We are proud to present the incoming Intern Class of 2024. 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!
Nic Heckenlaible, MD
Hometown: Sioux Falls, South Dakota
Medical school: Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
“Why Iowa”: The University of Iowa offers the perfect balance of outstanding training and wonderful, down-to-earth colleagues and mentors. Large enough to provide great experiences but close-knit enough to feel like home!
What I like about Iowa City: I love our biking and running trails, the community neighborhood feel, and our many local festivals and events! (the covered parking at Costco is also a plus 🙂)
Karen Johns, MD
Hometown: Fort Collins, Colorado
Medical school: Albany Medical College
“Why Iowa”: My top priority when selecting a residency program was the work environment. I wanted a supportive and inclusive program that treated me as an individual rather than a number in the pool of a large workforce. During the interview, University of Iowa gave me an overwhelming sense of support and I felt very seen as an applicant and future physician. Residency will be challenging anywhere, but I am thankful to have picked such a collegial, welcoming, and supportive program.
What I like about Iowa City: I am very fond of college towns after living in my hometown. Everything is very accessible by car, there are several festivals and events in the weekends, and the “Iowa nice” sentiment holds true. A Costco with covered parking is the cherry on top.
Tim Porsche, MD
Hometown: Elkhart, Indiana
Medical school: Indiana University School of Medicine
“Why Iowa”: The community and personalities here made me feel at home during the interview process. I love that you got an education in a big academic hospital in a beautiful small town. The program and city are a perfect fit for my personality.
What I like about Iowa City: I love the small-town feel, it is easy to get anywhere by car in under 10 to 15 minutes. There is great access to green spaces and bike trails to stay active and enjoy the summer weather. The cost of living is affordable and there are a lot of community and university events.
Zoe Ryan, MD
Hometown: St. Paul, Minnesota
Medical school: University of Minnesota (Twin Cities)
“Why Iowa”: Iowa seemed to eschew hierarchical theater yet retain a sensible organization of labor to get the job done, without ego clouding the goal.
What I like about Iowa City: As a member of a family with many horticulture-related jobs: wow, this landscaping is something else—job well done to all the landscapers. It’s also fun to see some quirkiness; e.g., Herky on Parade. While on his paternity leave, my husband snapped photos of all 100 with our baby.
Patrick Vosters, MD
Hometown: Kimberly, Wisconsin
Medical school: Medical College of Wisconsin
“Why Iowa”: Iowa provides the combination of big city resources and opportunities with a small-town, Midwestern feel. It is a place where I can be challenged, live well, and feed off of the energy of a Big Ten university.
What I like about Iowa City: Iowa nice is real. Whether it be faculty, residents, or patients, there are good people here that make work and life rewarding.