For information regarding Categorical and Preliminary Programs contact:

Cindy K. Batzkiel 
Program Administrator
Department of Internal Medicine 
200 Hawkins Dr., E325 GH 
Iowa City, IA 52242 
Phone: (319)356-2034 
FAX: (319)384-8955
Email: intmedres@uiowa.edu

Abbey Gilpin
Associate Program Administrator
Department of Internal Medicine
200 Hawkins Dr., E323 GH 
Iowa City, IA 52242 
Phone: (319)384-9668
FAX: (319)384-8955
Email: intmedres@uiowa.edu

Desmond Barber, MD
University of Kansas School of Medicine - Wichita
desmond-barber@uiowa.edu

Growing up in Wichita, Kansas, I was fortunate enough to watch my dad serve our community as a firefighter and EMT. I saw the dedication and pride he took in his job as well as the respect that he earned in our community. I remember the stories people would tell me about the ways he impacted their lives and helped them and I knew I wanted to follow his example. He was also an EMT in a local emergency room and my family would often take him dinner. This was my earliest exposure to the medical field and I was fascinated. These experiences and my love for science in school influenced my decision to become a doctor and I never looked back.

After graduating from Wichita State University, I went to medical school at the University of Kansas School of Medicine-Wichita, where I became heavily involved in different organizations and activities. I was able to give back to a community that had given me so much through my involvement with our student-run free healthcare clinic, the JayDoc Community Clinic, and I cultivated and grew my love for teaching by acting as a supplemental instructor.

When I began my search for a residency program a mentor told me that I had to check out the University of Iowa. At the time I didn’t make much of it and added it to my list, but in retrospect, it was one of the best decisions of my life. I was completely blown away on my interview day. It was obvious that Iowa was a program like few others. I was struck by the sense of camaraderie and their enthusiasm for learning. It was apparent that the residents and leadership had worked hard to create that culture and I wanted to be a part of it.

My time here has been phenomenal. I have been continually challenged and grew more than I could have ever imagined, all while feeling completely supported by my co-residents, fellows, faculty, and administration. As a Chief Resident, I will direct my efforts toward further advancements in our amazing ultrasound curriculum, while continuing to cultivate our love for teaching and learning.

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with friends and family, playing/watching sports, traveling and spending time outside. Following this year I plan to pursue a fellowship in Pulmonary/Critical Care.

Sydney Bowmaster, MD
University of Nebraska College of Medicine
sydney-bowmaster@uiowa.edu

I grew up in Lincoln, Nebraska, and knew I wanted to pursue a career in medicine from a young age. After high school, I ventured to the east coast to attend college at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. While at Duke, I saw an opportunity to expand my cultural knowledge base and received my Bachelor of Arts in Religion while still fostering my love for science through pursuing minors in both Biology and Chemistry. Additionally, my experiences competing on the varsity women’s rowing team taught me the value of perseverance and teamwork.

Following completion of my undergraduate education, I returned to the Midwest to work briefly as an Emergency Medical Technician before attending medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. While in medical school, I appreciated how my Internal Medicine rotations allowed for an in-depth application of scientific knowledge coupled with the patient relationships and continuity of care that are crucial to the art of medicine. I immediately felt at home at the University of Iowa on my residency interview day, and I am consistently grateful for the program’s unparalleled education and mentorship as well as the family of co-residents I have had the privilege of working with these past few years. The Internal Medicine Residency Program at Iowa has helped shape me as a physician and educator, and I am excited to join this next group of leaders as the Education Chief Resident.

Outside of work, I love spending time outdoors with my husband and our two dogs. We enjoy biking, running, cross country skiing, and traveling. In the summer months, we also like to take advantage of Iowa City’s local farmer’s markets and festivals, or spend a weekend water skiing and fishing on Coralville Reservoir and Lake Macbride. As Chief Resident, I plan to build resident confidence and leadership skills in managing urgent and emergent patient care scenarios. I also hope to promote a longitudinal exposure to interactive board-style questions and case discussions. Upon completion of my chief year, I plan to pursue fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

Derek Hupp, MD
University of Nebraska College of Medicine
derek-hupp@uiowa.edu

I first considered a career in medicine after completing a high school summer internship focused on shadowing physicians in a local emergency department and dialysis center. Getting to interview patients on dialysis and obtain data related to their quality of life provided me an early look at how significant chronic illness can greatly affect people’s lives. After graduating high school in my hometown of Lincoln, Nebraska, I moved downtown to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with the primary objective of playing alto saxophone in the Cornhusker Marching Band (Go Big Red!). A degree in Global Studies led to further education at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

At UNMC, incredible mentors in Internal Medicine showed me how exciting, intellectually challenging, and fun caring for adults across the life course could be. On the interview trail, I was immediately drawn to the strong camaraderie and positive attitude of the leadership and residents here at the University of Iowa. Matching at Iowa has without a doubt helped me grow significantly in every area of my life—I have even started cheering for the Hawkeyes.

I am so excited to work this year as our VA’s Chief Resident in Quality and Safety. My focus will be on reducing breakdowns in transitions of care from an inpatient stay back to our outpatient clinics. Outside of the hospital I enjoy road-tripping to see family in Nebraska and Minnesota with my wife, Samara, and our new dog, Louie. I also love hiking, camping in local state parks, and learning something new about the world every day. After completion of chief residency, I plan to work as an academic general internist.

Yana Zemkova, MD
University of New Mexico School of Medicine
yana-zemkova@uiowa.edu

My medical school personal statement told a true story of a young child racing with an encyclopedia into a closed screen door, as a way to demonstrate my youthful excitement for learning. This same eagerness paved my way through an undergraduate degree in Biology and Spanish, with a side of managerial work at a gymnastics school, with the ultimate goal of medicine.

