Hometown: Kenosha, WI
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin
Hobbies: I love working out at the gym and lifting weights, spending time with my wife and baby girl (Ariella), and playing PC games with friends after a long day of work
Fun Fact: My younger brother and I are nerds for PC gaming and have built our own PCs together from scratch!
Why Iowa: I am originally from the Midwest and enjoy the friendly, neighborly attitude that most people from around here give off. Both my wife and I are Midwesterners, and our families are all in Wisconsin, so we wanted to stay close by to make traveling back home less of a hassle. When I interviewed , I was so impressed with the camaraderie of the anesthesia residents (even through Zoom since I interviewed during the COVID era) that I knew that this was the group I wanted to join. Since being here, I can say that the faculty are great to work with and have a lot to teach from experience that I have integrated into my training. Iowa City is a great city to have things to do if you are looking for a night out due to the undergraduate population being prominent in the downtown area but is also very family oriented for those who have kids or are thinking of starting a family during their time in training. My wife and I have been enjoying our time together in the city and now that we have a new addition in the form of our daughter, Ariella, we are loving the family friendliness of the city as well!
Hometown: Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Medical School: Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine
Hobbies: hiking, calligraphy, people watching from my apartment
Fun Fact: I have perfected the “stern mom voice” during the last two years. It works great in special situations in the hospital.
Why Iowa: Two qualities that stand out for our program here: awesome people and excellent clinical training. The impressions I had during my interview day about the comraderies here have held true. I have made great friends in residency, not just in my class but in the others as well. The seniors are truly patient, knowledgeable, and helpful, especially during the transition from intern to CA-1 period. I am also proud of our resident lounge which is always full of board games, coffee, and snacks. I am definitely guilty of staying there for too long after work, one of the “lingerers” for sure. Besides making friends, we also have great trainings. The residents deal with diverse and complicated cases daily with a lot of early autonomy. One of the unique features in the training here is that we start all subspecialty rotations during the CA-1 year. I have plenty of time to decide on my fellowship choice and prepare for the application.
Hometown: Sioux Falls, SD
Medical School: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
Hobbies: I love going to dance workout classes at the rec, going out for food and drinks with friends around Iowa City, going to concerts, and spending time outside!
Fun Fact: I am the oldest of 5, so I grew up with lots of little siblings running around. As a result, I love working with kiddos, and I will be staying at Iowa for fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology!
Why Iowa: In my fourth year of medical school, I actually matched at a different program. While I really appreciated my first two years of training at that program, I found myself constantly comparing my experience to the residency program at Iowa and missing Iowa City a LOT. First and foremost, this program provides EXCELLENT clinical training in a fun, supportive environment. The hospital system at UIHC also places a tremendous focus on education, evidence-based practice, and patient-centered care—a fact that I had previously taken for granted. Iowa City itself is also incredible. As a small Midwestern college town, the culture here is very open-minded, well-educated, and diverse in nature. There are always fun events going on (Block party, Pride weekend, tailgating, etc.), but it’s also such an easy place to live, with short commutes, minimal traffic, good cost-of-living, and “Midwestern nice” vibes. I am so grateful that this program was able to accept me as a transfer resident, and I am ecstatic to be back in Iowa City, hanging out in the best resident lounge in existence!