How does your benefits, stipends, and contracts compare to other programs?
Benefits offered by University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics are competitive with other top training programs in the country. Benefits include:
- Medical, Dental, Hospitalization and Pharmacy Coverage
- Counseling and Crisis Management Services
- Life, Disability, and Malpractice Coverage
- Computer and Software Purchases
- GI Bill
- Paid Time Off and Leave Information
- Reduced UI Tuition
- Retirement Savings
Stipends are also comparable to other top training programs in the country and in keeping with the cost of living in Iowa.
Contracts are issued to house staff each year until training concludes, and promotion at the end of each year is granted based on demonstrated clinical competence and professional growth. House staff members who do not meet standards for promotion to the next level of training may require remedial action, as deemed appropriate by the Program Director.
What is the eligibility criteria for applicants of a GME residency training program
Eligibility criteria for applicants of a GME residency or fellowship training program are:
Graduate from one of the following:
- United States or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
- United States college of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- Medical school outside the United States or Canada with:
- a valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and have a passing score for Step 1 and Step 2 of the USMLE,
- be a U.S. citizen, a legal permanent resident, or hold a visa which provides eligibility to work in the U.S. Typical visas are J-1 (requires Steps 1 and 2 of USMLE and ECFMG certification) and H1-B (requires departmental approval, Steps 1, 2 and 3 of USMLE, and a permanent Iowa medical license)
- Meet Iowa Board of Medicine licensure requirements.
- All applicants must also meet program eligibility requirements as defined by the ACGME’s respective RRC (for accredited programs) or the department (for non-accredited programs).
Eligible applicants should apply directly to the residency or fellowship training program. Deadlines and application criteria vary; review those requirements at the individual program websites. Each program has specific guidelines for conducting interviews, what to expect during the interview, and American Board of Medical Specialties certification requirements.
Is malpractice insurance provided?
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics is an agency of the State of Iowa, which self-insures the tort liability of the State and its employees under the provisions of the State Tort Claims Act, Chapter 669, Code of Iowa. Resident and Fellow Physicians at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics are State employees for the purposes of the State Tort Claims Act. The coverage provided to Resident and Fellow Physicians by the State Tort Claims Act is occurrence coverage.
Official Statement
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is an agency of the State of Iowa, which self insures the tort liability of the State and its employees under the provisions of the State Tort Claims Act, Chapter 669, Code of Iowa. Resident and Fellow Physicians at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are State employees for the purposes of the State Tort Claims Act. The coverage provided to Resident and Fellow Physicians by the State Tort Claims Act is occurrence coverage.
What do I need to know about medical licensure
GME contracted residents and fellows must apply for a license from the Iowa Board of Medicine at least three months in advance of the training start date. The Iowa Board of Medicine will not accept a license application more than six months in advance of the contract start date. Every resident or fellow physician or dentist is responsible for acquiring a medical license prior to practicing medicine at UI Hospitals & Clinics. State of Iowa law prohibits practice without the proper license.
The GME office recommends all residents and fellows apply for a license through the Iowa Board of Medicine by using the Uniform Application (UA). This application provides state specific instructions for Iowa. The Iowa Board DOES NOT require applicants to use the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) as part of the application process, though they do accept FCVS if you choose to use their service. For recent medical school graduates, the Board strongly recommends applicants NOT utilize FCVS.
Resident Licensure
The Iowa Board of Medicine offers a resident license authorizing the licensee to practice as an intern, resident or fellow while under the supervision of a licensed practitioner of medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery in a board-approved resident training program in Iowa. This license expires on the expected date of completion of the training program as indicated in the licensure application. The license becomes inactive when a physician leaves the program or can be extended if completion of the program has not been met by the expected date.
Permanent Licensure
Some fellowship programs require a permanent license. Contact your program director to confirm whether a permanent license is appropriate. If you are eligible to moonlight, you will be required to have a permanent license.
Specific licensing questions can be directed to the Iowa Board of Medicine.
