Terms, Conditions, Benefits

Resident Responsibilities

The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) provides an opportunity to fulfill the training requirements for specialty certification through inpatient and outpatient rotations at the UIHC in Iowa City and at affiliated hospitals, private practices, and programs. The training programs are designed to ensure that residents:

  • Are able to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health;
  • Have the requisite medical knowledge about established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate (e.g. epidemiological and social behavioral) sciences and can apply this knowledge to patient care;
  • Establish and improve learning skills that involve investigation and evaluation of their own patient care, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and improvement of patient care;
  • Develop interpersonal and communication skills that result in effective information exchange and teaming with patients, their families, and other health professionals;
  • Incorporate professionalism, as manifested through a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population; and
  • Demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system for health and the ability to effectively call on system resources to provide care that is of optimal value.

Residents are expected to develop a personal program of learning to foster continued professional growth with guidance from the teaching staff; to participate fully in the educational and scholarly activities of their program and, as required, assume responsibility for teaching and supervising other residents and students; to participate in appropriate institutional committees and councils to which they are appointed or invited, especially those that relate to their education and patient care activities; and to participate in evaluation of the quality of education provided by their programs by submitting to the program director or to a designated institutional official at least annually confidential written evaluations of the faculty and of the educational experiences in their training program. 

Residents are responsible for participating in required programming and instruction, including but not limited to programs on substance abuse and physician impairment, mandatory reporting of child and elder abuse, HIPAA, blood borne pathogens and safety in the workplace, and other activities necessary for the successful orientation to UIHC and training in the resident’s specific specialty. Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the resident to communicate with his/her/their Program Director and other Program personnel in a timely manner and as necessary for administration of the program, including participation in internal reviews, accreditation site visits, the completion of documentation as required for procedures, schedules, conferences, evaluations, and the monitoring of duty hours and other aspects of the resident’s work environment. 

The residents are obligated to perform their duties and at all times conduct themselves in compliance with the Bylaws, Rules and Regulations of UIHC, the established practices, procedures and policies of the trainee’s program, clinical department and other institutions to which the resident is assigned, as well as with all state and federal rules, regulations, and laws. All residents must maintain, through the duration of their contracts, a valid license in the State of Iowa.

With respect to participation in patient care activities, overall professional training and academic affairs, the residents are responsible to the Program Director of his/her/their respective training program, the members of the clinical staff at UIHC under whose supervision they may serve, and to the Clinical Service Head of the Department.

Duration of Appointment

Residents are appointed for 18 months.

Financial Support

Stipends
The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC) supports graduate medical programs through the provision of a yearly stipend for Emergency Medicine physician assistant residents. The purpose of this stipend is to enable each resident and his/her/their family to maintain a comfortable standard of living within the Iowa City community. Studies relative to the level of stipends required to accomplish these goals are conducted on a continuing basis at the UIHC and have resulted in annual stipend increases over the years. 

Emergency Medicine PA stipend for 2024-25 is $67,000 for year one, and $33,500 for the first six months of year two.

Paid Time Off and Leaves

Vacation Leave 
All residents are eligible for 28 days of paid time off during the 18-month contract period. Residents arrange for paid time off with their Program Director or his/her designee. Requests for days of paid time off or leave will not be honored during the last week of training. Vacations must be taken in one week increments, on specified rotations as outlined by the Program’s department. 

Sick Leave 
Time away from training for leaves which are necessary due to illness will be made up at the discretion of the Program Director in accord with the needs of the resident to complete essential components of his/her/their training program. In general, time missed due to illness of a few days' duration will be made up during a contract year; training missed as a result of prolonged illness or disability may necessitate additional training time which will be provided if the resident’s performance is otherwise satisfactory. Leave requested under the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 will be treated in accord with the rules and regulations of the University of Iowa as set forth in the University Operations Manual, Section 22.7.

Family Leave
Up to six (6) weeks of absence may be granted to residents as medically necessary for the birth of a child. This time will consist of sick leave, vacation leave and unpaid leave of absence as determined by the resident and the Residency Program Director. Additional time may be granted if medically necessary (physician certification required).

In the event of birth of a child the partner will be granted five (5) days of paternity leave. Additional days of vacation leave may be utilized if available per request.

