Positions: 5
Graduates: Split 50/50 between fellowships and private practice. I was told by upcoming grads that job offers are plentiful for residents coming out of this program. The faculty does not look down on those who choose to go into private practice, unlike some other more academic institutions.
Facilities: Among the best facilities in the country. The clinic layout is very compact with all departments lined up next to each other on the same floor of the hospital's newest addition. Faculty offices are also located right next to the clinic. This makes it easy to consult faculty in other departments at a moments notice. Also, being part of the hospital is a huge advantage as you can easily walk to the ER or an inpatient unit if needed. The residents have their own room with personal desks and there is a very nice ophthalmology library both located directly below the clinic. There is a cafeteria and Java House located right next to the clinic. There is only a single university hospital and a VA (which is located across the street) for residents to cover, unlike some programs which require you to drive to many different hospitals scattered throughout the city. This has an invaluable impact on your quality of life as a resident. The ASC (located directly above the ophtho clinic in the hospital) is new and has top of the line equipment. The ASC staff are great and extremely efficient in moving patients in and out to maximize your surgical volume in a given day. The ASC also has capability to record high definition videos which residents copy onto portable hard drives so they can later critique their surgeries. These videos are also helpful to build a portfolio which can be presented when later looking for a job.
Call: q5 primary call as a PGY1. "Buddy call" for the first few weeks until you get the hang of things. Some backup call as PGY2 (much lighter). Backup surgical call as PGY3. Residents say PGY3 call provides great surgical experience. All call is "home call" (you are not required to stay in-house).
Surgical experience: Iowa offers amazing surgical training. While Iowa City isn't a large city, patients come to the clinic from all across the state and even the surrounding states. The program's surgical numbers are among the top in the nation. While they dont offer unbelievable numbers in any one surgery, they offer solid numbers across the board. Despite having fellows in every department, residents perform specialized procedures that many other residents/fellows dont. For instance, Ive been told that many Iowa graduates have higher cornea numbers than others who have completed cornea fellowships at some other institutions. Residents also have the option of getting experience and certification in LASIK and PRK.
Clinical experience: Residents operate with autonomy in the clinic. However, they are always working with a staff physician, unlike many other institutions where younger residents learn from senior residents. This is highly beneficial for resident education and is something of which the residents were very proud. Typically, the resident will see a patient alone and write up a clinic note. Then the staff will come into the room and examine the patient and either agree or disagree with the diagnosis/treatment decision. Many clinics have sitting rounds at the end of the day to review the interesting patients that were seen. Of course, resident autonomy is much higher at the VA hospital.
Research: No dedicated research time, but I believe there is a required research project. Research opportunities are certainly available if desired, but the program places the highest priority on clinical education. Nonetheless, residents graduate with multiple publications.
Didactics: Tons of didactics! Lectures on every weekday morning, usually beginning at 8. Morning lectures may be staff presenting ophtho topics or they may be resident presentations of interesting cases. Additionally, lectures are also sometimes held in the afternoons. I had heard previously that Iowa has Saturday lectures, but I was told at my interview that they now only have a Saturday lecture if one of the weekday lectures has to be cancelled and rescheduled for some reason or if there is a special guest speaker unavailable to come during the week.
Location: Iowa City, Iowa. A small city, but it is highly educated and cultured for a city its size due to the university setting. People are incredibly friendly and cost of living is inexpensive. The city boasts a great public school system, it is extremely safe, and it is a wonderful place to raise a family. For those who are single, Iowa City has an active downtown scene with a variety of bars and live music. Iowa City is located a short 3-5 hour drive from several major metropolitan areas including Chicago, St. Louis, and Minneapolis.
Charts: EPIC electronic medical record. Charts and images may also be accessed remotely which is helpful when taking call or working on a presentation from home.
Required away rotations: Residents rotate in Des Moines, IA as a PGY4. They say this is a great experience as they are able to see patients in a private practice setting and also pump up their surgical numbers.
Simulators: Iowa has both a wet lab and an EYE-SI virtual simulator. Residents have scheduled sessions in the simulators with faculty to practice their surgical technique. This is something I did not see at many other institutions.
Orientation: Several weeks of orientation prior to starting. They want you to be ready when you begin rather than just throwing you in unprepared.
Overall impression: I was extremely impressed with Iowa. I particularly like how closely residents work with faculty throughout their education rather than just learning from older residents. The facilities and layout of the clinic were among the nicest of all the places I visited. The ASC is top-notch and the capability to digitally record your surgeries is a great feature. The surgical experience and variety of pathology seen is outstanding, even compared to programs located in much more populous regions. Outside of the clinic, the program offers residents an extensive education with daily didactics. Finally, after visiting programs with multiple hospitals scattered throughout huge cities, I greatly appreciate the convenience of having a single clinic within the main hospital and a VA across the street. Residents at some institutions literally spend hours driving every day, whereas residents here are typically home in under 10 min. Iowa City is a charming, safe, and affordable city that has a lot to offer for a city of its size. After visiting many of the very best programs in the nation (including most of the "top 10"), I felt Iowa remained the best overall package for the combination of features I was looking for in a residency program.