Accreditation/Board Eligibility
UI Hospitals & Clinics is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
The ACGME sets general requirements for all residency training programs as well as special requirement and prerequisite information for each specialty. These requirements are enforced by the various Residency Review Committees (RRC).
Board Eligibility
Medical specialty certification in the United States is a voluntary process which serves multiple purposes for the trainee and the public.
Certification is
- one mission of the training program to produce trainees who meet board eligibility criteria;
- distinguishes a physician as someone with a distinct level of expertise;
- provides more opportunities when applying for employment;
- presents resources and tools by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS);
- a commitment to life-long improvement for providing the best patient care; and
- elevates physicians into the ranks of doctors committed to the highest standards of healthcare.
For more information, visit the American Board of Medical Specialties site.
Benefits offered by University of Iowa Health Care are competitive with other top residency training programs in the country. Benefits include:
- Medical, Dental, Hospitalization and Pharmacy Coverage
- Counseling and Crisis Management Services
- Life, Disability, and Malpractice Coverage
- Computer and Software Purchases
- GI Bill
- Paid Time Off and Leave Information
- Reduced UI Tuition
- Retirement Savings
Stipends are also comparable to other top training programs in the country and in keeping with the cost of living in Iowa.
Contracts are issued to house staff each year until training concludes. Promotion at the end of each year is based on demonstrated clinical competence and professional growth. House staff members who do not meet standards for promotion to the next level of training may require remedial action, as deemed appropriate by the residency program director.
Couples Match
We encourage couples match applications and will make every attempt to streamline interview dates and times for both applications.
More information on couples matching can be found on the National Resident Matching Program website
Eligibility
Eligibility criteria for applicants of a GME residency or fellowship training program are:
Graduate from one of the following:
- United States or Canadian medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
- United States college of osteopathic medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- Medical school outside the United States or Canada with:
- a valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and have a passing score for Step 1 and Step 2 of the USMLE,
- be a U.S. citizen, a legal permanent resident, or hold a visa which provides eligibility to work in the U.S. Typical visas are J-1 (requires Steps 1 and 2 of USMLE and ECFMG certification) and H1-B (requires departmental approval, Steps 1, 2 and 3 of USMLE, and a permanent Iowa medical license)
- Meet Iowa Board of Medicine licensure requirements.
- All applicants must also meet program eligibility requirements as defined by the ACGME’s respective RRC (for accredited programs) or the department (for non-accredited programs).
Eligible applicants should apply directly to the residency or fellowship training program. Deadlines and application criteria vary; review those requirements at the individual program websites. Each program has specific guidelines for conducting interviews, what to expect during the interview, and American Board of Medical Specialties certification requirements.
*Faculty* shared resource has been inserted here
This section is a "Shared Resource" from the GME guide. This block is confusing and needs clarification.
- Content needs to be supplied.
- If there is not a resource for faculty, we should remove from the guide as shared.
Getting to Iowa City
Travel
The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)
2515 Wright Brothers Boulevard, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: 1-319-362-8336
Located 2 miles West of I-380, the airport is 25 minutes north of Iowa City. It is located just outside of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
5800 Fleur Drive, Suite 201, Des Moines, IA 50321
Phone: 1-515-256-5100
Located on the southwest side of Des Moines, approximately 2 hours west of Iowa City on I-80.
The Quad City International Airport (QCIA)
2200 69th Avenue, Moline, IL 61265
Phone: 1-309-757-1530
Located approximately 60 miles east of Iowa City in Moline Illinois.
Airlines
American Airlines
1-800-433-7300
DELTA
1-800-221-1212
United Airlines
1-800-241-6522
Allegiant Air
1-702-505-8888x
Car Rental
Avis
1-800-331-1212
Enterprise
1-319-366-5522
Hertz Rent A Car
1-800-654-3131
National
1-888-826-6890x
Airport Shuttles
Airport Shuttle Service: 1-800-725-8460
The Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME) is committed to fostering an equitable environment that values and promotes diversity and inclusion among resident, fellow, and faculty physicians.
