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 couple months, 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!
Breanna Fornalski, MD
Hometown: Kenosha, Wisconsin
Medical School: Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee
“Why Iowa”: I want to do a pulmonary and critical care fellowship, and the training and the residents are SO strong here. The POCUS is one of the best, I’m able to rotate through the CVICU. And of course, the people in this program are the best!
What I like about Iowa City: Iowa City has the activity and restaurants of a big city, all with the accessibility of a smaller city. My husband and I bought a house, and we love our neighborhood.
Meghan Hunt, MD
Hometown: Keller, Texas
Medical School: McGovern Medical School (UT Health-Huston)
“Why Iowa”: Iowa’s inviting and supportive energy was immediately evident on my interview day, and I loved getting to connect with the faculty and residents right away! I wanted to train someplace where I’d not only grow to be an excellent physician but also be supported to grow as a person and maintain balance outside of medicine, and Iowa is the perfect place for all of those things to happen.
What I like about Iowa City: I love the “college-town” vibes and the sense of community with our new friends and neighbors, good coffee and fun local events, plenty of parks for my wife and I to walk the dogs, and great concerts in and around the city!
Hannah Paauw MD, MBA
Hometown: Brandon, South Dakota
Medical School: University of South Dakota Sanford School of Medicine
“Why Iowa”: I’ve always loved the beautiful landscapes, kind people, and strong feelings of community that the Midwest offers. I was drawn to Iowa for its reputation for academic excellence, and the breadth of opportunities available. The Med-Psych program in particular stood out to me as it felt like a supportive family of like-minded, driven individuals who share my passion for integrated care.
What I like about Iowa City: Iowa City is a wonderful mix of small-town feel blended with activity. I have embraced becoming a Hawkeye and love the football culture, playing intramurals, and, very unexpectedly, becoming a foodie with wonderful local restaurants.
Ross Robinson, MD
Hometown: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Medical School: University of Minnesota Medical School
“Why Iowa”: Iowa offered a strong academic internal medicine experience for my clinical base year while still being within driving distance of family and friends in both Minneapolis and Des Moines. The interview experience felt super welcoming and supportive, which is the type of training environment I wanted.
What I like about Iowa City: I’ve enjoyed walking around the parks and local trails, a farmer’s market that was much larger than I was expecting, and finding new historical sites to tour!