Medicine-Psychiatry Program Strengths

Unique Integrated Clinical Experiences

• Inpatient Medicine-Psychiatry unit: This is a very efficient and powerful approach to patient care that is found in greater than 35 hospitals in the nation, with various mixes of psychiatry and internal medicine concentration. Our unit is an ideal setting for residents to become versed in integrating internal medicine and psychiatry. The University of Iowa is the only combined residency program in the nation that also has a high level combined internal medicine and psychiatry inpatient unit, which will be enlarged, modernized and updated by fall of 2009, to include 14 beds, with 2 telemetry beds.

• Integrated Medicine and Psychiatry Continuity Clinic: This VA hospital clinic, in operation since 2001, creates an opportunity to integrate both fields in the outpatient setting. The VA medical system is a strong supporter of the combined practice of internal medicine and psychiatry. Your experiences in this clinic will consolidate for you the relevance of true continuity of care, essential to understanding the interlacing factors in both domains that affect the health and well-being of your patientsn opportunity to integrate both fields in an outpatient setting. Affords the opportunity for continuity of care, which is essential to understanding the interplay between the medical and psychiatric factors affecting patients.

Excellence in Clinical Care

• US News and World Report consistently ranks UI Hospitals and Clinics among " America's Best Hospitals", with 9 medical specialties ranking in their top 50
• U.S. News and World Report ranks University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine among the top 30 graduate schools for medical education; the college's family medicine and rural medicine programs rank in the top five
• We serve as the teaching hospital and comprehensive health care center for the state of Iowa, promoting the health of all Iowans regardless of their ability to pay

Excellence in Research

• Psychiatry Department consistently ranks among top 25 in NIH Funding, and contributes more to psychiatry journals per capita, than any other department in the country
• 215 UI faculty members are members of the prestigious Institute of Medicine. Faculty members have been honored with a National Medal of Science and with membership in the National Academy of Sciences
• Both departments have demonstrated excellence in clinical research with numerous ongoing projects and opportunities for mentored research activity for residents
• Active psychiatry research projects
• Iowa Mental Health Clinical Research Center
• Internal medicine research activity

Excellence in Teaching/Residency Training

• The University of Iowa Combined Internal Medicine and Psychiatry Residency Program is recognized by the American Psychiatry Association for creativity in education
• Most of our graduated residents have taken both sets of board exams, with 17/18 passing the ABIM exam, and 15/17 passing the ABPN exam

Location

Iowa City is a Big 10 university town situated on the Iowa River. Often referred to as " Tree City " because of the many lush green trees that cover the landscape, the pace of life is relaxed with many bike paths, nature trails and parks. In 1999 Editor and Publishers Market Guide named Iowa City the best metro area in the US, thanks to the low cost of living, low crime, and excellent schools.

Esprit-de-corps

• The faculty is very approachable and has an "open door policy"
• There is a collegial atmosphere between Faculty and Residents
• The administration is flexible, and very supportive of the residents

Other

• 24-hour ancillary support at both the University Hospital and VA Health Care System, minimizing "scut-work."
• On-site childcare
• Health care and prescription medications covered by house staff insurance
• Book funds provided by Psychiatry ($400/year)
• Flexibility to travel to National Conferences