Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine

The Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine
The Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine is a highly ranked medical school where students learn to become accomplished clinicians and top-flight researchers and educators. Students come to Iowa to study medicine in a program that uses case-based learning as the basis of their education. With its emphasis on problem-solving skills, early exposure to patients, and enhanced community-based experiences, UI medical students typically earn impressive scores on Step 1 of the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination and successfully "match" with top-quality residency programs around the country.

The research enterprise of the UI Carver College of Medicine garnered over $209 million in external funding in FY 2012 and is ranked 11th among public institutions by U.S. News & World Report.

Researchers in the College's over 280 laboratories are served by state-of-the-art core research facilities and research support facilities. Much of the research conducted is interdisciplinary and collaborations are fostered and coordinated through major research centers, institutes and programs. Many faculty members are internationally renowned for their research. Four faculty members are Howard Hughes Institute Investigators, 17 are members of the Institute of Medicine and three are members of the National Academy of Sciences.

The UI Carver College of Medicine is proud to be the home of a number of specialized centers of care and research. They include:

• The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center, one of 39 NCI-designated comprehensive cancer centers in the nation;
• The Senator Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Cooperative Research Center, one of six such NIH-funded centers in the nation;
• The Carver Family Center for Macular Degeneration; and
• The Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging

The buildings housing the Carver College of Medicine are the centerpiece of a recently redesigned health sciences campus that includes pedestrian-friendly commons and a functional and stimulating environment for students, faculty, and staff.

The College is part of University of Iowa Health Care-a fully integrated academic medical center, which also includes the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, and University of Iowa Physicians, the largest multi-specialty group practice in Iowa. As the state's only comprehensive academic medical center, UI Health Care is committed to world-class patient care, biomedical research, and medical education.

The Health Sciences Campus
The UI health sciences campus juxtaposes century-old bricks and mortar with the ultramodern architecture of its newest, 21st century facilities, the Medical Education and Research Facility, the Carver Biomedical Research Building and the John and Mary Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building (currently under construction). The campus reflects both the UI's tradition of excellence in education, service and research, and its continuing commitment to innovate in teaching, offer the highest quality medical care, and advance medical science.

From the Acting Dean
Welcome to the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. I'm pleased to have this opportunity to tell you a little bit about this vibrant, unique, and world-class college.

This is a great place to work, to learn, and to teach. The UI Carver College of Medicine is an integral component of UI Health Care, one of the country's largest academic medical centers. Patients come from all over the world for our top-notch, world-class clinical care. Our students have the opportunity to learn alongside some of the world's best clinicians and researchers and work with patients beginning their first year of training.

We have a strong tradition of providing cutting-edge educational opportunities for our students. Thirteen years ago, we were one of the first colleges in the country to introduce student communities, a new concept at the time in medical education. Today we are once again redesigning and updating our curriculum to best meet the needs of our students and provide them with the best education possible. The new curriculum is currently being designed and will begin with the 2012 entering class.

Our efforts are reflected in our strong national reputation. In 2012, U.S. News & World Report ranked the College 12th in the nation for primary care and 29th for research among the nation's universities. In addition, several of the College's programs, including the physician assistant program and the physical therapy program, were also highly ranked. The UI Carver College of Medicine also attracted more than $229 million in external research funding in FY2011.

Something that truly makes our college special is a collaborative spirit that is unique and inspiring. When people talk about our college and hospital, words like "collaboration," "congeniality," "cooperation," "mentoring," and "teamwork" seem to come up a lot, and that's a big part of why it's such a great place to work and learn. Another reason is the great community we are located in. Iowa City has the charm and familiarity of a small town along with the cultural events, restaurants, and other comforts of the big city. The people here are proud of their University and the world-class academic medical center at the heart of it.

I hope you will have the chance to find out more about our college and community, either through this website or by visiting our campus. Once again, welcome. We're glad to have you here.

History
State-supported medical education in Iowa traces back to the winter of 1850-51, when the state legislature recognized the Keokuk College of Physicians and Surgeons as the official Medical Department of the State University of Iowa. The Keokuk College had begun operations a year earlier as the College of Physicians and Surgeons of the Upper Mississippi in Davenport, graduating 15 physicians before its move to Keokuk. It would continue to operate the state-sponsored medical college for another 20 years, and as an independent institution for an additional 40 years.

In the late 1860s, a prominent Davenport surgeon named Washington Freeman Peck initiated efforts to create a medical college in Iowa City. With support from Judge John F. Dillon (a patient of Peck's and a graduate of the original Davenport medical college) and the Honorable John P. Irish (Iowa City newspaper editor, state legislator, and a member of the university Board of Trustees), the Iowa City medical department gained approval as the official University medical college in 1870. The UI college was a founding member of the Association of American Medical Colleges in 1876.

The college opened doors for its first class on Sept. 20, 1870. The faculty consisted of eight professors, including Washington Peck as dean and professor of surgery, and Judge Dillon as a professor of medical jurisprudence. The first class consisted of 37 students, including eight women. The Iowa College of Medicine thus became the first public institution in the country to admit women to its class. The curriculum for the first class consisted of a two-week course of lectures followed by 16 weeks of clinical training. In 1898, the original University Hospital was opened, the first university teaching hospital west of the Mississippi river. Eventually it will be the largest such university-owned institution in America.

By 1928, a full medical campus was operating west of the Iowa River. The College of Medicine has enjoyed continual growth and expansion of its mission and services since that time.

In 2001, the College was named for Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver in recognition of the Carvers' more than $90 million in gifts supporting patient care and research.

Today, the College sits at the heart of a health sciences campus that also includes the colleges of Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health, as well as UI Hospitals and Clinics and the nearby Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

Education at the Carver College of Medicine
Students at the Carver College of Medicine are educated in an atmosphere of scholarship, humanism, and mutual respect, as well as fostering the ability to manage the changing scientific and technological information so necessary in today's world.

More than 850 full-time faculty teach more than 580 medical students and more than 200 associated medical sciences students. Faculty also teach basic science classes to more than 5,000 undergraduate students from other UI colleges. In addition, more than 1,500 residents, fellows, and graduate students are trained in a range of specialties and sub-specialties. The Carver College of Medicine is the only allopathic medical school in the state of Iowa.

Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine Degree Programs :

Medicine

Video Presentation

Commencement- College of Medicine

Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine commencement ceremony, May 14, 2010