My medical school experience at the University of New Mexico initially claimed an interest in Emergency Medicine. Apparently, my closest friends always knew that I was bound for internal medicine instead, but I pushed back. The first week of my IM rotation however, I stayed until 7:30pm on an inpatient VA service and was convinced – I never looked back from the special sort of hours-long rounds, complex decision-making, and diagnostic dilemmas. From the very beginning of my love of inpatient internal medicine, I also developed an interest in medical education. In my fourth year of med school, I completed a student adaptation of the Stanford Course in Clinical Teaching and then served as a student coordinator organizing and creating sessions for a month-long rotation for students transitioning from pre-clinical to clinical years.

If you had asked me four years ago where I would go for residency, I would have never believed that Iowa would be the answer. Allow me to provide some cliches that serve perfectly to describe my interview experience: “when you know, you know,” “it just felt right,” and “it was a good fit.” What I left my interview with was a sense of belonging, accomplishment, and encouragement, and my training here has lived up to every expectation with which I entered. The University of Iowa has provided me with a multitude of mentors, an unparalleled foundation with a focus on clinical reasoning, a blossoming skillset with ultrasound, an involvement with program development, physicians to emulate, and countless memories – all in part during a pandemic, yet without sacrificing any patient care. From the original Land of Enchantment with mountains and green chile, to this slightly flatter and colder one, I have been captivated. I look forward to participating in the recruitment process to showcase the program’s accomplishments as well as the meaning behind being a member of the Hawkeye family. Following this, I will pursue a fellowship in Pulmonary and Critical Care, with an ongoing focus in medical education. But what’s in my life besides medicine? I am expanding my wine palate, I enjoy all and any desserts, I can quote New Girl for any situation, and I have a love of miniature schnauzers (although I do not yet personally have one – chief goal perhaps!).

Medicine-Psychiatry Program

Physician Scientist Training Pathwy (PSTP)

This is an extraordinary time in your life, a transition that marks the beginning of a crucial new period in your professional career and in your personal experience. When I went about interviewing for and choosing my residency, I was a bit anxious but mostly very excited. I knew it would be hard work, but I looked forward to the challenge as I am sure you do now.

I sincerely believe that you stand at the beginning of one of the most exciting times in the history of medicine. After decades of research in human disease we have begun to see a novel array of new therapies that will rapidly expand in the near future. The Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa has contributed in countless ways to this new world of discovery, remedy, and hope. As interim chair of the department, my goal is to ensure that we remain in the forefront not just of change but of important science, meaningful education, and the best patient care available anywhere -- all of this in a stimulating environment of cultural and intellectual diversity.

Among my highest priorities is to see that our residency program continues in its position as one of the premier programs in the nation. Dr. Manish Suneja and his team spearhead this effort, maintaining a training curriculum and a learning environment that thoroughly prepares you for the next level in your career. At the same time, we are committed to helping you learn how to preserve a meaningful balance between work and home, a skill that will shape every part of your life.

I foresee tremendous growth and unlimited possibilities in internal medicine at Iowa, and I urge you to join us in Iowa City. In this remarkable and heterogeneous community, you'll find the breadth, depth, and diversity of patients and world-renowned and caring faculty and staff, and outstanding facilities to make your education a success. Look over our website, visit Iowa City, and compare us with other programs. Don't hesitate to contact Dr. Suneja or me if you have questions about Iowa City or about internal medicine at the University of Iowa.

Isabella Grumbach, MD, PhD
Interim Chair & Department Executive Officer
Department of Internal Medicine
Kate Daum Endowed Professor
Professor of Medicine and Radiation Oncology

Faculty Listed Alphabetically

By Division

Cardiovascular Medicine
Endocrinology and Metabolism
Gastroenterology-Hepatology
General Medicine
Hematology, Oncology, and Blood & Marrow Transplantation
Immunology (formerly the Divisions of Allergy-Immunology and Rheumatology)
Infectious Diseases
Nephrology and Hypertension
Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Occupational Medicine
Program in Bioinformatics and Computational Biology

Master Clinician Program

Intern Orientation

Intern Orientation is a week-long introduction to UIHC and our residency program.  It provides a wonderful opportunity to become familiar with UIHC, the VAMC, and enjoy meeting new colleagues.  Interns receive training in the electronic medical record systems at both UIHC and the VAMC, orientation to their assigned Continuity of Care Clinics, and access to vital resources that will help their intern year be a successful one.  Team building activities provide a fun opportunity to get to know fellow interns.

Read about A Day in the Life of our residents.

Welcome Picnic

At the close of intern orientation, a welcome picnic is held for the new interns and their families. All residents and faculty are invited to attend.

Resident Workshops

Each year, a 1-day off-campus workshop for each residency class is organized to provide further skill development in the areas of communication, teaching, leadership, team-building, wellness and self-development. Each workshop is purposefully planned to provide didactic and interactive sessions, which address topics most pertinent to the level of the resident participant.

Winter Recognition Event 

The Internal Medicine Residency hosts an annual winter gathering at a local establishment to recognize the hard work and dedication of our residents.  It is a welcome time to relax and enjoy time away from the hospital with friends and colleagues.

Graduating House Staff Dinner

In June, the department hosts a farewell dinner program honoring the graduating residents and celebrating their accomplishments. The residents' selection of Faculty Teacher of the Year is also recognized at this event.

After Hours

Social events and fun activities are facilitated by the close proximity of the downtown Iowa City area and the open, welcoming resident community.  There are multiple social events throughout the year that are planned by the Resident Council, a group consisting of elected representatives from each of the residency programs at the University of Iowa.

 There are many interest groups that are available to our residents as part of the University community: UIHC Writers’ Group, Internal Medicine Book Club, faculty/staff orchestra are a few examples.