For Everton and Saundrett Gibbs Arrindell (both ’86 MD), the UI Carver College of Medicine wasn’t just a place to earn a degree. The couple chose Iowa to nurture their love of medicine and to be the backdrop for the beginning of their lives together.

How did a woman from a small town in Georgia and a man from the U.S. Virgin Islands find one another? By being at the right place at the right time. Saundrett was majoring in pharmacy at the University of Georgia, but thought she wanted a career with more patient interaction. Everton, who grew up in St. Thomas, was earning his undergraduate degree in physiology at Michigan State University. The two might never have met if it wasn’t for their combined interest in medicine and the fact that they both signed up for a Harvard Health Professions Program during the summer of 1981, right before their senior years.

The two met during the summer program and immediately hit it off. After a year of long-distance dating, they decided to go to the same medical school to continue their education and their relationship. They decided on Iowa for a number of reasons: Everton’s advisor recommended it highly, plus Everton was already familiar with the UI since his roommate had enrolled here the year before. Saundrett learned about the UI at the Harvard Health Professions Program where she met Everton.

“Dr. Scharron Laisure came from the University and told us about Iowa’s program,” Saundrett recalls. “For me, it was very important to see a professional African-American woman promoting the program. The campus looked beautiful, and I liked the fact that the school introduced students to clinical medicine in the second year.”

The Arrindells fondly remember their time as UI medical students. “We worked hard but we also found time to have house parties,” Saundrett said. “The support from the administration was excellent, and I genuinely felt they had your best interest at hand at all times.”

“We really found good mentors,” Everton added. “Dr. Jim Folk was instrumental in my career. He helped open doors for me as far as ophthalmology as a career. Being mentored was critical in terms of my professional development.”

The couple married after their third year of medical school. With their MDs in hand, Saundrett pursued an internal medicine internship and residency, then a dermatology fellowship and residency. In 1997 she joined the medical staff at Vanderbilt University, where she is now an assistant professor of medicine, and practices at Vanderbilt Dermatology at Patterson Street. She’s also served posts as assistant dean for the Office of Diversity and assistant dean of graduate medical education.

Everton completed an ophthalmology residency at the University of Michigan and a vitreoretinal fellowship at the Medical College of Wisconsin. In 1992 he was appointed assistant professor of ophthalmology and surgery at Meharry Medical College, and served as chief of the ophthalmology division for eight years. In 2001, he went into full-time private practice in Nashville, Tenn.

Over the years, the Arrindells have maintained ties with many of their classmates from Iowa. When the College approached the couple about being involved in the HOST Program it was an ideal opportunity to support their alma mater. The HOST (Help Our Students Travel) Program matches students with alumni volunteers who provide students with a free place to stay during residency interviews.

“I saw it as an opportunity to help take care of the details so that the student could focus on the interview and not have to worry about things like transportation, meals, housing, and navigating an unfamiliar city,” Saundrett said.

The Arrindells hope that the students they host will go on to their residencies carrying the same fond memories of Iowa that they do.

“I’ve been at several institutions, and I feel the camaraderie of the classmates at Iowa is something unique,” Everton said. “I don’t know what it is, but there is something special about the environment at Iowa.”

For more information on the HOST Program, contact Lindsay Knudson, HOST Program Coordinator, at lindsay-knudson@uiowa.edu, or (319) 335-8085.