Learn more about GME's commitment to diversity and inclusion
We have indexed our policies and procedures in a document clearinghouse as a means of keeping items there as up to date as possible. Each of the documents listed on the clearinghouse page is in .pdf format and will be downloaded to your computer. All policies are subject to change.
- Commitment Policy on Educational Resources for Competing or Similar Programs
- Corrective Action Plan for Program Deficiencies
- Dining Policy
- Disability Accommodation Policy
- Educational Experience Locus
- Evaluation and Advancement of House Staff
- GME Policy on Degree Designations for GME issued Documents and Verifications
- House Staff Member Concerns
- Institutional Commitment Statement
- International Elective Request Form
- International Health Elective
- Moonlighting Policy
- Moonlighting Request Form
- Moonlighting Proposal for Internal Moonlighting
- Policy on Interruption Closure Reduction in Residency Training Programs - Emergency Management Tie In
- Policy on New Programs Program Changes Modifications
- Policy on Substance Abuse
- Policy Regarding the Learning and Working Environment for GME Trainees Patient Safety, Quality Improvement, Supervision and Accountability
- Program Director Appointments
- Resident Eligibility, Selection and Transfer
- Statement of Stipends and Benefits for Graduate Medical Education
- Taxi Policy
- Visa Policy for GME Trainees
University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics is an agency of the State of Iowa, which self-insures the tort liability of the State and its employees under the provisions of the State Tort Claims Act, Chapter 669, Code of Iowa. Resident and Fellow Physicians at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics are State employees for the purposes of the State Tort Claims Act. The coverage provided to Resident and Fellow Physicians by the State Tort Claims Act is occurrence coverage.
Official Statement
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics is an agency of the State of Iowa, which self insures the tort liability of the State and its employees under the provisions of the State Tort Claims Act, Chapter 669, Code of Iowa. Resident and Fellow Physicians at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are State employees for the purposes of the State Tort Claims Act. The coverage provided to Resident and Fellow Physicians by the State Tort Claims Act is occurrence coverage.
GME contracted residents and fellows must apply for a license from the Iowa Board of Medicine at least three months in advance of the training start date. The Iowa Board of Medicine will not accept a license application more than six months in advance of the contract start date. Every resident or fellow physician or dentist is responsible for acquiring a medical license prior to practicing medicine at UI Hospitals & Clinics. State of Iowa law prohibits practice without the proper license.
The GME office recommends all residents and fellows apply for a license through the Iowa Board of Medicine by using the Uniform Application (UA). This application provides state specific instructions for Iowa. The Iowa Board DOES NOT require applicants to use the Federation Credentials Verification Service (FCVS) as part of the application process, though they do accept FCVS if you choose to use their service. For recent medical school graduates, the Board strongly recommends applicants NOT utilize FCVS.
Resident Licensure
The Iowa Board of Medicine offers a resident license authorizing the licensee to practice as an intern, resident or fellow while under the supervision of a licensed practitioner of medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery in a board-approved resident training program in Iowa. This license expires on the expected date of completion of the training program as indicated in the licensure application. The license becomes inactive when a physician leaves the program or can be extended if completion of the program has not been met by the expected date.
Permanent Licensure
Some fellowship programs require a permanent license. Contact your program director to confirm whether a permanent license is appropriate. If you are eligible to moonlight, you will be required to have a permanent license.
Specific licensing questions can be directed to the Iowa Board of Medicine.
What are the accreditation and board eligibility requirements?
Accreditation
UI Hospitals & Clinics is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
The ACGME sets general requirements for all residency training programs as well as special requirement and prerequisite information for each specialty. These requirements are enforced by the various Residency Review Committees (RRC).
Board Eligibility
Medical specialty certification in the United States is a voluntary process which serves multiple purposes for the trainee and the public.
