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Silver Sponsors

7/23/2019

Iowa Medical Partners is thankful for all the support we receive from our local community. Our silver sponsors have supported us at a level that we recognize through ads on our website and our shirts. IMP officers have provided some input below about why they love these establishments. I encourage all our members to check out these businesses! You will not be disappointed!

The Encounter Café

The Encounter Café radiates warmth to all guests with a peaceful atmosphere, blissful coffee, and satisfying breakfast and lunch fare. Those of you that know me know how much I love this establishment. When I was pregnant with Nicole, The Encounter Café became my weekly spot to relax and read during the time between my OB appointments at UIHC and Maddie’s preschool pick up. The café is operated by Sharon Bethel Mennonite Church in Kalona, Iowa. They use a portion of their profit to benefit charities, and they strive to demonstrate their values of relationship building, care and service to all who visit. This is the type of place you will find people from all walks of life welcomed and enjoying their encounter. The use local ingredients and cater to many different dietary needs. Make sure you try their freshly baked Kalona specialties including a soft pretzel and cinnamon roll! –Megan Pai, Vice President 2019

The Preucil School of Music and Preucil Preschool

Preucil’s north campus (location of Music Together and the preschool) is located on the east side of town off of North Dodge Street, right off the I-80 exit. They have a preschool program as well as a seasonal, 45 minute-long once-weekly music program called Music Together. Music Together is recommended for ages 0 to 5 and includes circle play with child and parent - you get a CD of that session's songs and the kids love the singing and movement involved with the class! The teaching style is reflective of their preschool method (more on that next) where children are encouraged to explore and participate however they feel comfortable. For those of us with multiple littles - they are totally cool with baby siblings being in tow. They also have a preschool program based on the Reggio method, which is essentially a philosophy that child, teacher, and environment are equal components of learning. Teachers guide the curriculum around child interests, learn alongside children, and encourage a great deal of creative and outdoor play. They have a huge playground and natural playspace outside and always lots of self-guided art and music time. Stop by and take a tour with them for Music Together or preschool!
-Molly Sherwood, Philanthropy 2019

Parkview Christian Preschool

Last year my son did the Tues/Wed morning program at Parkview Preschool and we had a wonderful experience! Everyone from the front desk to the teachers cares so deeply for those kids and from the moment you walk in you feel welcomed. Our son grew so much academically and socially in his year there. The fun activities he would do or the amazing art projects they do daily were always huge topics at our dinner table. I would recommend this wonderful preschool to anyone who asked and have nothing but amazing things to say.
-Lindsay Norvell, President 2019

In Depth Home Inspections LLC.

InDepth Home Inspections LLC. offers thorough home inspections. Customers can accompany the inspector on the inspection of the house, which is followed by a comprehensive written report. Dennis Paulson has 25+ years in the home building and remodeling industry, and 5+ years as a fire lieutenant. He serves the Greater Iowa City and Corridor area. –Eric Dugdale, Web Manager 2019

Iowa Gym-Nest

My daughter started taking classes at Iowa Gym Nest when she was about 2 years old, we started in the ‘Parent and Me’ class and she has now moved up to the preschool level. Our experience there has been amazing! My daughter looks forward to gymnastics class every week and with how much fun my 8-month-old has watching I’m guessing she will be starting classes as soon as she can walk! Iowa Gym Nest also has a great makeup policy, so if you ever miss a class, or need to change to a different class that week, it is very easy to do so. One of our other favorite things is their lunch bunch; every weekday from 12-1 they have open gym where your kiddos can run around on the mats, play in the foam block pit, or try out the gymnastics equipment (this is especially great in the winter when you are looking for a warm way to burn off some energy)! –Ceric Keck, 2019 Secretary

Barre3

Have you ever actually enjoyed working out? Yeah, me neither, until I joined Barre3 (located on Melrose next to Maggie's pizza). It is definitely targeted towards women and working out the areas we want to focus on (think butt, thighs, and core). Of course, men are welcome too. It's always a fun class when someone brings their husband who huffs and puffs throughout! Barre technique is based on isometric training - lots of little movements and holding muscles in challenging positions until reaching fatigue. There is always a super motivating and supportive dynamic between the members and from the instructors. At the end of the class, you get to do a guided meditation (the best part). Most participants wear leggings and a flowy shirt - no socks, shoes, or equipment required! And, yes, they have childcare (for up to 6 kids each class, so you have to reserve their spot in advance). IMP swag bags this year include one free class - try it! -Molly Sherwood, Philanthropy 2019

Heartwood Salon

North Liberty’s newest salon! Sister salon to Iowa City’s HABA Salon. An IMP member worked here for many years. Specializing in balayage, effortless hair and microblading. Kevin Murphy and R+Co products. They take good care of their clients, and if you go there you will leave looking and feeling totally fabulous!
–Katelyn Sexton, Former Book Club Chair 2019

Chick-Fil-A

We’re huge fans of Chick-fil-A here! Not only do they always have delicious chicken, but the people who work there are friendly, the food is hot and fast, and they are constantly doing giveaways! If you don’t follow them on Facebook and Instagram (@chickfilacoralridge) then you need to ASAP! They do samples of seasonal items, give away free sandwiches all the time, and receipt days are pretty fun too! I personally have dressed up as a cow more than once since moving here to get some of their chicken for free. Also, if you haven’t tried their cookies and cream milkshake you are missing out big time. Go check them out! -Shannon Squires, Social Media 2019

The Iowa Children’s Museum

The Iowa Children’s Museum is great for kids of all ages! We personally have year passes to go, and we can’t live without them! They have fun and interesting activities no matter what your kid is into. There are play structures, a grocery store, train tracks, a huge aerodynamics room, several rooms for building or creating art and even a cow you can milk. We have so much fun every time we go! -Shannon Squires, Social Media 2019

