Testimonials
What Others Say About Our Family Medicine Program...
"For more than 40 years, Broadlawns Medical Center has been a valued partner with the University of Iowa in educating and training medical students, physician assistant students, resident physicians and other health professionals. The wide range of clinical experiences and quality health care that Broadlawns can offer has enhanced our shared mission of improving the health of Iowans through educating healthcare providers to work in and serve Iowans. Broadlawns is an outstanding resource for our state."
Greg Nelson
Assistant Dean/Director
Office of Statewide Clinical Education Programs
University of Iowa Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
"My decision to train at Broadlawns was easy. I knew it was one of the best family medicine training programs in Iowa (or even the Midwest) and had been privileged to have various rotations there as a medical student. The residency program was unopposed, and I saw firsthand how integral the family medicine residents were in essentially running the hospital and clinics. When entering my intern year, I quickly was immersed in a community that valued hands on experience, encouraged a strong work ethic, and provided exposure to a diverse population of varied socioeconomic status and medical conditions. Faculty members were enthusiastic about teaching with an expectation to provide a well rounded education to residents with daily bedside teaching, morning and noon lectures, and clinic staffing. The autonomy I was given allowed me to grow not only as a physician, but as a person. I also valued the strong emphasis on work-life balance and a family friendly environment. My Broadlawns education has allowed me to be a competent full spectrum family medicine provider in a rural county clinic with ED and hospital coverage. Graduating from Broadlawns is a badge of honor and highly respected in the medical community, particularly in rural Iowa. I am proud of my education, my mentors and faculty, and my wonderful co-residents that became life-long friends and great advocates for family medicine."
Audra Poterucha, DO
Family Medicine Graduate
"Training at Broadlawns Family Medicine Residency was an amazing learning experience. Since this residency is essentially completely unopposed, the family practice residents get first opportunity to take care of every sick patient in the hospital. Very few family practice residencies will train you so well at taking care of critically ill patients, from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds as Broadlawns does. Also, the training environment is excellent - it is very evident that the attendings truly want to be teaching at this program. They are well trained, very approachable, and create a great learning environment. The benefits of provided housing right next to the hospital are countless - not only is it a huge financial blessing, but the community it builds between the residents and their families is incredible. I truly feel there are very few family practice residencies in the nation that can compare to BMC in excellence of training. I am extremely proud to be a Broadlawns graduate."
Amber Kinner, DO
Family Medicine Graduate
"My decision to undergo my medical training at Broadlawns was irrefutably the best decision I made in my medical training. Broadlawns is a rarity among family medicine residencies in that as a resident I had full access to such a vast array of experiences not only in the broad spectrum of pathology I saw but also in the diversity of patient populations, the different clinic and hospital experiences I had, and the exposure to the systems-based practice of medicine in my involvement on different committees and under the tutelage of many of my attending physicians. It was not only the teaching at the bedside or in the clinic, the lectures and morning reports that was invaluable, but more importantly the guidance and wisdom imparted to me by my mentors, attendings, and peers that has made me the physician I am today. Because of my training at Broadlawns, I now get to enjoy practicing medicine in my current position as medical director of an emergency department in a critical access hospital and pursue my passion of providing care for the underserved and underprivileged as medical director of a free clinic in rural Iowa and on medical mission trips around the world."
Ryan Van Maanen, DO
Family Medicine Graduate
"The Broadlawns Family Practice Residency Program was my unquestionable first choice for a family medicine residency program because of its excellent teaching staff, diverse patient population, and the camaraderie between the residents. Additionally, the residency program provides a very family friendly atmosphere: making it very doable to balance both a challenging residency program with a family life."
Megan Kane, DO
Family Medicine Graduate
"I was drawn to the Broadlawns Family Medicine Program because of the opportunity it offered to work with a diverse and underserved patient population. As residents we are exposed to a unique array of medical problems, and this coupled with the autonomy we are given creates an unparalleled learning environment. I was amazed at how much I matured as a physician in just the first few months of my intern year. I cannot imagine a better place to train to become a family physician."
Elaina Ori-Honeycutt, DO
Family Medicine Graduate
"Broadlawns truly offers a unique educational experience to the physician-in-training. The faculty, staff and patients here at BMC have given me the opportunity to become the confident and compassionate physician that I have always aspired to be. Although I have a lot of growing yet to do, I know that I will be ready to go out into a rural community and practice the traditional full scope of family medicine after my time at Broadlawns is complete."
Stephen Barnes, DO
Family Medicine Graduate
"I chose Broadlawns as my residency for many reasons. The opportunity to learn is amazing. As a Family Medicine doctor I knew that I would need to know a lot about a lot of areas and Broadlawns is able to provide that hands on learning experience that I knew I would need to solidify my skills and be a competent small town physician. You are the physician at Broadlawns, there is help when you need it but it is like a small town hospital in a big city so the pathology at Broadlawns is great. Procedures abound, faculty are kind, compassionate and helpful, and our resident community is strong. I can't think of a better place to train in Iowa."
Joshua Anderson, DO
Family Medicine Graduate
What Others Say About Our Transitional Year Program...
"The transitional year at Broadlawns is professionally and personally transformative, a true transition from student to practitioner. I have never felt more aware of the holistic nature of healing, more humbled, or more honored to care for patients. The culturally and socioeconomically diverse patient population at Broadlawns will allow you to be a part of their lives while at their most vulnerable. You will deliver babies, watch them grow, care for their families and neighbors, and sometimes help them say goodbye. Practically, the life support provided by on-campus housing and food lifts a significant financial burden and reinforces a sense of community amongst residents and faculty. I hope you consider this program for your intern year; it has truly made me a stronger radiologist, physician, and human being."
Chelsea Samson, MD
Transitional Year Graduate
"First of all, Des Moines is an extremely fun and livable city with all the amenities of a bigger city, but without the traffic. The Farmer’s Market is one of the best I’ve been to and the food scene has options from milkshake bars and diners to upscale steakhouses.
Besides being in a great city, Broadlawns offers an amazing work environment where the hard work of the residents is appreciated every single day. The staff and faculty are all incredibly friendly and especially on night float there is an immense feeling that we all are operating to provide the best patient care.
The camaraderie amongst all residency classes I feel is truly unique. Everyone in all levels of training was so friendly and always open to help guide you in complex decision making.
As a public hospital, Broadlawns offers tremendous opportunity to take care of “bread and butter” medicine cases as well as medically complex cases.
As a Transitional Year resident at Broadlawns, I was treated no differently than the categorical Family Medicine residents, which helped foster camaraderie within not only my class, but the upper level residents as well.
There is the perfect balance of autonomy and supervision with some of the most supportive and dedicated attending physicians I have ever encountered. Not only is there a great deal of support from faculty, the upper level residents were always so willing to help answer my questions or help guide me in terms of medical decision making.
The administrative side of the program is top notch, with the admin office always being prompt and extremely organized. As a transitional year resident this is extremely important as there are several important steps in ensuring a smooth transition to your categorical program. I always knew requests for forms, copies of licenses, or signatures would not be delayed. This helps alleviate any additional stress I had during the end of the year transition.
Tommy LoDuca, MD
Transitional Year Graduate
"I chose Broadlawns for my Transitional Year Residency, because of the diverse patient population, the didactics, and the teaching staff. I can't think of another program in Iowa that offers the same level of autonomy and hands-on experience. The convenient housing option saves commuting time, and adds to the camaraderie among residents. I would choose Broadlawns again without hesitation."
Leslie Cavazos, MD
Transitional Year Graduate