Certification is
- one mission of the training program to produce trainees who meet board eligibility criteria;
- distinguishes a physician as someone with a distinct level of expertise;
- provides more opportunities when applying for employment;
- presents resources and tools by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS);
- a commitment to life-long improvement for providing the best patient care; and
- elevates physicians into the ranks of doctors committed to the highest standards of healthcare.
For more information, visit the American Board of Medical Specialties site.
Do you offer couples match?
We encourage couples match applications and will make every attempt to streamline interview dates and times for both applications.
More information on couples matching can be found on the National Resident Matching Program website
How do I get to Iowa City?
Travel
The Eastern Iowa Airport (CID)
2515 Wright Brothers Boulevard, Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: 1-319-362-8336
Located 2 miles West of I-380, the airport is 25 minutes north of Iowa City. It is located just outside of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Des Moines International Airport (DSM)
5800 Fleur Drive, Suite 201, Des Moines, IA 50321
Phone: 1-515-256-5100
Located on the southwest side of Des Moines, approximately 2 hours west of Iowa City on I-80.
The Quad City International Airport (QCIA)
2200 69th Avenue, Moline, IL 61265
Phone: 1-309-757-1530
Located approximately 60 miles east of Iowa City in Moline Illinois.
Airlines
American Airlines
1-800-433-7300
DELTA
1-800-221-1212
United Airlines
1-800-241-6522
Allegiant Air
1-702-505-8888x
Car Rental
Avis
1-800-331-1212
Enterprise
1-319-366-5522
Hertz Rent A Car
1-800-654-3131
National
1-888-826-6890x
Airport Shuttles
Airport Shuttle Service: 1-800-725-8460
Supervision
The clinical activities of all residents are supervised by teaching staff and/or more advanced house staff members in such a way as to ensure that residents assume progressively increasing responsibility according to each resident’s level of education, ability and experience. The teaching staff determines the level of responsibility accorded to each resident. On-call schedules for teaching staff and more advanced house staff members are structured to ensure supervision is readily available to those on duty.
- Direct Supervision – The supervising physician or dentist is physically present with the resident and patient.
- Indirect Supervision
- with direct supervision immediately available – The supervising physician or dentist is physically present within the hospital or other site of patient care, and is immediately available to provide direct supervision.
- with direct supervision available – The supervising physician or dentist is not physically present within the hospital or other site of patient care, but is immediately available by means of telephonic and/or electronic modalities, and is available to provide direct supervision.
PGY 1 residents are supervised either directly or indirectly with direct supervision immediately available while they acquire basic knowledge and skills specific to the specialty. Activities of PGY 2 residents and above are supervised by any level of supervision, as appropriate to the patient situation and resident capability. Supervision does not equate merely to the presence of more senior physicians or dentists nor with the absence of independent decision making on the part of residents. These supervision standards encompass the concepts of graded authority, responsibility and conditional independence that are the foundation of delegation of authority to more senior house staff members. Should the resident ever need more assistance and information, they may contact the senior resident, fellow, or faculty on call.
Work Hours
Residents work hours are monitored by the Program Director/Associate Program Directors, Chief Residents and Program Coordinator by means of a work hour record on MedHub that residents are expected to be completed weekly. The work hours for day and night duty on all rotations are designed such that hours worked will fall within the ACGME rules for resident work hours: no more than 80 hours per week when averaged over 4 weeks; one day off in seven when averaged over 4 weeks; post call, residents are excused by 1100 on the post call day if on an in-patient service, and 0730 following check out if on an outpatient rotation unless they have their continuity clinic that morning; there is at least a 10 hour period free of clinical duty between shifts.
All residents will report any concerns about resident hours directly to the Program Director/Associate Program Directors or via rotational evaluations solicited at the end of every rotation.
