We are proud to present this year’s incoming interns. 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!
Anya Edwards, MD
Hometown: Grand Forks, North Dakota
Medical school: University of North Dakota School of Medicine
“Why Iowa”: Iowa felt like it offered the best of both worlds. It is a big academic center with endless opportunities to learn and grow, but it still has the small-town Midwest feel I’ve known my whole life in North Dakota. When I interviewed with Dr. Suneja and Dr. Bryant, I could tell right away this was a place that genuinely wanted me to thrive in my residency training. I know I’m in the right place because I’m genuinely enjoying my intern year and making so many friends. I was nervous about moving to a new city, but I already feel connected with co-residents, nurses, and colleagues from other specialties.
What I like about Iowa City: I grew up with Midwest nice and thought North Dakota was top notch, but Iowa nice is truly unmatched. I have not met an unkind person here and genuinely enjoy every colleague I have worked with so far. The food scene is amazing, and the seafood is surprisingly great for being a landlocked state. The city is also incredibly pet friendly for me and my dog, Rowan, with beautiful parks and even doggy menus at restaurants. The weather here is beautiful, and I think I am going to like the winters a lot more than in North Dakota. One of my favorite ways to unwind is taking my dog swimming at Thornberry Dog Park, which has a pond right in the middle. We often grab a bite at Big Grove Brewery before heading over for a swim.
Rachael Hart, MD
Hometown: Adel, Iowa
Medical school: University of Iowa
“Why Iowa”: When I was rotating through the department as a medical student, the residents, faculty, and program leadership stood out to me by being genuinely friendly and supportive of all levels of learning. Iowa became the program I compared other programs to, and I realized I didn’t want to leave!
What I like about Iowa City: Being able to enjoy the local small businesses, festivals, and farmer’s markets downtown while also being a short drive away from Lake MacBride, hiking trails, and orchards.
Angela Mahoney, MD
Hometown: Red Oak, Iowa
Medical school: University of Iowa
“Why Iowa”: My rotations during medical school within the department are what inspired me to pursue internal medicine. I wanted to stay at Iowa because I knew this program would foster my learning and growth as a physician. I also knew I would be surrounded by wonderful co-residents!
What I like about Iowa City: I love Iowa River Landing (IRL). It’s a great location to go out to eat when I have family visiting, and I love getting cupcakes from Scratch Cupcakery. There’s also a really cool wetland park in IRL where you can walk around and enjoy nature.
Paul J. Resong, MD
Hometown: Garden Grove, California
Medical school: University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine
“Why Iowa”: My family were looking for a new home after leaving California and Nevada, and we turned our gaze towards the Midwest. We wanted to live in a quiet city that offered a strong sense of community and emphasized family value, along with being tied to a strong academic institution for my training. The only place that “fit the bill” was the University of Iowa and Iowa City! Along with these features, the affordability of the area is hard to beat, and allows our family of 5 plenty of opportunity to get engaged with others in a variety of activities!
What I like about Iowa City: We have never lived in an area with so many families and kids! Wherever we go, we see potential friends for our four-year- and two-year-olds, and feel that everyone is approachable with the Iowa Nice mentality! Also, we love Costco—it’s gotta be said!
Zachary Settelmyer, MD
Hometown: Peoria, Illinois
Medical school: Southern Illinois University School of Medicine
“Why Iowa”: The University of Iowa was the perfect mix of a strong academic program and being close to family. Right away, I could tell the residents and faculty were kind and really cared about teaching. I was lucky to couples match here with my fiancée, Avani, and we liked that the program has a great track record of supporting couples through residency.
What I like about Iowa City: I love how friendly and welcoming everyone has been since I moved to Iowa City. I also love that there is Costco and Trader Joe’s here!