Dellsperger visits home

Though it has been more than 20 years since he left the University of Iowa and the Department of Internal Medicine, Kevin Dellsperger, MD, PhD, never lost contact with the institution he still calls home. His primary mode of keeping in touch has come through following the department’s digital footprint on social media, but this week he made an in-person visit to campus. Between meetings with collegiate and department leadership and catching up with old friends, Dellsperger took a break to visit with the residents at their noon conference.

[Read Dellsperger’s 2022 contribution to our “Where Are They Now?” series here.]

Vice Chair for Education and Residency Program Director Manish Suneja, MD, introduced Dellsperger to the assembled residents with a brief sketch of the alum’s career arc. Suneja focused especially on the ways in which Dellsperger distinguished himself at Iowa, first as a resident, then as a Chief Resident, and then a fellow in cardiovascular medicine. After finishing his formal training, Dellsperger joined the faculty and took on leadership roles at the Iowa City VA Health System.

Suneja described the leadership roles Dellsperger took after leaving Iowa as well, particularly at the Medical College of Georgia, where he served as an associate dean, and at Augusta University Health as vice president and chief medical officer. Suneja also pointed out his service as a field representative with the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), the governing body responsible for evaluating and certifying US medical training programs, which gave Dellsperger a unique perspective on a wide range of approaches to residency and fellowship training.

Because of that experience, Suneja said, Dellsperger understood “that residency is not simply learning how to care for the patient in front of us, it is also about learning how to improve the system in which that care is delivered.” He thanked Dellsperger for the generosity he and his wife, Linda, have shown to Iowa’s training program, particularly in his focused support for Chief Resident-led improvement projects.

The Dellspergers have given the Chiefs, Suneja said, “the opportunity to turn good ideas into meaningful improvements for our trainees, our patients, and our health system.” And, he went on, “it sends our trainees a powerful message: that they have both the opportunity and the responsibility to make medicine better than they have found it.”

Dellsperger spoke briefly after Suneja’s talk. He congratulated them on arriving at a world-class residency program and encouraged them to appreciate the moment, that despite the current challenges, they would each look back on these days fondly, especially because of the lifelong relationships they are currently building.

He also offered some lessons both from his years as a trainee as well as a wide-ranging career in medicine. First, he said, it was important to always stay curious, to keep learning and to keep current because of the rapid changes within the field. He also told them that their unique perspective working on the front lines of patient care allows them to see efficiencies and chances to improve systems. “Your voice could not matter more so speak up.”

Finally, Dellsperger returned to the subject of relationships. “Find a mentor,” he said, “and get to know them and let them get to know you.” He described a couple key decision points that a valued mentor helped him navigate. But, he went on, it is equally important to be a mentor. He echoed his previous point that each resident in the room had experience and training that could benefit someone else.

Dellsperger then took a few questions from a grateful audience before posing for a couple photos with the Chief Residents in attendance and with Upi Singh, MD, Department Chair and DEO.