“These small interactions matter,” Isabella Grumbach, MD, PhD, wrote earlier this month. “They add up.” That Views from the Chair post focused on the impact of in-person Grand Rounds and a division retreat, but she could have just as easily been talking about a couple other events, both of which happened on the same evening less than a mile apart.

First, members of the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, including staff, faculty, clinicians, researchers, and their significant others, met in a reserved space at the Iowa River Power Restaurant for drinks, dinner, and dessert. Though the temperature was a little cool, guests could also grab a table and take in the view of the river’s slow bend while they caught up on each other’s lives.

More than three years have passed since the last time the division hosted an event at this location, so there was plenty to catch up on.

Meanwhile, less than a mile away and just across the river, the members of the Internal Medicine Residency program had reserved the loft above the dining area in the Vine Restaurant. Just as with the Cardiovascular Division, similar goals for connecting outside of work and meeting members of their families were shared by the residents, faculty, staff, and alumni present.

One attendee remarked that they could not remember a time or a class when quite so many members had small babies and toddlers. Recruits are often told that although the program itself is like “one big family,” they are also reassured that Iowa City itself is a great place for your own. A quick glance around the area showed that these residents are putting that last part to the test.