide clinical experiences allowing residents to learn and practice delivering team-based care that reflects respect for patient values and preferences
• Provide opportunities and flexibility supporting individualized career plans
• Foster a learning environment that promotes progressive responsibility and graduated autonomy
• Maintain a culture of wellness in which resident support, camaraderie and mentorship are top priorities

Core Values:

• professionalism
• humanism
• scholarship
• curiosity and learning
• diversity
• social context and responsibility
• excellence
• career guidance and mentoring
• camaraderie
• integrated collaborative learning environment
• wellness

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.

• Schedule: Year at a Glance
• Rotations and Electives
• Hospitalist Pathway
• Physician Scientist Training Pathway
• Primary Care Pathway 

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.

Visit the Medicine-Psychiatry website.

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.

Click on the image to view the full size PDF:

Watch this brief overview by 2020-2021 Chief Resident, Dr. Nick Arnold

Click here for a more in-depth explanation of how a resident’s time is scheduled, including information about how QI projects, vacation, our new teaching skills rotation, and research can all be built in.

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

• Five half days in continuity of care clinic at the VA or Iowa River Landing
• Opportunity to build personal panel of patients over 3 years of residency
• Responsibility for preventative care and chronic disease management

Specialty Clinics

• Experiences in required and career focused specialty clinics
• Early introduction to a mentor in resident’s specialty interest

Pre-clinic conference

• Interactive discussions with colleagues and faculty
• Resident presentations covering learning topics encountered in outpatient clinic

Administrative Half Day

• Time free of clinical duties
• Opportunity to complete clinic notes, call patients regarding test results, work through

Quality Improvement Half Day

• Time provided to work on quality improvement projects

Academic Half Day

Ultrasound Training

• Introduction to basic point-of-care ultrasound concepts and skills
• Combined didactic and hands on training

Board Review

• High-yield review for Internal Medicine board examination
• Emphasis on clinical pearls for diagnostic illness scripts and patient management

Ambulatory Workshops

• Three year curriculum
• Ambulatory topics structured into multiple content domains
• Interactive sessions focused on application of medical knowledge or procedure skills acquisition

Quality Improvement Curriculum

• Team-based quality improvement projects
• Enhanced knowledge and skills in patient safety and quality improvement

Resident Teaching Skills Curriculum

• Introduction to skill set used when in role of clinician educator
• Skill practice and feedback during interactive sessions

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.

Highlighted Career Development Electives

• International Health Experiences
• Research and Quality Improvement Projects
• Teaching Resident Rotation 

Inpatient

• Cardiology Inpatient Teaching Service 
• Cardiovascular Intensive Care Unit (CVICU) 
• Hematology-Oncology Inpatient Teaching Service
• Internal Medicine Wards - UIHC 
• Internal Medicine Wards - VAMC 
• Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) 
• Medicine/Psychiatry Inpatient Unit 

Ambulatory Week

• Ambulatory Week 

Subspecialty Clinics and Consult Services

• Allergy/Immunology
• Anesthesia
• Cardiology
• Dermatology
• EKG
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology
• Geriatrics
• Infectious Diseases
• Neurology
• Palliative Care
• Pulmonary
• Renal
• Rheumatology;
• Surgical Co-Management
• Visiting Resident at External Hospital

 Acute, Ambulatory and Emergency Care Settings

• Acute Care Clinic - IRL
• Access Clinic - VAMC
• Continuity of Care Clinics
• Emergency Treatment Center - UIHC
• Emergency Room - VAMC

Iowa City Free Medical Clinic Rotation

• https://freemedicalclinic.org/

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:

• Hospitalist pathway
• Primary care pathway
• Masters in Medical Education
• Physician scientist training pathway

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.

• Resident Teaching Skills Curriculum
• Teaching Resident Rotation
• Distinction in Medical Education Pathway
• Masters in Medical Education

Teaching Skills Curriculum

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.

Ultrasound Curriculum

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 & Safety Curriculum

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.

qUIkCoach

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.

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.

Resident Research Experience

"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.

Physician Scientist Training Program

Learn about the University of Iowa's Physician Scientist Training Program.

