Emergency Medicine Residency Program - Iowa Methodist Medical Center

Message from the Program Director

Thank you for your interest in the Iowa Methodist Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency Program. We are an energetic new emergency medicine residency, recently accredited by the ACGME, with over thirty board-certified, hospital employed, emergency medicine trained physicians. Our three-year program will offer six categorical positions each year.

We have spent years planning, designing, and cultivating a curriculum designed to produce well-rounded leaders that can excel in any environment or fellowship upon graduation. At Iowa Methodist, we welcome thinkers, visionaries not afraid to question the way things are done and physicians driven to provide the best care for their patients. You will feel this innovative energy support you from every angle of our department. Our future residents are the new focal point in our mission to give our patients care that exceeds their expectations and creates a prosperous learning environment.

Meeting your professional goals requires individualized training within a diverse and sophisticated clinical setting, and our promise of excellence in achieving those goals will require a lot of work and support. You will practice in central Iowa's only Level 1 Adult Trauma Center and tertiary referral center in downtown Des Moines, expand your knowledge and comfort caring for the most critical children in Iowa's only Level 2 Pediatric Trauma Center and gain a tremendous grasp of rural medicine and its unique challenges in our single physician coverage rural emergency department. Through these types of excellent training environments, you will leave us with an unmatched skill set and confidence to become a leader in emergency medicine.

Training in the only emergency medicine residency program in Des Moines, the state's capitol and largest city, comes with many other benefits. Opportunities for growth and experience beyond academics are at your fingertips, from a large ground and flight EMS system, community outreach programs, and mass gathering events in and out of the city. Our diverse group of faculty will facilitate those opportunities to explore your interests and establish your niche.

UnityPoint Health has a storied history of residency education, dating as far back to the 1940s. The emergency medicine residency will join six other residency programs. This will give our residents the opportunity to build camaraderie with other residents, but they will not be competing for procedures or patient encounters.

On your first day of residency, you will be matched with a faculty mentor based on your interests. Your mentor will help you adjust to life as a resident, moving into a new city, and provide guidance on a professional and personal level. This level of personal connection is emblematic of the value we place on each individual resident's success. We know our emergency medicine residents will excel here and find a happy balance in their personal and professional lives, an experience and skill they can take onto their careers.

On behalf of our department, we appreciate your interest in our program and are here to answer any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Nash Whitaker, MD, MSEd, MBA
Residency Program Director
Iowa Methodist Medical Center
Department of Emergency Medicine

Exceptional Emergency Medicine Program

Our program seeks to ensure residents' exposure to rigorous scholarly activity, research, clinical training and a well-rounded practice of emergency medicine in a community-based setting.

About Our Program

UnityPoint Health – Des Moines is excited to introduce a new emergency medicine residency program. This will be a three-year program with six residents per year. Rotations will include the adult ED, pediatric ED, ICU, Level 1 trauma surgery service, among others. Core rotations will occur primarily at Iowa Methodist Medical Center and Blank Children's Hospital within UnityPoint Health – Des Moines. The program recently received ACGME accreditation and is funded and committed to by our emergency medicine physicians and the hospital administration.

Program Overview Emergency Department Providers

Program Overview

Mission Statement
Guiding Principles
Program Details

Mission Statement

To train skilled, compassionate, and professional physicians who are leaders in providing emergency care to their communities.

Guiding Principles

Graduate residents with outstanding medical knowledge and procedural competency.
Develop physicians with outstanding decision-making proficiency.
Cultivate professionals who excel at communication and care coordination achieved through teamwork and accountability.
Recognize honesty and integrity as foundational for all members of our team.
Invest in the wellness and resiliency of our residents and faculty.
Understand and advance the needs of the Iowa healthcare community in which the residents are training.
Advance the scope and practice of emergency medicine through scholarly and professional work.

Program Details

Three-year program with six residents per year in the state's largest metropolitan city.
Train in the only Adult Level 1 and first pediatric Level 2 Trauma Centers in Central/Western Iowa.
Exceptional clinical training and active scholarly activity in a wellrounded practice of emergency medicine in a nonprofit, community based setting.
Unique Rotation Opportunities: EMS flight experience, rural EM, first-month orientation block, residency class retreats, and a wide array of electives with ample space to develop niche expertise.
Learn from more than 30 hospital-employed, board-certified EM physicians.
Superior clinical educators with frequent 1:1 teaching ensuring that each resident takes on increasing responsibility and experiences meaningful autonomy.
No competing subspecialty learners.
Robust, engaging and individually tailored didactic curriculum.
Frequent teaching opportunities with student rotators from Des Moines University and the University of Iowa.

