We are proud to present the incoming Intern Class of 2022. We wanted to take the opportunity to go a little past the names and faces and learn a couple things about them. We asked them each to tell us about why they chose Internal Medicine at Iowa for their residency. And, now that they have been here a month or so, what they like about living in Iowa City or working at University of Iowa Health Care. We will introduce them a few at a time each week for the next couple months. Welcome to Iowa!
James Burton, MD
Hometown: Louisville, Kentucky
Medical school: University of Louisville
“Why Iowa”: I desired a residency program with top-notch medical training but without the ego, and that has very much been my experience so far. During my interviews, everyone was so friendly that it genuinely felt like home.
What I like about Iowa City: It has a small town feel with the energy of a bigger city. Most importantly, there is great access to the outdoors and plenty of biking and running trails to keep me busy in my free time.
Patrick Donegan, MD
Hometown: Huntington Beach, California
Medical school: Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
“Why Iowa”: As an ophthalmology prelim, the program here fit my priorities perfectly: resident education, collegiality, strong surgical training. Many of my medical school mentors went to Iowa for residency and loved their four years here.
What I like about Iowa City: Wonderful running and cycling all over the city. Easy to get around anywhere by car and bike. Very affordable rent. Nice people.
Brittnee Haynes, DO
Hometown: Lorton, Virginia
Medical school: Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine
“Why Iowa”: During multiple sub-internships at other institutions, I worked with attendings who trained here and was continually impressed. The combination of that high-quality training with the supportive environment and emphasis on teaching is what attracted me to Iowa.
What I like about Iowa City: I enjoy the biking trails, especially those at Sugar Bottom!
Monica Knaack, MD
Hometown: Burnsville, Minnesota
Medical school: University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine
“Why Iowa”: Easily the people. I had first-hand experience with the wonderful people at Iowa during my time in medical school rotations, and I was so excited to be able to continue working with them. Everyone is so genuine, kind, welcoming, and truly invested in each other’s success.
What I like about Iowa City: I love all the outdoor activities available around town – including various parks, especially City Park. Kayaking at Terry Trueblood is one of my favorite summer activities, and there are so many summer festivals downtown that are an absolute blast.
Tyler Maggio, MD
Hometown: Rockford, Illinois
Medical school: Southern Illinois University
“Why Iowa”: Iowa has a history of training excellent physicians, and I am thankful that several of my mentors in medical school were graduates of this training program. It was important to me to train at an academic medical center for exposure to a wide array of pathologies while getting to learn from faculty who are eager to teach.
What I like about Iowa City: Iowa City is already starting to feel like home. There are plenty of ways to enjoy yourself after a day of work whether that be a bike ride, getting a drink at a brewery, or anything in between. Furthermore, Iowa City is just the right size such that no activity is too far away, which I feel has helped build camaraderie with my new co-workers.