The results are in. Match Day 2016 revealed once again just how competitive the Department of Internal Medicine is on a national stage. We are proud to welcome this accomplished and diverse class of students into the ranks of our Residency program. Dr. Manish Suneja, Director of our Residency program, has shared with me some interesting facts about our incoming class of 33 students (23 categorical and 10 preliminary). Just slightly less than half of them are women. Although a significant majority of our trainees are from the Midwest, our newest Department members hail from 21 different medical schools. The average of their Step 1 and 2 scores places this class in the 90th percentile among their peers, as does their average number of volunteer experiences. Our incoming class has already distinguished themselves in terms of scholarly pursuits with a mean number of publications that places them in the 75th percentile. Again, we thank Dr. Suneja and all the rest of our faculty, housestaff, and staff who aided in recruiting yet another phenomenal class. We look forward to getting to know our new colleagues in the coming years.
As every incoming class learns, the faculty and staff in our Department are relentlessly committed to providing the best training they can in order to prepare our trainees for any step they may choose to take in the future. This dedication to mentoring the next generation deserves regular celebration for the wisdom, innovation, and flexibility they regularly employ.
Dr. Loreen Herwaldt, Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, was recently awarded the 2016 Outstanding Postdoctoral Mentor Award by the University of Iowa Postdoctoral Association. Dr. Herwaldt was nominated by two of her trainees. In announcing the award, the selection committee cited her establishment of “an environment that fosters intellectual creativity, scholarship, and career development.” They also praised her ability to tailor her instruction and mentorship for each individual in a holistic way. This is not Dr. Herwaldt’s first recognition for her talents as an educator. A couple years ago, she also won the Mentor Scholar Award from the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. Congratulations on your well-deserved recognition, Dr. Herwaldt!
The deep culture of mentorship and the pursuit of excellence within our department are also exemplified by Perry Wu, one of our medical students, who was just awarded a Sarnoff Cardiovascular Research Fellowship. Perry is the first medical student from the University of Iowa to achieve this honor. This prestigious fellowship provides a generous stipend sponsoring a medical student to pursue a year of cardiovascular research in a laboratory and with an internationally recognized Preceptor at an institution outside his or her home institution. Sarnoff fellows have had a long tradition of achievement and success in academic medicine throughout their careers. To read more about the Sarnoff Fellowship, Perry’s application process, and his research, click here. We are exceedingly pleased with Perry Wu’s selection as a Sarnoff Fellow and will hope that his achievement inspires other medical students at Iowa to take a deeper dive into research during their training