Program Leadership

Nash Whitaker, MD

Program Director

Dr. Whitaker was raised in Omaha, NE and graduated medical school from Creighton University School of Medicine. He completed his residency training in emergency medicine at Indiana University and served as a chief resident. Given his strong passion for medical education, Nash pursued graduate degrees in medical education from the University of Pennsylvania and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business. Nash has since held leadership positions in medical education and administration before joining UnityPoint Health as the program director for the new emergency medicine residency. His professional interests include medical education, quality improvement processes, and team building. Nash enjoys hunting, fishing, and competitive skeet shooting. Most of his Saturdays in the fall are spent watching Nebraska football games. He enjoys traveling the world with his fiancé Kelsie and rarely goes anywhere without his English yellow lab, Winston.

Nick Kluesner, MD

Associate Program Director, Associate Medical Director

Dr. Kluesner received his undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame in 2008 with majors in biology and philosophy. He attended medical school at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine – graduating with distinctions in service and global health - as well as residency training at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics where he served as chief resident. He is the vice chair of the Iowa Medical Society's Law and Ethics Committee, and sits on the national ACEP Ethics Committee. In addition to clinical work and leadership in the emergency medicine residency program, Dr. Kluesner also serves as the associate medical director in the emergency department. His professional interests include medical ethics, humanities, medical education and interdepartmental process improvements. He enjoys spending time with his wife and four boys in the comfortable family environment of Des Moines where they have lived since 2015. That largely consists of outdoorsy activities, woodworking projects and barbeque gatherings. They are best known by their friends as avid Notre Dame fans.

Brian Jennett, MD

Associate Program Director

Dr. Jennett received his undergraduate degree from Iowa State University in 2010 with a major in biochemistry. He attended medical school at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine graduating in 2014. After medical school, he completed an emergency medicine residency at the University of Wisconsin where he served as chief resident. After residency, Dr. Jennett completed a fellowship in helicopter EMS and served as a flight physician at the University of Wisconsin. In addition to his clinical work and role as associate program director in the emergency medicine residency program, Dr. Jennett serves as the medical director for the Osceola Fire Department EMS. His professional interests include pre-hospital medicine with an emphasis on HEMS, emergency airway management and medical education. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, living just south of Des Moines in Norwalk. When time permits, his hobbies include electronics prototyping, 3D printing and following Iowa State Athletics.

Amanda Coco

Program Coordinator

Clint Hawthorne, MD

Medical Director

Dr. Hawthorne received his undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 2005 with a major in physics graduating with distinction. He attended medical school at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine and completed residency at Regions Hospital in St. Paul, MN before starting at UnityPoint Health in 2012. Since 2019, he has served as the medical director of the emergency department at UnityPoint Health – Des Moines and for the three years prior to that he was the associate medical director. Dr. Hawthorne is the founder of the Des Moines Emergency Ultrasound conference and continues to participate in the planning committee. His professional interests include Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS), stroke, change creation and utilization analysis to achieve cost effective care. He enjoys spending time with his wife and four children, landscaping/yard work, vacationing in northern Minnesota, any type of lake activity you can think of and soccer.

Bryan Stocker, DO

Pediatrics Core Faculty

Dr. Stocker was raised in Johnston, Iowa and took a non-traditional path to medicine. He initially went to DMACC where he received an associate degree in automotive science. He then transitioned into driving a semi truck while attending college and ultimately resulting in an undergraduate degree in applied studies at University of Iowa. He attended medical school at Des Moines University and continued to pediatrics residency at Blank Children’s Hospital in Des Moines. He and his family then moved to Kansas City where he completed a fellowship in pediatric emergency medicine at Children’s Mercy Hospital where he served as chief education fellow. He made his way back to practice at Blank Children’s in their emergency department. His professional interests include medical outreach and simulation. When not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and six children.

Brittany Jensen, MD

Medical Student Clerkship Director

Dr. Jensen received her undergraduate degree from North Carolina State University in 2008, graduating as class valedictorian with majors in biological sciences and animal science. She attended medical school at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, graduating with highest distinction. Brittany completed her residency training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center where she served as chief resident. Her professional interests include global health (specifically East Africa), medical education and interdepartmental process improvements. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter (usually outdoors fishing or camping), traveling and visiting her family on the East Coast.