Recent Publications

1. Fox LM, Miksanek J, May NA, Scharf L, Lockridge JL, Veerapen N, Besra GS, Adams EJ, Hudson AW, Gumperz JE. Expression of CD1c enhances human invariant NKT cell activation by alpha-GalCer. Cancer Immun. 2013;13:9.
2. Gao Z, Rasmussen TP, Li Y, Kutschke W, Koval OM, Wu Y, Wu Y, Hall DD, Joiner ML, Wu XQ, Swaminathan PD, Purohit A, Zimmerman K, Weiss RM, Philipson KD, Song LS, Hund TJ, Anderson ME. Genetic inhibition of Na+-Ca2+ exchanger current disables fight or flight sinoatrial node activity without affecting resting heart rate. Circ Res. 2013;112(2):309-17.
3. Guyon A, Balbo M, Morselli LL, Tasali E, Leproult R, L'Hermite-Baleriaux M, Van Cauter E, Spiegel K. Adverse effects of two nights of sleep restriction on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in healthy men. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2014;99(8):2861-8.
4. Edrissian M, Fang M, Xu L, Vogelgesang SA. Rapidly Progressive Systemic Sclerosis in a Patient With Suspected Extragonadal Seminoma. J Clin Rheumatol. 2015;21(7):388.
5. Fuller BM, Mohr NM, Miller CN, Deitchman AR, Levine BJ, Castagno N, Hassebroek EC, Dhedhi A, Scott-Wittenborn N, Grace E, Lehew C, Kollef MH. Mechanical Ventilation and ARDS in the ED: A Multicenter, Observational, Prospective, Cross-sectional Study. Chest. 2015;148(2):365-74.
6. Jain S, Khera R, Suneja M, Gehlbach B, Kuperman E. Role of D-dimer Assays in the Diagnostic Evaluation of Pulmonary Embolism. Am J Med Sci. 2015;350(6):501-7.
7. Khera R, Cram P, Girotra S. Letter by Khera et al Regarding Article, "Impact of Annual Operator and Institutional Volume on Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Outcomes: A 5-Year United States Experience (2005-2009)". Circulation. 2015;132(5):e35.
8. Rasmussen TP, Wu Y, Joiner ML, Koval OM, Wilson NR, Luczak ED, Wang Q, Chen B, Gao Z, Zhu Z, Wagner BA, Soto J, McCormick ML, Kutschke W, Weiss RM, Yu L, Boudreau RL, Abel ED, Zhan F, Spitz DR, Buettner GR, Song LS, Zingman LV, Anderson ME. Inhibition of MCU forces extramitochondrial adaptations governing physiological and pathological stress responses in heart. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015;112(29):9129-34.
9. Wu Y, Rasmussen TP, Koval OM, Joiner ML, Hall DD, Chen B, Luczak ED, Wang Q, Rokita AG, Wehrens XH, Song LS, Anderson ME. The mitochondrial uniporter controls fight or flight heart rate increases. Nat Commun. 2015;6:6081.
10. Goddard AG, Azar AE. Work-related asthma secondary to IgE-mediated reactions to rodents successfully treated with immunotherapy. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2016;117(5):556-8.
11. Goddard AG, McConomy B, Bathla G, Furqan M, Silverman WB. Air leakage in multiple compartments after endoscopy. Cleve Clin J Med. 2016;83(10):705-7.
12. Hariman R, Patel P, Strouse J, Collins MP, Rosenthal A. Development of Eosinophilic Fasciitis during Infliximab Therapy for Psoriatic Arthritis. Case Rep Rheumatol. 2016;2016:7906013.
13. Jain S, Erickson HL, Pezzulo A. Ultrasound Diagnosis of Hemodynamic Compromise in a Patient with Hepatic Hydrothorax. Ann Am Thorac Soc. 2016;13(3):444-6.
14. Jain S, Khera R. Herpes zoster ophthalmicus complicated by encephalitis. CMAJ. 2016;188(4):E74.
15. Jonsdottir G, Lund SH, Bjorkholm M, Turesson I, Wahlin A, Mailankody S, Blimark C, Hultcrantz M, Porwit A, Landgren O, Kristinsson SY. Survival in multiple myeloma patients who develop second malignancies: a population-based cohort study. Haematologica. 2016;101(4):e145-8.
16. Khera R, Cram P, Vaughan-Sarrazin M, Horwitz PA, Girotra S. Use of Mechanical Circulatory Support in Percutaneous Coronary Intervention in the United States. Am J Cardiol. 2016;117(1):10-6.