Scratch Cupcakery

I was actually introduced to scratch from the Welcome Brunch at IMP, and I was sold! They are no average cupcakes. The cake is so moist and dense (what I believe a good cupcake should be), and they have such great variety to fit all sweet tooth needs! Scratch is my go to special treat. I have appreciated all the times they have donated to our events! Thank you IMP for introducing me to the world of gourmet cupcakes!
–Lalana Rodgers, Children’s Activities 2019

Big Picture Gallery & Studio

My oldest did a Summer Camp at Big Picture our very first summer here (3 years ago) and we instantly fell in love. Miss Becky is amazing with the kids and fosters a genuine love of art in the kids. Since that camp my daughter has taken weekly art classes there and made everything from ceramic art sculptures to watercolor paintings and everything in between. She looks forward to her classes and seeing Miss Becky every week. We even did her birthday party there this last year and I would highly recommend that experience! The kids had a blast and Becky does an entire painting with them and all supplies are included. It was a blast for my daughter and her friends!! -Lindsay Norvell, IMP President 2019

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Budgeting: Important in Every Stage of Life

7/11/2019

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As part of our financial series, we would be remiss if we didn’t talk a bit about budgeting. Budgeting means different things to different people, but making and strictly sticking to a specific budget is the best way to have your money work for you and to achieve your goals (both long term and short term). It is also critical to establish budgeting skills now. Like any habit, it takes time and practice to become a normal part of your life. Of course, there are some wealthy people who have never budgeted, but the vast majority of people that achieve financial independence have done so through budgeting. My parents still have a budget because they feel like their money goes much further when they are on a budget. Budgeting is a key process to be committed to in order to achieve your financial goals, regardless of how much money you make, but the earlier you establish these patterns in your life the better.

A budget is a plan for how you will use your money for a certain period of time. Most people who budget do a monthly budget, as many things are paid monthly. It will take several months of adjusting and improving your budget before it will be right for you; no one creates a perfect budget their very first try. The first step to building a budget is to look at all your expenses on a monthly basis and put them into categories. A lot of programs recommend looking at the last 3 months of expenses so you can get an idea of what you spend in each category on average. You also will want to divide your expenses into Fixed Expenses and Variable Expenses. Fixed expenses do not change month to month; variable expenses do. Here is an example of some common expenses, divided into fixed and variable amounts to get you started:

Fixed Expenses
Mortgage/Rent
Car Payment
Insurance Payment
Emergency Fund
Internet Bill
Netflix
Other Bills

Variable Expenses
Utility Bills
Groceries
Eating Out
Fuel/Transportation
Home Supplies
Entertainment
Miscellaneous

Once you have an idea of what your monthly expenses look like, you can compare them to your financial goals. Looking at your spending versus your goals can help you adjust what you do to be more in line with what you’d like your budget to look like. Then you can set realistic financial goals and use your budget to help you achieve them. Some goals you might want to achieve include building up an emergency fund, getting out of debt, investing for retirement, being able to give generously to a cause or organization you believe in, or saving up for a dream vacation. Whatever your goals may be, make sure they are included in your budget. A wise person once said “if you fail to plan, you plan to fail”.

Side note: most financial advisors or books or classes advise this order on some of these goals.

Save a 1 month emergency fund (equal to 1 month of income)
Eliminate high interest consumer debt (usually credit cards, furniture loans, etc.)
Save a 3 month emergency fund (equal to 3 months of income)
Risk management (ie insurances)

After figuring out what your goals are, look at how much you make and subtract out all of your expenses until you know how much money you can put toward each category. I ended up canceling several subscriptions we had and started extra couponing to put more money towards the things that are priorities to us. I feel like our money is actually going towards our goals instead of randomly being spent on things we didn’t use, want or actually need! I still don’t love working on our finances (does anyone like paying bills?), but I no longer have stress and anxiety when doing it. Our money is working the way we want it to!

There are now a lot of different ways to make and stick to a good budget for you and your family. I personally use the “Every Dollar” app, because it’s free and it is very easy to use and intuitive. I set up my budget on the computer, and my husband and I each use the mobile app to log transactions. Then, when deciding to make purchases in a specific category, we check how much is left in that category before buying anything. You also have the ability to make funds to put away a bit every month, or to log how much debt you have and make payments towards it every month and the app will track how much debt you have left or how much money you have in each fund. I find it a lot easier than doing a spreadsheet or putting cash in envelopes, but those are legitimate systems too, and different things work for different people.

At the end of making a budget, make sure you stick to it the best you can! It won’t be easy at first and there is definitely a learning curve, but it just gets better and better. And once you are good at it, you can really use it to your advantage. When you get a pay raise, for example, you don’t have to act like you did; you can just put that extra money towards getting out of debt faster, or towards saving up for moving expenses, or your dream vacation when you’re done with training.

Let’s have some comments on this post! What systems do you use for budgeting? How has budgeting helped you? What challenges have you faced with starting or sticking to a budget?

Special thanks to our sponsor Bobby Scott for editing and correcting this post.

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Camp Bangarang

6/26/2019

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Special Service Opportunity

Hopefully many of you have noticed our craft item drive that starts on Saturday, June 29th and goes until July 9th. This encompasses three events: the Welcome Brunch (June 29th), Intergenerational Storytime (July 5th), and Toy Story 4 (July 9th). If you plan to be at any of these IMP events, please consider bringing donations of new or gently used craft items for Camp Bangarang.

So what is Camp Bangarang? I’m so glad you asked! It is a non-profit organization that hosts free camps in the Midwest for children who have life-threatening conditions. These camps are wonderful opportunities that many children with serious diseases wouldn’t have otherwise. The camps provide medical care and accessibility and caters to the children and families that come to them. At these camps kids can be kids despite the medical trials they are undergoing, and can make friends with other kids who understand their struggles.

The camp currently hosts camps in Iowa and in Illinois, and they are a fairly new non-profit but are filling a definite need and are growing as more people learn about their worthy cause and give donations. We love their cause and want to help, so that is why we’ve decided to give them whatever craft supplies we can gather. It might not be much, but every little bit helps! Alternatively, if you’re interested in checking out their Amazon wish list, please click here.

