The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
What is your hometown?
I grew up in Monticello, Iowa. I went to college at Northwestern University, where I was pre-med and studied psychology and music. I spent my summers doing research in Boston and San Francisco. Then I moved to England for a PhD in neuroscience at Oxford University. After that I returned to Iowa for medical school.
What year of school are you in?
Fourth year, though I matriculated in 2004. I spent last year on an NIH Fogarty Fellowship doing HIV work in Zambia.
How or when did you become interested in science and medicine?
Toward the end of high school I started thinking about doing medicine. Working as a nursing assistant at the nursing home in my hometown affirmed my interest. I’ll always remember some of the residents in the nursing home, especially those with Alzheimer’s. It was fascinating and sometimes heartbreaking to engage with their worlds and try to help them through their days, putting smiles on their faces now and then. Ever since I have wanted to do some good for people’s suffering, particularly when illness affects a person’s brain and thus, in a way, their essence.
Why did you choose The University of Iowa?
Since I was still officially an Iowa resident, the University of Iowa was a smart option due to in-state tuition. Cost of medical education and student debt are becoming bigger problems all the time. If I had gone anywhere else, I would probably have twice as much debt.
Is there a teacher, mentor or University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine faculty member who has shaped your education?
Professor Nancy Andreasen, a world-renowned figure in psychiatry and clinical neuroscience, has been a strong positive force in my time at Iowa. I have benefited first-hand from her perspective, intellectual wherewithal, and impact on the department locally and field globally.
Robin Paetzold, the Global Programs director at the Carver College of Medicine, has also been an effective and supportive figure in my time here. Some of my most horizon-expanding experiences during my med school years have been from work in South Africa, Zambia, and England. Robin has been instrumental in making these endeavors a reality. Her work also creates a consciousness at the school beyond locating countries on a map; global experience and awareness help to keep alive the idealism that drives many of us to medicine. We are lucky to have her.
What opportunities or advantages does being a medical student at Iowa provide? What about challenges?
The best thing about being at Iowa has been being close to my family after eight years away from Iowa. My parents are wonderful and just an hour away; my brother rocks too and is across town with his new wife.
It has also been good to renew my connection with my “roots.” Iowans are good, down to earth people. This has shaped me and colors my medical school experience in a positive way. It also provides a solid foundation for work I’ve done in South Africa, Zambia, San Francisco, London, and New York during med school.
In terms of challenges, Iowa City and the university have not been the most stimulating places for me at times. There is some homogeneity in terms of people’s experiences and aspirations that this environment attracts and in some ways engenders. I think this can be said to a degree about all medical schools, state schools, or college towns. They have their strengths (e.g. lack of pretentiousness at state schools, sense of community in college towns) and their limitations.
What are your professional goals and interests?
I would like to do a combination of patient care and clinically-driven research. I want to continue to work both in the US and abroad.
What are some of your outside interests?
I like oceans, music, travel, and spending time with my family and friends.
Do you participate in any community service/outreach projects? If so, what are they and what have your experiences been?
I helped establish a free psychiatric outpatient clinic in Iowa City to serve those falling through the cracks, such as homeless people. I have also worked in free HIV clinics in Africa during med school and dabbled in outreach projects for youth at high risk of developing schizophrenia and for the homeless in London.
My main take away message is that issues underlying poor health have some universal non-biological themes, such as adverse circumstances, lack of opportunity, related self-efficacy problems, and disconnection from supporting structures ranging from family to healthcare systems.
What philosophy guides your work?
I’m an idealist and am driven by that. I find hope and potential where others may not. This cuts both ways, being either incredibly affirming or profoundly disappointing. For better or worse, I can’t seem to change!
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
The maldistribution of opportunity around the world. So much depends on the circumstances of one’s birth. It is not fair.
What advice do you have for students who are interested in applying to medical school?
Be careful not to let professional development consume your life. Becoming a doctor is a long haul with undergrad, med school, residency, fellowship… and while working in medicine is fantastic, there is no be-all, end-all. It is important to have a life that is rich in a number of respects, not just professionally worthwhile.
What do you see as the future of medicine?
It seems that medicine in the U.S. is increasingly a business. We have to figure out how to balance those demands with humanitarian goals.