17. Khera R, Murad MH, Chandar AK, Dulai PS, Wang Z, Prokop LJ, Loomba R, Camilleri M, Singh S. Association of Pharmacological Treatments for Obesity With Weight Loss and Adverse Events: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA. 2016;315(22):2424-34.
18. Phadke SD, Ghabour R, Swick BL, Swenson A, Milhem M, Zakharia Y. Pembrolizumab Therapy Triggering an Exacerbation of Preexisting Autoimmune Disease: A Report of 2 Patient Cases. J Investig Med High Impact Case Rep. 2016;4(4):2324709616674316.
19. Raman R, Mott SL, Schroeder MC, Phadke S, El Masri J, Thomas A. Effect of Body Mass Index- and Actual Weight-Based Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy Doses on Pathologic Complete Response in Operable Breast Cancer. Clin Breast Cancer. 2016;16(6):480-6.
20. Adams C, Vose A, Edmond MB, Lyckholm L. Shigella sonnei and hemolytic uremic syndrome: A case report and literature review. IDCases. 2017;8:6-8.
21. An J, Garje R, Wanat KA, Leone JP. Dabigatran-related leukocytoclastic vasculitis. BMJ Case Rep. 2017;2017.
22. Claflin KE, Sandgren JA, Lambertz AM, Weidemann BJ, Littlejohn NK, Burnett CM, Pearson NA, Morgan DA, Gibson-Corley KN, Rahmouni K, Grobe JL. Angiotensin AT1A receptors on leptin receptor-expressing cells control resting metabolism. J Clin Invest. 2017;127(4):1414-24.
23. Fisher JB, Peterson J, Reimer M, Stelloh C, Pulakanti K, Gerbec ZJ, Abel AM, Strouse JM, Strouse C, McNulty M, Malarkannan S, Crispino JD, Milanovich S, Rao S. The cohesin subunit Rad21 is a negative regulator of hematopoietic self-renewal through epigenetic repression of Hoxa7 and Hoxa9. Leukemia. 2017;31(3):712-9.
24. Hilliard CA, El Masri J, Goto M. Staphylococcus caprae bacteraemia and native bone infection complicated by therapeutic failure and elevated MIC: a case report. JMM Case Rep. 2017;4(9):e005112.
25. Jonsdottir G, Gudmundsson J, Birgisson G, Sigurjonsdottir HA. Primary aldosteronism: from case detection to histopathology with up to 6 years of follow-up. J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2017;19(4):424-30.
26. Jonsdottir G, Lund SH, Bjorkholm M, Turesson I, Hultcrantz M, Porwit A, Jethava YS, Landgren O, Kristinsson SY. The impact of prior malignancies on second malignancies and survival in MM patients: a population-based study. Blood Adv. 2017;1(25):2392-8.
27. Odufalu FD, Harris K. Hemochromatosis? When Bloodletting Is Not the Cure: A Teachable Moment. JAMA Intern Med. 2017;177(1):15-6.
28. Story M. One Needle is Better Than Two: The Philosophy Surrounding Use of Local Anesthesia in Northern India. J Pain Palliat Care Pharmacother. 2017;31(2):162-4.
29. Zahra A, Fath MA, Opat E, Mapuskar KA, Bhatia SK, Ma DC, Rodman SN, III, Snyders TP, Chenard CA, Eichenberger-Gilmore JM, Bodeker KL, Ahmann L, Smith BJ, Vollstedt SA, Brown HA, Hejleh TA, Clamon GH, Berg DJ, Szweda LI, Spitz DR, Buatti JM, Allen BG. Consuming a Ketogenic Diet while Receiving Radiation and Chemotherapy for Locally Advanced Lung Cancer and Pancreatic Cancer: The University of Iowa Experience of Two Phase 1 Clinical Trials. Radiat Res. 2017;187(6):743-54.
30. Zakharia Y, Monga V, Swami U, Bossler AD, Freesmeier M, Frees M, Khan M, Frydenlund N, Srikantha R, Vanneste M, Henry M, Milhem M. Targeting epigenetics for treatment of BRAF mutated metastatic melanoma with decitabine in combination with vemurafenib: A phase lb study. Oncotarget. 2017;8(51):89182-93.
31. DeZorzi C. Radiation-Induced Coronary Artery Disease and Its Treatment: A Quick Review of Current Evidence. Cardiol Res Pract. 2018;2018:8367268.
32. DeZorzi C, Fernandez-Ruiz R, Gupta S, Harris K. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy mimicking central nervous system metastases: a case report. J Med Case Rep. 2018;12(1):133.