So please, go through your boxes of craft supplies and donate what you can! Or if you see stuff on sale, grab some extra glitter or glue or anything else and bring it to one of our events to donate. If everyone does what they can, it will make a big difference. If you aren’t able to make one of the IMP collection events, please contact Molly Sherwood at [email protected] or through Facebook to set up a pickup time.

The camp coordinator has also expressed their desire to spread the word about the camp so that eligible children and families are aware of their organization. Please consider telling your spouse about the camp, so that they might share as they interact with appropriate patients. Thank you!

Please direct any questions to Molly Sherwood, our Philanthropy Chair.

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Financial Post - Bobby Scott, CFP®

6/17/2019

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Why I No Longer Work With Physicians

Okay... so the title is mostly "click-bait", but not entirely. As an independent financial planner and CFP® professional, I prefer to work with with high net worth individuals and families. Believe it or not, many physicians won’t ever reach the high net worth status and experience true financial freedom. I define financial freedom as: not needing to worry about the next paycheck, not being concerned about a loss of income because you have your financial "ducks in a row". Those are a bit extreme, but the idea is simple: you aren't living paycheck to paycheck and you don't lose sleep over money. It is unbelievable the number of physicians and physician families who don't ever truly experience the financial freedom that should come with the kind of income a physician earns.

But Bobby, you say, how can a physician making between $16k - 80k per month be living paycheck to paycheck?!? Believe me, it happens. Paying off student loans, buying a house that's "too much", a new boat, a new car… always needing the next thing. Sure, those people have a lot of toys, nice clothes and fancy houses, but they also lose sleep at night worrying about income. They also put themselves in a position to HAVE to work until they are 75 because they created a lifestyle that demands their entire paycheck. Instead of experiencing the freedom that can come from high earnings and wise financial choices, their income is their master.

Perhaps this post is more about contentment than it is about spending. The saying is true: we do the same with a small amount of money as we do with a large amount of money. I've seen it time and time again working with residents/fellows and practicing physicians. The type of lifestyle and financial decisions you make in training will almost certainly carry over to when you are earning a full physician’s income.

So what do we do now, you ask? Well, start by setting lifestyle goals before you actually have the ability to walk into the car dealership and buy the new Audi S5 with cash. Don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that you wear sack clothing or never, ever dine out. I'm saying think through a reasonable lifestyle now, write it down and live by it. I believe you will actually be happier! Another step (a crucially important one now that you are an MD/DO in good health), is to protect your investment in your education and career, and your future income, with physician-specific disability insurance. Right now with student loans and very likely a growing family, you would be in a pickle if you or your spouse could no longer earn the income that should come with your training. There are a lot of providers who claim to have this physician-specific disability insurance, but it's important to read and be able to understand the fine print. While I do have my insurance license, I am no longer an insurance agent. However, if you are a member of Iowa Medical Partners don't hesitate to reach out to me and I can point you in the right direction and connect you with some fantastic agents in the Iowa City area.

So if you want financial freedom, start making good financial habits now!

Note to members: If you have questions for Bobby but don't know how to reach him, please reach out to any of the IMP officers and we will connect you with him.

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Tornado Season in Iowa

6/10/2019

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I love living in Iowa! It’s beautiful, it’s peaceful, everyone is friendly and it is so very green here! But there is one thing that often disrupts our peace - tornadoes! I’m originally from Alaska, so I just about lost it the first time the sirens went off. I was completely unprepared - but you don’t have to be! With help from Megan Pai and Kelsey Sprowell, I’ve written this post to help you know what to do during tornadoes and other severe summer weather.

Outdoor Warning Sirens

Outdoor weather sirens in Johnson County are tested regularly, at 10 am on the first Wednesday of every month. If the test needs to be rescheduled for some reason, it will occur on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at the same time. If you hear the siren, first check to see if it is just the test day. If you hear the siren at another time, you need to take action to avoid being caught in a severe weather event. This means getting to a safe place indoors as quickly as possible and following local media for weather updates. Johnson County’s sirens will go off during tornado warnings, severe thunderstorm warnings, when winds are greater than 70 MPH and if hail is expected to be golf ball sized or larger.

These sirens are part of a comprehensive warning system designed to alert people working outside of impending severe weather conditions. Often they cannot be heard inside, so it is important to not rely solely on sirens as your personal warning system. Always check local television and radio stations for specific weather information.

Tornado Watch vs. Tornado Warning

Tornado Watch: Be Prepared - tornado watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center for a county experiencing weather conditions which could result in tornadoes. A watch area is usually large, which is why you should begin following weather alerts from local sources once a tornado watch has been issued. When a tornado watch has been issued in your area, you should check to make sure your safe space is prepared so that if a warning is issued, you can act quickly.

Tornado Warning: Take Action - tornado warnings are issued if a tornado has been spotted or indicated by radar. Warnings are issued by local forecast offices, and are usually much smaller in area compared with a tornado watch. If there is a tornado warning, you need to take shelter immediately.

When to Take Shelter and How to Receive Updates

If you’re in an area with a tornado warning, you must take shelter immediately. Sign up for notifications from Johnson County Emergency Notifications to ensure you will receive notification during emergency events:

Sign up for notifications here

I have found that most weather apps can be confusing to use when trying to determine if you are in a tornado warning area. Local television and radio stations are always the best resources to help you determine current local weather conditions. If you do not have local television channels, I recommend bookmarking a local television station’s website with live feed so you have access to their information. I use this site:

CBS 2 Iowa

It’s also great to have a radio on hand, tuned to a local radio station like 600 AM. If you want to be even more prepared, you can buy a NOAA weather radio which will broadcast information about the weather from a nearby National Weather Service office. An example of one of these radios can be found here:

Weather Radio on Amazon

Finally, when in doubt, it is always better to seek shelter in your designated safe space. Stay in your safe space until you receive notification through local sources that you are no longer in the warning area.