Newly adoptive parents may utilize five (5) days of sick leave for the adoption.

Leave of Absence 
In those situations in which other leave (vacation, sick leave or professional leave) is not available or appropriate for use a leave of absence may be granted. A leave of absence is unpaid time required to meet specific needs of the residents. In most cases this will be the medical need of the resident or their immediate family. If there is a catastrophic medical condition that leads to the resident not being able to work, up to six months (or to the end of the work agreement) of leave of absence with continuation of health benefits will be provided. At the end of this period continuation of health benefits under COBRA provisions will be available. 

Use of Leave and Completion of the Residency 
Whenever a Leave of Absence or Family Leave is required to meet the medical, family or personal needs of the resident the Residency Program Director will meet with the resident to evaluate the planned program of study and determine whether the residency program requirements will be completed by the end of the residency. Options to assist the resident with successful program completion will be considered including revising the program of study or extending the residency to allow the resident to successfully complete the residency program requirements.

Professional Liability

Physician assistant residents, under contract as residents with the UIHC, are covered by Iowa's State Tort Claims Act when they are providing services within the scope of their training during assigned rotations at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and assigned rotations elsewhere in Iowa. If a claim is made against a resident arising out of an act or omission within the scope of the residency or fellowship training, the Attorney General's Office will defend the resident and the state will pay any settlement or judgment awarded. The State Tort Claims Act provides the resident with liability protection, without dollar limits, for clinical services rendered in Iowa within the scope of the training program. The State Tort Claims Act is the equivalent of an occurrence malpractice policy, and no tail coverage is required. 

Should the resident be engaged in any moonlighting activity outside the scope of the training program, that resident is personally responsible for assuring that he/she/they has adequate liability coverage and for obtaining and maintaining that coverage. If the resident engages in an elective rotation outside the State of Iowa, liability protection is also NOT provided and the resident is responsible for obtaining his/her/their own short-term liability coverage.

Conditions under which living quarters and services are to be provided

On-Call Quarters 
Each clinical service has on-call quarters assigned for residents required to be in the hospital overnight by virtue of their "on-call" responsibilities. Additional on-call rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis in the Department. 

On-Call Parking 
Physician assistant residents should park in their assigned lot during their usual working hours. For residents who are on-call during the week, Monday through Friday, between the hours of 4:30 PM and 8:30 AM. 

Residents who choose to park in the other parking ramps (Ramps 3, 4) or lots (Lot 43) when on-call and cannot move his/her vehicle from that location prior to 8:30 AM during the weekdays, may be subject to ticketing and will have to pay the parking ticket and/or submit an appeal to the UI Department of Parking and Transportation. 

Uniforms 
Lab coat and scrubs are provided without charge to residents

Medical, Dental, Hospitalization and Pharmacy Coverage

We provide single coverage insurance benefits for the resident including health, dental, group term life, and disability insurance. 

Complete information on medical and dental coverage is available on the University of Iowa Human Resources website. 

The University of Iowa reserves the right to change the benefits program at any time. As with all benefits programs, the University of Iowa is unable to guarantee that the details listed and coverage of these benefits programs will be in effect throughout your employment.

Conditions for Academic Advancement and Graduation

In order to successfully complete the requirements for training in Emergency Medicine at the Iowa Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant Residency Program, residents must demonstrate sufficient professional ability to practice as an Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant proficiently in all six core competencies. Specifically, a resident must:

  • Perform satisfactorily in the required core clinical services.
  • Complete elective rotations tailored to interests and educational needs.
  • Acquire and apply appropriate medical knowledge specific to Emergency Medicine.
  • Provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems in Emergency Medicine.
  • Learn to effectively utilize a given health care system to optimize patient care.
  • Incorporate and establish habits of practice based learning and improvement into their own practice.
  • Effectively communicate with patients, family and the healthcare team.
  • Demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles and sensitivity to a diverse patient population.
  • Attend and actively participate weekly didactic Emergency Medicine conferences and monthly Journal Club events.
  • Satisfactorily complete all educational activities, assignments, log books and documentation in a timely manner.
  • Satisfactorily perform on all testing and assessments.
  • Adhere to all applicable UIHC and departmental policies.

Education