33. DeZorzi C, Harris KI. Secret Sarcoma: A Cardiac Mass Disguised as Influenza. Case Rep Cardiol. 2018;2018:8628365.
34. Garje R, Chau JJ, Chung J, Wanat K, Zakharia Y. Acute Flare of Bullous Pemphigus With Pembrolizumab Used for Treatment of Metastatic Urothelial Cancer. J Immunother. 2018;41(1):42-4.
35. Vargas Buonfiglio LG, Borcherding JA, Frommelt M, Parker GJ, Duchman B, Vanegas Calderon OG, Fernandez-Ruiz R, Noriega JE, Stone EA, Gerke AK, Zabner J, Comellas AP. Airway surface liquid from smokers promotes bacterial growth and biofilm formation via iron-lactoferrin imbalance. Respir Res. 2018;19(1):42.
36. Willey J, Mentias A, Vaughan-Sarrazin M, McCoy K, Rosenthal G, Girotra S. Epidemiology of lower extremity peripheral artery disease in veterans. J Vasc Surg. 2018;68(2):527-35 e5.
37. Ansari MS, Tanaka T, Laroia ST, Sun S. Feasibility of Hepatology-Directed Microwave Ablation in Management of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in North America: A Pilot Project. Ann Hepatol. 2019;18(1):11-3.
38. DeZorzi C, Boyle B, Qazi A, Luthra K, Khera R, Chan PS, Girotra S. Administrative Billing Codes for Identifying Patients With Cardiac Arrest. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(12):1598-600.
39. Klein M, Khan M, Salinas JL, Sanchez R. Disseminated pulmonary histoplasmosis in immunocompetent patients: a common epidemiological exposure. BMJ Case Rep. 2019;12(3).
40. Laderian B, Koehn K, Holman C, Lyckholm L, Furqan M. Association of Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis and Programmed Death 1 Checkpoint Inhibitors. J Thorac Oncol. 2019;14(4):e77-e8.
41. Winward J, Lyckholm L, Brown SM, et al. Case of relapsing sulfasalazine-induced hypersensitivity syndrome upon re-exposure. BMJ Case Reports CP 2020;13:e235803.
42. Fisher MH, Kirkpatrick GD, Stevens B, Jones C, Callaghan M, Rajpurkar M, Fulbright J, Cooper MA, Rowley J, Porter CC, Gutierrez-Hartmann A, Jones K, Jordan C, Pietras EM, Di Paola J. ETV6 germline mutations cause HDAC3/NCOR2 mislocalization and upregulation of interferon response genes. JCI Insight. 2020 Sep 17;5(18):e140332
43. Dadwal UC, Maupin KA, Zamarioli A, Tucker A, Harris JS, Fischer JP, Rytlewski JD, Scofield DC, Wininger AE, Bhatti FUR, Alvarez M, Childress PJ, Chakraborty N, Gautam A, Hammamieh R, Kacena MA. The effects of spaceflight and fracture healing on distant skeletal sites. Sci Rep. 2019 Aug 6;9(1):11419
44. Ravi P, Mantia C, Su C, Sorenson K, Elhag D, et al. Evaluation of the Safety and Efficacy of Immunotherapy Rechallenge in Patients With Renal Cell Carcinoma. JAMA Oncol. Published online May 29, 2020. doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2020.2169
45. Hammel JA, Elhag D, Ferguson NN. Subungual hemorrhage from an epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor. Cutis. 2020;105(1):E15-E16.
46. Elhag D, Dexter F, Elhakim M, Epstein RH. Many US hospital-affiliated freestanding ambulatory surgery centers are located on hospital campuses, relevant to interpretation of studies involving ambulatory surgery. J Clin Anesth. 2018;49:88-91.
47. Simms A, Kobayashi T, Endelman L, Sekar P. Disseminated histoplasmosis presenting as bilateral lower extremity paresis. Int J Infect Dis. 2020 Jun;95:265-267
48. Struble RD, Knox BA, Richter KP, Ellerbeck EF. Insurance coverage and utilization of nicotine patches after receipt of a prescription. Subst Abus 2019;Oct 17:1-4
49. Hoffman RM, Atallah, R, Struble RD, Badgett RG. Lung cancer screening with low-dose CT: a living systematic review and meta-analysis. J Gen Int Med (accepted for publication June, 2020).