Where to Go

Ideally, you will go in the basement of your house in a windowless room to wait out the tornado warning. This room, if possible, should be stocked with some essential items, which we will cover in the next section. If, however, you live somewhere that has a basement but does not have a windowless room you should try to stay away from the windows or possibly cover them up while you are in there. If you do not have a basement or live in an apartment building you should take shelter in an interior room without windows on the lowest floor of a sturdy building, whatever that means for your situation. If you look into where this should be ahead of time then you will know where to go when the next tornado warning happens.

If you are not at home, either get home if it is close by, go to a friend's home that is close to your location, or go somewhere that is close to you that has a storm shelter, like the hospital or mall. It is very important that if you are driving when a warning is issued that you do not stay in your car. Cars are not safe shelters from tornadoes.

We have a comprehensive list of what to do by location if you are interested in reading further:

What to Do in a Tornado

It’s easy to feel alarmed when you’re reading this, but bear in mind that in almost every case, you’ll be alerted to a tornado warning well in advance. Preparation is key and knowledge is power!

How to Prepare

Sometimes tornado warnings only last 30-45 minutes, but sometimes they last much longer - here in Iowa some storm systems generate multiple funnel clouds at different intervals. Identifying what to have in your shelter is a bit of a cost/benefit analysis; you don’t want to go crazy trying to remember every possible item you need, but you want to keep yourself and your family safe in case the worst occurs. These are the recommendations we can offer for how to be prepared in your safe place:

Bring your pets into your shelter; leash them, if necessary, or bring their leashes with you.
Bring or wear sturdy shoes. If you end up having to go through any amount of debris in the aftermath these will protect you.
Have a list of things to grab that either you don't want to store long-term or cannot store long-term in your safe place. Have this list available to grab easily so you don't forget to bring anything with you into your safe space.
Store these items in your safe space: one change of clothes per person (including underwear), diapers and wipes if applicable, canned food and a can opener, granola bars, crackers and peanut butter, plastic utensils, napkins, plates, paper towels, toilet paper, flashlight and extra batteries, pocket knife, hand sanitizer, whistle, garbage sack, pads/tampons, chapstick, hairbrush and ties, ponchos, travel size toiletries, first aid kit, and lots of bottled water. Please note that this list might need to be changed according to your family's needs. For example, if you have a dog you will also need dog food and a pee pad.
In addition, I like to grab food, toys, electronics, chargers, and extra blankets and pillows so sitting on the floor doesn’t get too uncomfortable or boring. I grab a laundry basket or toy bin and pile those things in it, then head to the basement with them.

We hope this article has helped you, and that moving forward you will feel confident you are doing what is needed in order to be safe during tornado season.

If anyone has extra tips, please leave us a comment! We’d love to hear them!

Welcome to Iowa!

Sources:
https://www.weather.gov/safety/tornado?fbclid=IwAR3p3YuBX_v7vIwQwQUex9s4ff9aSge86kaV4h19wUsC8qNqB-l_Vu6xlS0
https://www.spc.noaa.gov/faq/tornado/safety.html
http://www.jecc-ema.org/ema/docs/announcements/Outdoor%20Siren%20Information.pdf

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Building Community Through Meal Trains

4/18/2019

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IMP provides so many amazing opportunities for us to build community during a transitional time of our lives. Some of us will only be in Iowa City for one year, others will be here for more than a decade, but all of us are part of a remarkable group that provides friendship as we survive the years of medical training.

One way IMP helps to support our members is through post-partum meal trains. This year, I am in charge of organizing meal trains. I want to share with you two things:

1) You can request a meal train even if you don’t “need” it!
2) It is easier to sign up and share a meal than you think!

Do not hesitate to put in a request for a meal train, even if you do not think you need it. I don’t mean to sound pushy; if you already received a bunch of freezer meals, have a different group providing you a meal train, or maybe it isn’t your thing, no worries! Do what is best for you!

However, I want to let you know, it is okay to sign up even if you do not think you need it. “Need” is a funny word. It can sound so desperate when the truth is most of us are very self-reliant. Guess what - it is okay to let ourselves get spoiled by our friends! We always say that we are here for each other to provide support. It is important to give others the opportunity to provide support too. This is how we build community: making space to let others serve us and seeking opportunities to serve others.

IMP post-partum meal trains are just one way that we can participate in creating a community of support.
Now, let me offer some suggestions so that you can sign up for a meal train! I usually cook a double batch of whatever I am going to make my own family for dinner. We eat half and I pack up half to drop off the next day.

1. Costco Rotisserie Chicken (aka: your best friend)

O, Costco chicken, thank you for all the easy meals you have provided my family! You can add the chicken to literally anything. Pasta, rice, salad, sandwiches, soup, tacos, waffles & casseroles. Plus throw the bones in a pot of simmering water, and now you have chicken broth to make soup out of for later in the week!

I have become an expert at prepping a Costco chicken.
My Tips: break off the wings, break off the legs, break off the thighs, pull the breasts away from the bones and slice. Then boil the rest of the carcass for soup.

2. Tacos

Send a bag of tortillas, a protein (chicken, ground meat, beans, etc), a mixture of toppings (tomatoes, corn, onion, bell pepper, avocado, cilantro, lettuce, cheese, etc), a side of rice and beans, chips and salsa! I will literally put anything on a taco - butternut squash, sweet potatoes, zucchini, and lentils all frequently show up on tacos at my house.

You can do hard shell tacos, soft shell tacos, or even taco salad! Yum!

3. Pasta

Send a box of pasta with sauce, protein and veggies. Or cook up the pasta and mix everything together so it is even easier (Costco pesto is an easy option here)! Anything can go in a pasta! Maddie (my 3 year old) “cooked” dinner for our family a few nights ago, and she picked carrots, asparagus, bell pepper and shredded chicken to be mixed into whole wheat pasta drizzled with pesto. And she ate every last bite on her plate.

4. Stir Fried Rice

Fried Rice is another super easy meal because you can put anything in it! Chickpeas, eggs, cashews and any meat are good proteins. Any and all veggies work well! Make a ton of rice for dinner the day before, and then stir fry the rest!

