The 148 members of the UI Carver College of Medicine’s class of 2013 were selected from a pool of 2,763 applicants, statistics compiled by the Office of Admissions show. Ninety-seven members of the entering class are Iowa residents.

The male-female split among class members is 75-73, or 51 percent to 49 percent. At the time of application, the youngest of the admitted students was 20 and the oldest 32; four students are age 30 or older.

Thirteen students—9 percent—are African American, Latino or American Indian, and 15 students—10 percent—are of other ethnic minority heritage. The rest of the new students are white or listed no race when surveyed.

Nine members of the entering class are participating in the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) and will earn both MD and PhD degrees. Five students have enrolled in both the MD and master of public health (MPH) degree programs.

Class members represent 69 different undergraduate colleges, with 52 students graduating from Iowa Regents institutions (the University of Iowa: 39; Iowa State University: 10; the University of Northern Iowa: 3). Eighteen students are graduates of other Iowa colleges, and 78 students are graduates of colleges outside Iowa.

For the 148 members of the UI Carver College of Medicine class of 2013, Aug. 21 marked an important milestone, the first of many on the road to becoming a physician.

The College’s 15th annual White Coat Ceremony, held at Macbride Hall on the UI Pentacrest, officially initiated class members into the formal study of medicine at Iowa. It was the final event of a week of orientation activities for members of the entering class and their families, spouses, partners and friends. Read the rest of this entry »

David Asprey, PhD, PA-C, was named assistant dean of the Office of Student Affairs and Curriculum, effective July 1.

In addition to this new role, Asprey will continue as the director of the College’s Physician Assistant Program, a position he has held since 1998.

Over the course of his tenure at the University of Iowa, Asprey was named Physician Assistant of the Year by the Iowa Physician Assistant Society and received the President’s Award from the Association of PA Programs. He also received a UI Collegiate Teaching Award and has been recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants since 2007.

Asprey succeeds Cathy Solow, who left the College last May to become associate dean for student affairs with the UI College of Dentistry.

There’s an old saying that goes, “The best way to find yourself is to your lose yourself in the service of others.”

Jennifer Miller Meyer is learning this firsthand.

She is part of a group of students enrolled in the College’s Service Distinction Track, a unique program that recognizes students who work extensively with medically underserved, marginalized, or rural populations.

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A memorial service for Kathy Skhal will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, June 20, in the Sahai Auditorium of the Medical Education and Research Facility (MERF).

Skhal, 32, died suddenly on June 16. 

She was a clinical education librarian at the Hardin Library for Health Sciences who was highly regarded for her expertise in critical appraisal and evaluation, for her leadership in the library’s teaching activities and its Simulation Center, and for her work as a reference librarian.

At the Carver College of Medicine, Skhal facilitated Case-Based Learning, a small-group experience for M1 students, and she was active across the curriculum — teaching students, residents, and small-group facilitators about search strategies to use when researching medical conditions and patient diagnoses, and how to conduct critical appraisals of medical literature. To that end, Skhal was involved with the clinical clerkships in helping design literature-appraisal exercises and teaching these skills to students during their clinical years. She also played a key role in initiating and designing the ICON research pages for courses and clerkships. 

Skhal also worked on the regional level of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) in the Central Group on Educational Affairs, organizing the clinical librarian group. In addition, she served as a tutor for a course offered by McMaster University. The course was an international workshop for medical educators on teaching evidence-based clinical practice with a focus on quality improvement and assurance.

Online condolences for Skhal can be made at Lensing Funeral and Cremation Service.