Suneja named associate dean for medical education integration and innovation
Manish Suneja, MD, clinical professor of internal medicine, has been named the inaugural associate dean for medical education integration and innovation in the Carver College of Medicine, effective immediately.
This is a new position within the college which will advise senior leadership on issues related to creating innovative and integrated medical education that bridges undergraduate medical education (UME), graduate medical education (GME), and continuing medical education (CME).
Suneja will also be responsible for overseeing systems that ensure educational teams continue to meet and address accreditation requirements. He will report to Patricia Winokur, MD, executive dean of the college.
“Dr. Suneja epitomizes what it means to be an excellent teacher and role model to medical students and resident physicians,” says Denise Jamieson, MD, MPH, UI vice president for medical affairs and the Tyrone D. Artz Dean of the Carver College of Medicine. “He has been recognized nationally and within our college for his dedication to education and his innovative teaching approaches. His ability to articulate clinical reasoning concepts has informed and inspired hundreds of learners to become critical thinkers and caring physicians. In this new role, he will help synchronize all levels of education and training, bridging gaps in the undergraduate to graduate medical education transition. His collaborative spirit, expertise, and national advocacy for improved educational standards have established him as a national leader in medical education, and I’m looking forward to seeing him step into this new role.”
Suneja joined UI Health Care in 2006, and he has served as program director of the Internal Medicine Residency Program since 2014 and vice chair for education in the Department of Internal Medicine since 2018. He will remain in both roles.
“I am honored to take on this role and excited for the opportunity to strengthen the connections between undergraduate, graduate, and continuing medical education,” Suneja says. “I look forward to working collaboratively across all levels of medical education to enhance training, assessment, and professional development.”
Suneja's scholarship in medical education is extensive, with a number of impactful publications and presentations that address core challenges in the field of medical education.
His scholarly work inspired him to lead the development of a skill-based curriculum at Iowa, which has become a model for integrating clinical reasoning and professional skills across all four years of medical school. Recognized by the Coalition for Physician Accountability, his UME-to-GME Readiness Assessment Program has been highlighted nationally and adopted by eight residency programs at Iowa and beyond.
His dedication to learner development has earned him more than 24 teaching awards—including the Laureate Award from the Iowa Chapter of the American College of Physicians in 2016 and the UI President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence in 2019, the university’s highest teaching honor.
As a mentor, Suneja has guided hundreds of medical students and resident and fellow physicians in scholarly projects, career development, and teaching. He has directed the Faculty and Fellows as Clinician Educator program and the Master Clinician Program, empowering future educators with critical skills in pedagogy and assessment. In both roles he emphasized fostering a culture of teaching excellence, collaboration, and patient-centered care.