Another bonus: it's easy to alter depending on allergies and extreme dislikes. Annnnnnd you get to use up random veggies you have from making other dishes. Easy peasy!

5. Crock Pot for Pulled Meat Sandwiches

Pulled pork, pulled chicken, and shredded beef are all very easy meals you can throw in the slow cooker. Send with buns, a salad mix such as coleslaw, some beans, a potato salad, veggie or fruit mix, cornbread, sweet Iowa corn on the cob… really the sky is the limit.

I hope I have given you some inspiration to sign up for a meal train or the reassurance to take IMP up on receiving one. Let me know in the comments your favorite meals you have made or received as part of meal trains.
-Megan Pai
IMP Vice President

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Meet the Officers

3/29/2019

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Get to know the Iowa Medical Partners officers! There are some great tips and advice in here, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed compiling this post.

Name: Lindsay Norvell
Position: President
From: Minden, Nevada (small town outside Lake Tahoe)
Partner’s Specialty: Anesthesia
Year of Training: 3/4 (home stretch starts July 1st!!)
Favorite Activity: Wilson’s Orchard or dinner and a drink on the Patio at Big Grove in Solon
Best Vacation Spot: Wisconsin Dells or the HUGE zoo in Omaha, NE

Advice: don’t wait to make friends! Your resident friends will become your family and the more you jump right in the deeper connections you can make. Some of our residency friends will be friends we will stay friends with for LIFE!

Name: Megan Pai
Position: Vice President
From: Texas
Partner’s Specialty: Cardiothoracic Surgery
Year of Training: 3/8
Favorite Activity: So many things! NewBo Market in Cedar Rapids, Lattes & Cinnamon rolls at The Encounter Cafe, Lattes & Almond Croissants at Cortado, McBride Raptor Center, Taste of Iowa City, Corn Maze at Colony Pumpkin Patch, Geyer’s Pizza Oven Farm, Downtown Hunting for Elves, Kites over Hoover Park.
Best Vacation Spot: Wisconsin Dells

Advice: Go to Rapid Creek Cidery for brunch on Sunday morning. It is a truly beautiful experience, especially when the weather is nice and you can sit on the patio overlooking Wilson’s apple orchard. Also take the kids to Red Vespa where they can build their own pizza. Maddie went on her birthday, and all her “training” at the Children’s Museum pizzeria made it a truly memorable experience for her.

Name: Jaycee Chambers
Position: Treasurer
From: Wichita, KS
Partner’s Specialty: Hematology/Oncology Fellow
Year of Training: Year 2/3
Favorite Activity: Hiking at Wikiup Hill Nature Center or Indian Creek Nature Center, with a pit-stop in Ely on the way home for Dan and Debbie's ice cream.
Best Vacation Spot: Kansas City

Advice: Get out and explore. While Iowa City is great, we are surrounded by a lot of small towns that have much to offer. Explore and you'll find great restaurants, small town libraries and movie theaters, and unique shopping. My favorite small town is Mount Vernon - quaint downtown district, great splash pad for young kids, and the historic Bijou Theater. West Liberty also has a great movie theater with delicious, local popcorn. Enjoy exploring!

Name: Ceric Keck
Position: Secretary
From: Dubuque, Iowa
Partner’s Specialty: Surgery
Year of Training: 6/7 (if just counting residency), 6/10 (if counting fellowship, we matched to Iowa for plastic surgery, yay!), 6/11 (if counting second fellowship) 6/? (because he keeps adding on and at some point it's too depressing to keep counting, haha)
Favorite Activity: Enjoying all the parks in the area with my girls. Going to Geyer's Oven Pizza on the Farm in the summer.
Best Vacation Spot: Pikes Peak State Park, it has great camping, hiking and views.

Advice: The advice I give anyone new to residency is to not wait around for your partner to get home or be off to do stuff, or you will spend all the years they are in residency waiting. So, make plans, get out, explore the area! Also, Cortado has hands down the best coffee around!

Name: Katelyn Sexton - call me Kate!
Position: Book Club Chair
From: Kansas City, MO
Partner’s Specialty: Emergency Medicine
Year of Training: 3/3 !!!!! The end is in sight!
Favorite Activity: Wilson’s Orchard in the fall, Big Grove Brewery for food and drinks
Best Vacation Spot: I think Chicago is the obvious choice, but Kansas City and Des Moines are so worth the short drive! So much to do there. Minneapolis is also fun. My advice is to take advantage when you can of how central Iowa City is to so many great Midwest cities!

Advice: Do your grocery shopping at ALDI! Visit Kalona and go to Stringtown grocery - so fun and cheap! Remember that you only get out of something what you put into it, so in respect to IMP, go to things! It can feel intimidating, but everyone is so welcoming and nice. You’ll never regret making new friends - especially with people who, more than anyone in your normal life, understand your current lifestyle situation.

Name: Lala (Lalana) Rogers
Position: Children's Activities Co-Chair
From: The Seattle area
Partner’s Specialty: Plan is Pathology
Year of Training: M3/G3- Basically we have 2.5 more years until residency!
Favorite Activity: I'll put a plug in for the Lisbon splash pad. 30 minutes away, but SO worth the drive!
Best Vacation Spot: We did Madison Wisconsin in 24 hours with the kids. It was the perfect size city with fun things to do!

Advice: The Children's Museum is most fun during nap time hours. Costco can be considered an activity. Walmart grocery pick up helps keep your sanity (the new drive up at Target is pretty great too)!

Name: Nicole Porter
Position: Children's Activities Co-Chair
From: Lyman, Utah
Partner’s Specialty: Oral Surgery
Year of training: We are in our 1st year out of 4
Favorite Activity: Iowa has many beautiful trails. Our favorite place to go is Linders trail.
Best Vacation Spot: We haven't been here for very long but we loved visiting Chicago!

Advice: When you are sad just remember that you don't look the same as you did in 6th grade.

