Cole Kitzman will graduate from our physician assistant program in December 2025. He reflects on the challenges of transitioning to clinical rotations and how his confidence has grown as a result.

Stroke affects almost 795,000 Americans every year. A new University of Iowa-led study adds to mounting evidence that uric acid, a small naturally occurring molecule, may be able to minimize this damage.

Michael Welsh, MD, University of Iowa professor of internal medicine, has received the 2025 Canada Gairdner International Award for his research on cystic fibrosis (CF), which paved the way to new therapies that have transformed the health and life expectancy of people with CF.

The University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine programs in physician assistant studies and physical therapy and rehabilitation science remain in the top five nationally—with the physician assistant program tied for the No. 1 spot—in the 2025-2026 edition of “Best Graduate Schools” from U.S. News & World Report.

Mgbechi Erondu, MD, MFA, serves as a clinical assistant professor in Stanford Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine. A pediatric palliative care specialist, Erondu simultaneously completed a Master of Fine Arts at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop during her medical training at the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. We caught up with her to reflect on her career as a physician-writer.