Allie Kim, MD

Core Faculty

Dr. Kim was born and raised in West Des Moines, Iowa. She went to the University of Tulsa for college where she played Division I soccer and majored in biology and chemistry. After her undergraduate degree she lived on the east coast for several years, and eventually made her way back to Iowa for medical school, where she received her medical degree at the University of Iowa. She then completed residency in emergency medicine at the University of Iowa. Dr. Kim has a special interest in mental health in the ED as well as physician wellness. Her personal interests include spending time with her husband and two sons.

Todd Sexton, DO

Core Faculty

Dr. Sexton received an undergraduate degree in biology with a biochemistry minor at Northwest Missouri State University in 2011. He attended medical school at A.T. Still University - Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine graduating in 2016. He completed his residency training in emergency medicine at the University of Iowa. Dr. Sexton serves as medical director for the East Poweshiek Ambulance service, and director of the Emergency Medicine Ultrasound Conference held yearly in Des Moines. His professional interests include point of care ultrasound, EMS, research and medical education. He is a lifelong Iowa Hawkeye fan. He enjoys spending time with his wife and two boys. He has been an avid homebrewer for the past decade. When he is not working clinically, he can be found on the golf course, lake or at Kinnick Stadium.

Alex Wittry, MD

Core Faculty

Dr. Wittry joined UnityPoint Health in 2014 after completing undergraduate studies, medical school and residency at the University of Iowa (Go Hawks!). His professional interests include emergencies pertaining to surgical specialties, and research in patient satisfaction and ED outcomes. In his spare time, he likes to spend time outside and he loves to learn about new subjects, making him a true jack-of-all-trades. He likes to build things, work in his yard and play sports with his kids.

Curriculum Structure

Intern Orientation (4 weeks)
Emergency Medicine (20 Weeks)
Blank Children's Hospital Pediatric Emergency Medicine (8 Weeks)
Methodist ICU (8 Weeks)
Anesthesia/Ultrasound (4 Weeks)
Obstetrics (4 weeks)
Trauma (4 weeks)

Emergency Medicine (28 weeks)
Blank Children's Hospital Pediatric ICU (4 weeks)
Grinnell Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
EMS / Admin / Research (4 weeks)
Methodist ICU (4 weeks)
Trauma (4 weeks)
Elective (4 weeks)

Emergency Medicine (32 Weeks)
Blank Children's Hospital Pediatric Emergency Medicine (4 weeks)
Methodist ICU (4 weeks)
Blank Children's Hospital Pediatric ICU (4 weeks)
Elective (8 weeks)

Rural EM
Ultrasound
Hospice/Palliative Care
Radiology
Physical Therapy
Advanced Airway
Administration / Quality Review
Ethics
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Retrieval Medicine (Helicopter EMS)

These are just a few of the options available.

Thursday mornings are protected conference time for residents to attend a comprehensive curriculum consisting of didactic lectures, asynchronous learning modules, simulation and cross-over events with other GME programs.

This is an 18-month curriculum that will be cycled through twice during the three year program. Each month has a content theme and a dedicated faculty coordinator.

The following year-long longitudinal curriculums are designed to give a consistent, continual exposure to core topics outside of the didactic content: wellness, ethics/administration, POCUS.

Emergency medicine residents will spend dedicated time in the Dorner-Villeneuve Simulation Education Center every conference block honing their resuscitation and procedural skills. The simulation curriculum consists of case and situation based educational experiences to cover both adult and pediatric emergency care. The sessions are multi-disciplinary with immediate feedback and debriefing taking place with residency faculty. Procedural skill simulations will include:

Airway management
Central venous catheter insertion
Arterial line insertion
Lumbar puncture
Paracentesis & thoracentesis
Vaginal delivery
Tube thoracostomy
Fracture care and more

Dorner - Villeneuve Simulation Education Center

A regular Journal Club meets monthly for a mix of socializing and science. A resident/faculty pairing is assigned to each month to select relevant and high-yield journal articles for review. This is a great opportunity to improve scholarship and sample a combination of local eateries or faculty homes.