Name: Alli Cascio
Position: Entertainment Club
From: Lubbock, Texas
Partner’s Specialty: Internal Medicine
Year of Training: 2/3
Favorite Activity: I love driving the backroads to Kalona to take in the beautiful countryside and visit their Golden Delight Amish Bakery (cheesy bread, raspberry angel food cake and pecan caramel cinnamon rolls are personal favs), hitting up Central Discount or the Stringtown Grocery stores (in the summer you can walk from one to the other but watch out for the horse manure!), and visiting the Kalona coffeeshop which has a little play area for small kiddos.
Best Vacation Spot: Amana Colonies, Starved Rock State Park

Advice: For those new to the area: Parking downtown IC is mostly paid but a few parking garages offer the first hour free. Summer is full of free activities so take advantage because the free tends to go away when school starts up. If you don't like crowds, check out activities in the surrounding towns for fun but less crowded events (Solon, Kalona etc). Big Grove Brewery in Iowa City has an outdoor play area for kids which makes it our "go to" for a relaxing family meal. There is an app to track the city buses on there routes. Beware of traffic on home football game days!! Especially when the game let's out.

Name: Molly Sherwood
Position: Philanthropy
From: Eldersburg, MD
Partner’s Specialty: Oral surgery
Year of Training: 2/4
Favorite Activity: Having a drink at Big Grove or the Clinton Street Social Club; bringing the kids to any of the awesome local parks
Best Vacation Spot: Pella, IA

Advice: Don't be afraid to throw yourself into your new friendships even though living here may only be temporary. Also, if you're debating whether or not to wear a hat and gloves with your coat... Wear the hat and gloves.

Name: Ashlee Wheeler
Position: Playgroup Co-Chair
From: Mantua, Utah
Partner’s Specialty: Anesthesia
Year of Training: 1/4
Favorite Activity: Swimming at Lake McBride and going to the new trampoline park in Iowa city (Planet 3 Extreme Air)
Best Vacation Spot: Haven’t been yet but we’ve heard Sugar bottom campground is amazing, planning on going this summer.

Advice: Iowa City Mom’s blog is a great resource for things to do in the area!

Name: Reem Al-Musa
Position: Playgroup Co-Chair
From: Amman , Jordan but also half American
Partner’s Specialty: “GI” gastroenterology
Year of Training: 2/3
Favorite Activity: Exploring parks and areas in Iowa ; also going to north liberty recreation center outside pools in the summer
Best Vacation Spot: I just love everywhere we've traveled to in the Midwest. We are still discovering Iowa and it’s different areas , but I would say my favorite spot so far is Des Moines ( Adventureland and the zoo)

Advice:
No matter where you go or live make the best out of it . Life is short enjoy it to the max .

Name: Shannon Squires
Position: Social Media
From: North Pole, Alaska
Partner’s Specialty: Pediatrics
Year of Training: 1/3
Favorite Activity: I unashamedly love going to the North Liberty Free Lunch every day possible during the summer. It's so nice to not have to come up with lunch for my toddler! We also love Tot Lot at the Coralville Rec Center during the wintertime.
Best Vacation Spot: The Wisconsin Dells! I've had a blast every time I've gone, whether I was young and single or with a toddler while pregnant, and both summer and winter there are great.

Advice: Go to all the IMP activities you can when you first get here, you'll quickly make friends and have a good support network and people to help you when you need it! We have an amazing group of people here and they will make all the difference to you during this journey. We all have committed partners in the medical field, so we get it in ways that family and other friends might not.

Name: Bridget Campbell
Position: Spouses Out Socializing
From: Wichita, KS
Partner's Specialty: Interventional Radiology
Year of training: 2/6
Favorite Activity: Iowa Raptor Center, Kayaking at Lake Macbride, Dining at one of Iowa City's MANY restaurant patios.
Best Vacation Spot: Indiana Dunes State Park

Advice: I have never lived in an area that had metered parking, so I was highly confused when we first moved here. The parking meters are FREE any day after 6 pm and FREE all day Sunday and all National Holidays. The garages downtown are all FREE the first hour and only 1$ an hour after that!

Name: Eric Dugdale
Position: Web Editor
From: English, raised in Colombia, most recently from Minnesota (lived 17 years there!)
Partner’s Specialty: Emergency Medicine
Year of Training: 1/3
Favorite Activity: Camping at Sugar Bottom (great tent sites overlooking Coralville Lake)
Best Vacation Spot: Can't beat hanging out at a Minnesota lakeside resort (we like Arrowwood on Lake Darling)

Advice: I've enjoyed playdates and pancake brunches at IMP members' houses, for me a better way to get to know folks than at the large group events. Don't be disheartened if your spouse doesn't get to know your IMP friends; it is just a reality of their schedules that this is almost impossible to pull off. And men are as warmly welcomed in IMP as women, so if you're a guy thinking of joining us, just do it!

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Overnight Outings: Kansas City

1/29/2019

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By: Katelyn Sexton

Unlike a lot of IMP members, I am a born and bred Midwesterner. The stereotypes are generally true. I am modest, I like my coffee black, I love ranch dressing and I say “ope!” And I wholeheartedly believe that for whatever else we may lack here in flyover country, the people in these parts are second to none.

I grew up in Kansas City and so when we matched in Iowa City, I was thrilled to be just a short 4ish hours from home. Before I delve too far into my hometown, I’d like to make very clear that most of the time people refer to Kansas City (Royals, Chiefs, museums, the airport, etc.), they are referring to the city in Missouri. NOT KANSAS. This is a point of contention for most natives of KCMO. Kansas City, Kansas is still part of the larger KC metro area, but most of the parts to write home about are on the Missouri side of town. I don’t know how to explain why this is an annoying assumption that we’re all from Kansas, but it really strikes a nerve. ;) and so now, you know! And you know that, unless noted otherwise, everything recommended to you to do in KC is likely in Missouri, our neighbors to the South. (I’ll note that plenty of lovely suburbs are on the Kansas side and it’s a fine place to live, but the point I’d like to drive home is there’s a difference!)

