The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
What is your hometown?
Mount Vernon, Iowa
How or when did you become interested in science and medicine?
I’ve probably always been interested in science in one form or another, and in particular I’ve been drawn to biology. As a kid I liked playing in the mud, understanding how living things worked, and trying to problem solve, so medicine seemed like a good fit. Somewhere along the line I decided that I wanted to be a veterinarian, then I changed to human medicine, then various biology-related professions, and I spent most of college trying to decide between the many options.
How or why did you choose the University of Iowa to attend medical school?
Having grown up just up the road from such a great medical school, it only made sense to me to choose Iowa. I knew that it had a great reputation nationally plus it was in my own backyard, and so while I applied a few other places, this is where I knew I wanted to be.
Is there a teacher, mentor or University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine faculty member who has helped shape your education?
I have been fortunate enough to have many great role models in medicine, especially a few who have attended medical school at Iowa before me. Among these are Dr. Larry Dorr (65MS, 67MD), Dr. Gina Butteris (92BA, 97MD), and Dr. Monica Meeker (98MD), all of whom have helped guide me somewhere along the path into and through medical school.
Dr. Jill Endres (93BA, 97MD) and Lois Albrecht in the Department of Family Medicine have also made important impacts on my education while at Iowa. However, the most influential mentor was my own family physician, Dr. Kim Brandt (72MS, 75MD). I probably learned more about what kind of a physician I want to be from observing Dr. Brandt’s habits over the years than I will learn from any other source. He taught me the value in truly knowing and understanding your patients, about the importance of thoroughness as well as efficiency, and about finding a balance between career, family, community, and self.
What kinds of opportunities or advantages does being a medical student at Iowa provide? What about challenges?
Having never attended another medical school I am admittedly a bit biased, but I feel that medical students at Iowa have a multitude of extracurricular opportunities, both within the field of medicine and outside of it, to be involved with over our four years. Iowa medical students can feel confident that they are graduating not only having learned from some of the world leaders in specialties, but also having had ample opportunity to explore other interests and integrate those experiences into their medical education.
Please describe your professional goals and interests?
I am applying for residency in family medicine and may even consider doing a sports medicine fellowship before practicing in a small town, ideally in Iowa. I’ve always seen myself as the all-around small town doctor who spends Friday nights on the local sidelines and weekdays caring for the rest of the family. Family medicine offers a “birth to death” spectrum of care, and in a small town I particularly enjoy the prospect of getting to know my patients both in the confidence of the clinic setting as well as how they live outside the clinic. In addition to sports medicine, I am also particularly interested in rural health and agricultural medicine, meaning not only providing normal health care to rural patients but also understanding the unique health concerns the agricultural population may have.
What are some of your outside interests?
Being outdoors whenever and however possible, especially wilderness camping and canoeing. I am an avid sports fan and still play volleyball and run regularly, and when I’m not playing I am usually cheering on a Cornell College team (Go Rams!) or the Hawkeyes. I also like to spend time with family whenever possible, ride horses, and read.
Do you participate in any community service/outreach projects? If so, what are they and what have your experiences been?
I volunteer with Miracles in Motion, a nonprofit program which provides the opportunity for children and adults with disabilities to ride horses. I started volunteering with this group at the age of 8, long before I could even officially work with the students during class. Although I have had much less time to volunteer since I started medical school I continue to stay involved as much as possible. It has been amazing to see the therapeutic and recreational benefits the program provides, and to watch as participants - some of whom have significant medical disabilities - benefit from a type of therapy physicians can’t provide within the confines of hospital walls.
Do you have an insight or philosophy that guides you in your work?
I think it’s easy to lose perspective from day to day but I try to remind myself to look at the big picture and remember that although we may see many patients each day, to the patient a trip to the doctor may be a significant event. With each encounter I try to put myself in the patient’s shoes and think about how they perceive the situation or what would make sense to me if I were in their position. Probably the best thing I can do is to treat them as I would want my family members to be treated by their own physicians.
If you could change one thing about the world (or the world of medicine), what would it be?
Fixing the whole medical system would be nice, but if I can’t change that then I suppose I would change the way we react to “the system” and what our attitude is. Change needs to happen, but until then it’s our responsibility to continue to provide the best care for our patients, and realize that even in the mess of our health care system we are fortunate to hold such noble positions.
What one piece of advice would you give to students who are interested in applying to medical school?
Not to go about it blindly and because it’s “always what you wanted to do” or because it simply sounds like the right choice. Investigate a little deeper and make sure you have a true understanding of what this career entails, and compare it to other options. If after doing that you still find that you’d be most happy waking up every morning and being a physician, then by all means go for it with all of your heart. It’s a fantastic career choice, but only if it’s the right fit for you.
What do you see as "the future" of medicine?
I see a growing need for a “medical home”, centered on the primary care physician’s role in caring for the whole patient and overseeing their overall medical care. Specialties are critical within the health care system, but I think in the future we will start to recognize the vital role that primary care plays.