Department Research

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.

Mazatlán, Mexico Rotation

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.

Additional International Pursuits

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.

Click here for additional information.

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

Fellowship Training Institutions (2015-2020)

Allergy/Immunology Medical Colege of Wisconsin University of Colorado University of Iowa Washington University, St. Louis Cardiology Medical College of Wisconsin The Ohio State University University of Iowa University of Minnesota University of North Carolina University of South Florida  University of Texas Southwestern University of Washington Virginia Commonwealth University Wake Forest Washington University, St. Louis Endocrinology University of Iowa University of Wisconsin Gastroenterology Boston University Cleveland Clinic Indiana University Medical College of Wisconsin St. Louis University SUNY The Ohio State University Tulane University of Iowa University of New Mexico  University of Wisconsin

Hematology/Oncology Gundersen Health System St. Louis University University of Iowa Washington University, St. Louis Infectious Diseases University of Minnesota University of Iowa Nephrology University of Iowa University of Pennsylvania Washington University, St. Louis Palliative Medicine University of Iowa Pulmonary/Critical Care Boston University Duke University University of California, San Francisco  University of Iowa University of Michigan University of Pennsylvania   Washington University, St. Louis Rheumatology New York University St. Louis University University of Iowa

Destinations of 2020 Graduates

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.

Sheena CarlLee, MD
(R '17, CR '18)

Ruth Fernandez Ruiz, MD
(R '18)

Nicole Fleege, MD
(R '18, CR '19)

Robert Leon-Ferre, MD
(R '13, CR '14)

Farid Moussavi-Harami, MD
(R '08)

Lori Rosenstein, MD
(R '06, CR '07, F '09)

Cedric "Jamie" Rutland, MD
(MD '09, R '12)

Sergio Sanchez-Luna, MD
(R '17)

Nice Bertha Toriz, MD, AGAF
(R '08, F '11)

Aaron Vose, MD
(R '17, CR '18)

Alexis Wickersham, MD, FACP
(R '15, CR '16)

Residents are encouraged to participate in one of our committees:

• Resident liaison committee
• Program evaluation committee
• Humanities and wellness committee

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.

Wellness:

Transition into Residency

1. Orientation to Foundation of Medicine for safe patient care - a series of lectures and workshops targeting medical knowledge and skills early in their training
2. Peer Mentoring Program - Each incoming intern is paired with a senior resident mentor to support a smooth transition to residency
3. Entrustable Professional Activities (EPA)-based Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) - administered during intern orientation week and helps drive individualized clinical skills coaching
4. Resident-to-Resident Epic Training during GME Orientation (Epic Training for Residents by Residents) - ability to be “ready on day one”

Encourage Connections between Peers, Faculty and within Interprofessional Teams      

1. Welcome Gathering Picnic during Orientation Week
2. Annual Resident Workshops/Retreats - There are retreats held annually for residents at all levels of training. These are held off-site and provide a break from the wards with an opportunity to improve team building skills and get to know your fellow residents.
3. Wellness and Humanities Committee - focuses on physical, emotional and social well-being including organization of social events
4. Internal Medicine Winter Recognition Social Gathering for Residents - held in January/February of every year to celebrate residents and their contribution to the Program
5. GME House Staff Council Activities
6. Residents Graduation Party - graduation party in the spring of each year
7. Food Truck Thursday - weekly during the warm weather months giving residents the opportunity to enjoy the food trucks and local music onsite
8. Community Activity/Resource List

Close Monitoring by Program Director/Associate Program Directors/Chief Residents

1. House Staff Meeting with the Resident Leadership – monthly meeting to discuss program updates, and resident input regarding the educational program
2. Chief Resident Mentorship Program
3. Resident Liaison Committee - provides an effective outlet to voice resident needs and concerns

Encourage Healthy Lifestyle and to Seek Timely Healthcare Services

1. Healthcare Benefits
2. Resident Lounge and Workout Equipment/Facilities - incentive-based gym memberships (decreased rate based on number of times attended) to both the on-site recreation center or the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center
3. Healthy Food Choices - Prepared lunches are provided at no cost to residents daily, including vegetarian and gluten free options
4. Internal Medicine Residency Program and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) partnership
5. Time Off for Healthcare Services
6. Other Wellness Resources
   1. UI LiveWell program
   2. UI Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
   3. Cab/taxi program - for residents who do not feel like they are able to drive back home

2019-2020 Wellness Plan