Now that the most important lesson is out of the way, let’s talk about the place that Travel + Leisure named one of the most cultured cities in the country. Kansas City is a great weekend getaway for those of us spending some time here in Iowa City. Just over 300 miles away, it’s somehow always a bit more mild in terms of winter weather. Come Springtime, take a trip to KC and you’ll find the grass really is greener and it’ll get you by before we start to warm up here. There, you’ll find lots and lots of big city amenities without some of the drawbacks a true large city would have. Traffic is not a concern, and it’s an affordable place to visit (and live).

You’ll find world class art at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art. Fun shopping in a unique setting on the Country Club Plaza (modeled after our sister city in Spain, Seville). Hundreds upon hundreds of fountains (called The City of Fountains). Fascinating and always changing exhibits on display at Union Station (as well as kid-friendly Science Center). Incredible restaurants and a flourishing nightlife in the Power & Light District. Walt Disney Studios. The world’s best BBQ (Joe’s KC or Arthur Bryants are my recommendations). The attractions are in abundance!

Please make sure to put Kansas City on your list of Midwest places to visit during your tenure in Iowa City. If you do, here are some top spots to hit:

Worlds of Fun/Oceans of Fun: if you’re making this a family weekend (or even if you aren’t), visit this amazing theme park!
Loose Park: This is the most beautiful park in the city. Go in June and visit the Rose Garden. It’s also a hop, skip and a jump from the zoo, which is worth an afternoon.
Boulevard Brewing: The most famous brewing company in the city offers $5 tours of its facilities. You have to arrive early, but it’s worth it!
Food: Obviously, have the BBQ I mentioned above. Otherwise, I’d recommend Town Topic Hamburgers and La Bodega Tapas & Lounge.
River Market: if you go in the spring or summer, be sure to make time to visit the city market on a Saturday morning. There’s nothing quite like it and in the same area, you’ll find a very interesting riverboat museum.

In recent years, Kansas City has been credited on numerous lists as a top spot for hipsters and millennials. The city is really being revitalized and has been given a lot of well-deserved attention since our otherwise mediocre baseball team was in the World Series two years in a row a few years back. It swells my heart to see my home portrayed in such a positive light. Let me know if you visit!

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Moving Advice from Past IMP Members

1/22/2019

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By: IMP Member Meg Willett

Have you been watching the show “Tidying Up” on Netflix with Marie Kondo (or read the book)? Like most of America, it has made me want to get rid of lots of our stuff. It also reminded me that I’d asked a few former IMP members for their best moving advice right after their departure from Iowa City. So whether you are moving this summer (!) or in the next few years, this advice is for you!

Purge / Organize

All agreed that you should get rid of as much stuff as possible! One member said she pocked about $350 from selling at Stuff, Etc. but would have made even more money if she had started earlier. Other people prefer to sell to IMP members or on Facebook.

Amid your purging, make sure you keep important papers (birth certificates, car titles, etc) in a place that you can easily find.

Moving Costs

If you are moving for a job, negotiate for higher moving costs. It is ALWAYS more than you think. Inquire if hotels, gas, food and all those other expenses are included.

Look on Craigslist for free/cheap boxes and moving supplies. You can save a TON by picking up boxes this way. Maybe start looking a month or so out.

Plan Ahead

Make an appt at the DMV in new city. Once former member Kristen moved, she discovered there was a waiting period of months and she would have benefited from advanced scheduling.

If you have kids: Pack as much as you can while your kids are in school or occupied in some consistent kind of care (camp etc). It is much easier to pack up a box, seal and label it when you didn't have toddler hands trying to "help." Maybe even trade off babysitting with another IMP member who is moving!

If you are selling your house and using a realtor (like our sponsor Tundi Brady!), reach out early—like now --to stay on schedule for a listing around Match Day.

Movers

Double check that movers cover all your furniture with furniture pads. One member warned her fast and efficient movers came at a price—almost every piece of furniture was dinged. She wishes she would have watched more closely as they loaded the truck.

Consider paying to have movers come out a few days before loading the truck to organize the boxes and furniture. It made things run more smoothly on moving day for a member.

Check out Penske: the prices are a little lower than Uhaul and they have discounts (AAA etc). An auto repair person also said that they have the best coverage in case things go wrong.

I would also add from our moves in the past: READ the contract you sign. We went with a huge moving company about seven years ago, and they took close to two weeks to move our items (a 16 hour drive)! But, we referred back to the contract, and they only had to pay us a minimal amount for taking over a certain amount of time. I wish we would have clarified. They also forgot to load packed items in a front closet. We shouldn't have trusted them as much to be thorough.

We have always been running around at the last minute leaving town. I wish we would have planned to spend the night with a local friend to tie up loose ends rather than hitting the road stressed. We did fork over money to hire cleaners so we could leave as soon as moving truck did.

What else do you recommend?

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Overnight Outings: Chicago

1/15/2019

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By: Katelyn Sexton

Chicago. The windy city. Chi-town. The second city. The third most populous city in the United States is just a short 230 miles away from Iowa City, which makes it a necessary venture for those of us living here during our medical tenure. Iowa City is sometimes referred to as Chicago’s favorite suburb because of the very large student population from Chicagoland.

You’d be hard pressed to fit everything you wanted to do in Chicago into an overnight stay. A full weekend getaway is highly recommended! Obviously, Chicago is home to many famous tourist attractions. An entire weekend could be spent doing things you certainly don’t need to read about on a blog. Between Navy Pier, Shedd Aquarium, various art museums, the sky deck on Willis Tower, and shopping on Michigan Avenue, you’d keep plenty a full itinerary without needing any guidance from me! I will say that if you are interested in hitting all the tourist hot spots, look into purchasing a City Pass (www.citypass.com) that will grant you access to everywhere you want to go for one cost all while skipping the lines.