Stipend and Benefits

Stipends
Benefits
Education
Additional

The annual stipends for the respective levels are as follows (Effective Academic Year 2023-2024):

R1 - $65,985
R2 - $67,204
R3 - $69,038

Transition Allowance

$750 relocation allowance is provided to all incoming residents.

Health Insurance

Residents may choose from two health insurance plans that best suit their individual needs. An annual health insurance bonus that partially funds the cost of a single-coverage health and dental insurance premium is given to each resident.

Life Insurance

The program provides group life insurance equal to the resident's annual stipend at no charge to the resident.

Resident Liability Coverage

General and professional liability coverage is provided for residents enrolled in the residency program through a combination of commercial insurance and self-insured retention. Coverages are no less than $1,000,000 per occurrence and $5,000,000 aggregate per policy year.

Short and Long-Term Disability Coverage

Short and long-term disability coverage is provided to residents. Short-term disability coverage (STD) is used when the resident is away from work for at least seven (7) days due to a non-work-related illness or injury. STD pays 60% of weekly earnings for a maximum of 26 weeks with no waiting period. Long-term disability insurance coverage ensures that residents will receive a minimum of 70% of their monthly salary if they are disabled due to illness or accident, on or off the job, following a 90-day qualifying period.

Travel Insurance

All residents receive travel insurance coverage while traveling on medical center business.

Vacation

All residents receive three weeks of paid vacation per year and one week of educational/sick leave.

Residents are allocated $700 per year that can be used to purchase textbooks, educational software, or to attend approved medical meetings.

Free Parking - All residents may park in a reserved area of the hospital parking facility at no charge.
Meal Stipend - A fixed monthly allowance is provided to residents for meals in the medical center cafeteria.
Paid Licensure - Fees for all licenses required by the residency program are paid by the program.
Lab Coats - Two free lab coats are provided to all first-year residents.
Fitness Center on premises
Day Care Services on premises
Employee Assistance Center

Application Process

Residents are selected through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®), a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges. Applications to our residency programs are only accepted through ERAS.

Our selection process is based upon multiple factors, including general academic performance, clinical performance, Standardized Letters of Evaluation (SLOEs), personal qualities and achievements. The Iowa Methodist Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency Program accepts applications from September through December.

J1 visas are sponsored, ECFMG certification is required to be considered for an interview
6 months of US clinical experience strongly preferred (observerships do not count, must be hands on experience)

The selection committee reviews all material and interviews a select group of qualified applicants to fill the six categorical positions. Interviews will be conducted starting in October.

Nurse Applying.jpg

Applying to Residencies with ERAS®

Applications are only accepted through the Electronic Application Service (ERAS®), a program of the Association of American Medical Colleges.

ERAS® Application

Visiting Students

The Iowa Methodist Medical Center Emergency Medicine Residency Program is a VSLO program participant. We are excited to offer visiting medical students who are specifically interested in Emergency Medicine a four-week away rotation.

Applications are typically assigned based on availability on a first-come-first-serve basis from July through November of each academic year. Applications open on April 1 and are determined on an ongoing basis thereafter. Applicants will be expected to adhere to the dates scheduled as prescribed by our program and must be able to attend all four-weeks of any given rotation. We are also a site that requires first day attendance. All students who complete a fourth-year rotation within our department will be eligible to receive a Standardized Letter of Evaluation (SLOE).

Please note that our rotation is currently open to students attending an LCME or AOA accredited medical school within the United States.

We require a Program Letter of Agreement (PLA) with the student’s home institution. A Program Letter of Agreement is not the same as an Affiliation Agreement. If we are unable to establish a Program Letter of Agreement between our institution and the visiting student's home institution within 45-days of the block start date, the student will not be able to rotate.

Please visit the Visiting Student Learning Opportunities program to get started. There is also a VSLO Student Learning Opportunities program video available as reference.

Contact Information

Please contact us if you have questions or for more information about our program.

Nash Whitaker, Program Director
Nash.Whitaker@unitypoint.org
Amanda Coco, Program Coordinator
Amanda.Coco@unitypoint.org
Nick Kluesner, Associate Program Director
Nicholas.Kluesner@unitypoint.org
Brian Jennett, Associate Program Director
Brian.Jennett@unitypoint.org

Iowa Methodist Emergency Medicine Residency Program
UnityPoint Health – Des Moines
1415 Woodland Ave, Suite 140
Des Moines, Iowa 50309