Strengths of Iowa Lutheran Family Medicine Residency Program

Our Faculty

"Enough cannot be said about our faculty and how lucky we are to have them. They are the most supportive,intelligent, and fun group of physicians I have ever worked with. They do not take themselves too seriously and create a fantastic learning environment where they are always accessible and willing to help in whatever way possible. I can promise you that you will always feel well supported by our faculty."

-Daniel Hanson

"One of the main reasons why I chose to attend this program was due to the excellent faculty members. They are great at giving us independence to grow and learn while at the same time remaining available and approachable when we need them."

-Madeline Godar

Work Environment

"I love the work environment at Lutheran. I truly enjoy going to work every day and that is a testament to the people and the program culture. The residents and faculty are very driven and are highly successful because of this mutual drive for excellence. However, while we strive to excel in our work, we also hang out together. This was one of the only programs I interviewed at where the residents and faculty sit to eat lunch together and talk about everything besides work. Our program invests a lot in the people to help prevent burnout and fatigue."

-Tyler Olson

"Being a new intern, I was incredibly nervous about making medical decisions on my own and learning how to function efficiently in my new role. So far, I have had incredible support from both my fellow residents, attending faculty, nursing staff and electronic record support staff. I always feel comfortable asking my senior or attendings for help. Everyone is willing to teach and answer questions, no matter how trivial they may seem. Nurses have been helpful in orienting us to different policies on the floors and EMR staff has been available during clinic hours to help with outpatient charting. I am so glad I chose to come to Lutheran because the welcoming, collaborative environment has made the transition from student to resident much easier!"

-Julia Farruggia

Strengths of Residency

"The people are what make our residency program shine! We have a very supportive community of residents and faculty members who get along well both inside and outside of work. We frequently have formal and informal events outside of work where residents, faculty, and their family members can get together. It is more enjoyable coming to work every day knowing that you get to work with such an outstanding group of doctors."

-Madeline Godar

Working in an Unopposed Residency

"I love that I get to take care of all ages and stages of life. Everyday is a mix of patients, which makes it fun and exciting! From taking care of moms and babies in the hospital to having end of life discussions with patient's to increase their quality of life to the everyday well woman or well man physical, we get to do it all." -Samantha Banser
"It's very exciting to work at a community-based hospital in a large metropolitan area. Lutheran Hospital is truly a unique gem on the East Side of Des Moines. You will get to know everyone who works at Lutheran - nurses, housekeepers, cafeteria workers, respiratory therapists, etc. Residents spend intern year becoming very familiar with the hospital as we rotate through the family medicine inpatient service, obstetrics floor, emergency department, and ICU." -Madeline Godar
"There is an incredibly wide spectrum of learning that comes with an unopposed residency. At Iowa Lutheran, we work up patients in the ER, admit patients from the ER, run an inpatient service, manage the OB floor and respond to MET calls and Code Blues. Being the only residents, we have the opportunity and responsibility to be involved in all different areas of the hospital. This truly is what makes Family Medicine so unique, and being an unopposed program really allows us to experience that at its finest!" -Julia Farruggia

Why I Chose Lutheran

"I chose Iowa Lutheran because it was immediately obvious to me how much the faculty and residents genuinely enjoyed working together. There is a palpable sense of camaraderie within the residency program and everyone seems to enjoy what they do. Combine that with being an unopposed program with broad spectrum learning and it hit all the check boxes for me."

-Daniel Hanson

Balanced Lifestyle

"One of the reasons I chose this program was because the residents actually seemed happy and both residents and faculty seemed to live relatively balanced lives. Lutheran has epitomized flexibility whether that has been with PTO, last minute changes to conferences, or simply helping get things done during the work day. We look out for each other and make sure that our work gets done, but not at the neglect of our families or personal wellness. I feel incredibly supported by our program and know that I can ask for help if I feel like I'm struggling. Residency is certainly hard but surrounding yourself with the right people around you can decrease the stress and burden exponentially."

-Tyler Olson

Working with Specialists

"Since we are the only medicine residents in the hospital, we get to work directly with specialists from all fields. You are not stuck talking with other residents or fellows, but rather communicate directly with them and work right alongside them. These specialists are also used to working one-on-one with us and are great at teaching us and including us whenever there are procedures to be done."

-Daniel Hanson

La Clinica

"La Clinica provides the opportunity to work with the underserved Hispanic population for their prenatal care and deliveries. Not only does this give us the opportunity to become well trained in both high risk and low risk OB populations, it also provides an introduction to a different culture. These patients are underserved and often under insured, which is an excellent learning opportunity for how to become more financially cognizant when practicing medicine."

-Samantha Keady

Living in Des Moines

"Des Moines is a young, fun, family friendly Midwest city! Great place to explore local farmers markets, festivals, concerts, and sporting events. No shortage of things to do on the weekends and on days off!" -Cameron Overcash
"There are also many bike/running trails throughout the metro area and multiple ponds and lakes within driving distance if you enjoy outdoor activities. Des Moines is small enough to feel like home, but big enough that there is never a shortage of things to do." -Samantha Keady
"Des Moines is the best of both worlds- A growing urban center with small town vibes and historic charm. The restaurant scene in DSM is booming making living downtown a blast! Some of my local favorites include St. Kilda for breakfast, Iowa Taproom for midwest comfort food, and Hello Marjorie for drinks." -Matthew Molin

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Our Faculty

Working in an Unopposed Residency

Balanced Lifestyle

Living in Des Moines

The way we make people feel matters more than anything else.