Specific work hour requirements are as follows:
Maximum hours of work per week
The work hours of any resident must be limited to 80 hours per week (or other applicable limit as specified by the appropriate Residency Review Committee (RRC), when averaged over a 4-week period, inclusive of all in-house call activities and any moonlighting activities. Any time spent in the UIHC or at another institution for clinical and academic purposes, related to the residency or fellowship program, both inpatient and outpatient, shall count toward the weekly maximum. Additionally, the weekly maximum shall include time spent for administrative duties related to patient care, the transfer of patient care, scheduled academic activities such as conferences, research related to the program, and any time the resident spends on-site after being called in to the hospital. Not included in the weekly maximum is time spent outside of UIHC (or outside another institution related to the program’s academic purposes) for academic preparation, reading, and studying.
Maximum duty period length
- PGY 1 residents– scheduled duty periods must not exceed 16 hours in duration.
- PGY 2 and above residents – no schedule shall exceed a maximum of 24 hours of continuous duty in the hospital, with no more than 4 additional hours used for any transitional activities (i.e. maintaining continuity of medical and surgical care, transferring patient care, or attending educational sessions).
- In no event shall the PGY 2 or above resident accept a new patient (any patient for whom the resident has not previously provided care) during this 4-hour extension period.
- PGY 2 or above residents must not be assigned additional clinical responsibilities after 24 hours of continuous in-house duty.
- In unusual circumstances, PGY 2 and above residents, on their own initiative, may remain beyond their scheduled period of duty to continue to provide care to a single patient. Justifications for such extensions of duty are limited to reasons of required continuity for a severely ill or unstable patient, academic importance of the events transpiring or humanistic attention to the needs of a patient or family. Residents must appropriately hand over the care of all other patients to the team responsible for their continuing care.
- Any resident exceeding maximum duty period lengths will document their justification in the institution’s resident management system (i.e., MedHub)
Maximum frequency of over-night in-house on-call duties
In-house call must not be scheduled more frequently than every third night when averaged over a 4-week period.
Maximum frequency of in-house night float
Residents must not be scheduled for more than six consecutive nights of night float or as specified further by the program’s RRC, as applicable.
Mandatory time free of duty
Residents must be scheduled for a minimum of one day free of duty every week (when averaged over four weeks). This day off shall not include home call nor shall the resident be required to carry a pager. A day is defined as 24 consecutive hours.
Minimum time off between scheduled duty periods
Based on the level of the resident, there are identified levels of time off between scheduled duty periods.
- PGY 1 residents – should have 10 hours, and must have 8 hours, free of duty between scheduled duty periods.
- Intermediate level residents (as defined by the program’s RRC) – should have 10 hours, and must have 8 hours between scheduled duty periods. They must have at least 14 hours free of duty after 24 continuous hours of in-house duty.
- Final year residents (as defined by the program’s RRC) – can participate in transition to practice activities when they are preparing to care for patients over irregular or extended periods. It is still desirable that these residents have 8 hours free of duty between scheduled duty periods, but there may be circumstances where residents must stay on duty to care for their patients or return to the hospital after shorter intervals.
- The Program Director monitors time off between scheduled duty periods.
Home call
Residents returning to the hospital from home call must count their time spent in the hospital towards the 80-hour maximum weekly hour limit. The frequency of home call is not subject to the every-third-night limitation but must satisfy the requirement for 1 day in 7 free of duty, when averaged over 4 weeks.
- Home call activities must not be so frequent as to preclude rest and reasonable personal time for each resident.
- Residents are permitted to return to the hospital while on home call to care for new or established patients. Each episode of this type of care, while it must be included in the 80-hour weekly maximum, will not initiate a new “off-duty period.”
The IR - Integrated Residency Program meets the requirements of this policy as well as any applicable standard set by the ACGME, the appropriate RRC, or other accrediting or certifying body. This policy is distributed by the GME Office to all GME employment contract holders. The IR - Integrated Residency Program also distributes this policy annually the first week of July to residents, fellows and faculty. The residency program monitors resident work hours with a frequency sufficient to ensure compliance with this policy and the ACGME/RRC/other accrediting or certifying body’s rules.
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