All that said, here I am writing a blog post about visiting the town. One of my brothers lives in Chicago. I’ve been fortunate enough to visit him on several occasions and gotten a glimpse of why people really love the Windy City. Trust me, no one moves to Chicago for the winters! There really is some magic to the city beyond all the tourist traps. And you’ll easily spot plenty of UI tiger hawks all over the city to make you feel at home! Anyway, here’s a short list of things to do that may otherwise fall beneath your radar:

Pizza: Obviously, everyone wants deep dish when they visit. Skip the recommendations you’ve been given and go to Pequod’s in Lincoln Park. You won’t be sorry!

Hotel: I’m an advocate for staying in a short term rental. Try to find an AirBnB or something on HomeAway. It’s the best way to feel acclimated in a new city and you get a kitchen to save some money by buying food! If you’d prefer a hotel, I’ve found reasonable rates at the Hotel Cass, which is in the Loop just a few blocks shy of the Magnificent Mile.

Parks: The city is home to many amazing parks that are 100% free. There’s something really nice about being in a peaceful oasis in the middle of a bustling city. Lincoln Park is one of the more famous parks and even hosts a zoo completely free of charge. There are also amazing hiking trails, such as the 606 hiking trail, in parks around the city to give you glimpses into many different neighborhoods.

Museums: For something off the beaten path, check out the Saturday Night Live exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications.

Food: Other than pizza, Chicago is home to a million incredible restaurants and bars. Some of my personal favorites include Monk’s Pub, Quartino and Taco Joint.

Bike tour: When it’s warm out, I highly recommend Wheel Fun Rentals. It’s a four-person bike to explore the city. It’s a little dorky, but a really fun family activity. Bonus: it’s by the beaches, which are also a must in the summer months.

Chicago is the perfect weekend getaway. I visited several times with my family as a child, and it’s definitely a place with plenty of family-friendly activities, but I’d say that, if possible, a parent-only retreat would be idyllic. Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy a trip to Chicago during your time in Iowa.

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Overnight Outings: Wisconsin Dells

10/2/2018

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By: IMP Member Lindsay Norvell

Recently my husband had a week of vacation time and we decided to do something as a family versus going back to our home state. With a large family and a residency budget, we were looking for 3 specific things:

Driving Distance- Anything that required a flight was out. Flight costs for 6 of us and the “joys” of flying with an infant would not work.
Budget Friendly- We wanted something that wouldn’t cost us an arm and a leg. This would most likely mean somewhere we could bring food vs eating out for every meal.
Family Friendly- We have 4 kids that at the time ranged from 9 months to 7 years.

After debating a few different locations we settled on the Wisconsin Dells, and it could not have been a more perfect family vacation! The dells are about a 3.5 hour (easy) drive from here and are made up of large hotels with indoor water parks. We decided to stay at The Great Wolf Lodge as the many reviews read listed it as the most small child-friendly one.

OVERVIEW

We stayed 2 nights at the hotel but arrived extremely early on the first day. They let you go into the water park on the day of check-in and the day of check-out, and you can stay there as long as you would like.

The water park itself had 3 major areas that appealed to different age ranges. One area had a kiddie pool and climbing structure, and we spent majority of the time with our littlest two here. The 2nd area had a kiddie slide, pool to play in, hot tubs and a large tube slide. The third area had a wave pool, 4 large slides and another kiddie pool.

Check the height requirements before going to make sure your kids can enjoy the slides! My slightly tall 5 year old was a few inches above the requirement line…had he not made it, he would have been devastated!

BUDGET TIPS

Bring Food! Food is SO much more expensive up there. There is a Walmart about 5 minutes from the hotel so we didn’t bring anything in advance, but I ran over there and grabbed breakfast and lunch items. We only ate out for 2 dinners.

Book in Advance! Book as far in advance as you can. If you go to the Great Wolf Lodge website and sign up for their newsletters, you get access to their early bird pricing. It saved us almost half the price!

OTHER VACATION TIPS

Consider a Room Upgrade: We decided to upgrade from the standard room to a kids cabin room in the end, and it was COMPLETELY worth the cost. The cabin made the kids feel super special, provided a little separation from the master and their room, and just all around made the room more fun!

Magic Quest: Beside the water slides this was my kid’s favorite part of the trip. You buy a wand and the kids use it to complete a number of scavenger hunts/tasks and earn different titles. This quest takes place in a 4-story building attached to the hotel, and we spent easily 5 hours there.

A couple notes though...

Wear tennis shoes. I’m pretty sure I climbed a million stairs that day as the tasks require you to go up and down on repeat
Avoid strollers if you have little ones. We had our front pack with us which was a lifesaver! The elevators took forever and the space was tight in some areas
Don’t bother buying the game/wand for anyone under the age of 4 or 5. My 3 year-old had a blast just following his siblings while they did it and every so often we asked them to let him wave the wand and do the task.

Hotel Activities: If your kids are anything like my 3 year-old, there is only so much time he can spend doing the water park. Great Wolf had us covered! They have activities planned in the lobby almost hourly such as Bingo, coloring, yoga and story time. So, once he had hit his max for the day, I took the younger two and we did those instead of the pool for a little while.

Buffalo Phil's: It is definitely a tourist restaurant and the food is slightly pricey, but it was worth the experience. All the food/drinks are delivered by a miniature train, and my kids were in heaven!

Moosejaw Pizza: Another fun and family-friendly restaurant we enjoyed. The pizza was delicious, the kids loved their moose hats, and it was a fun dinner out.

Denny’s Diner: Not to be confused with the chain breakfast place, this was a fun local breakfast stop on our way out of town! Whether you stop here for a meal or not you HAVE to get their cinnamon rolls to go. They are AMAZING.

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Overnight Outings: Des Moines

9/25/2018

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By: IMP Member Megan Pai

Not being a native Iowan, I am certain there are other IMP members who are more knowledgeable about our state capitol. Nonetheless, after two years of trading in our Texas citizenship to relocate to the Hawkeye State, my family finally ventured to Des Moines.

If you are looking for a quick and easy get away, Des Moines is a great city to enjoy a weekend trip. The drive is straightforward. Literally. Drive west on I-80. Less than two hours later, you will arrive to the city where our legislators are hard at work (insert winking face emoji here).

For our family vacation, we stayed in the downtown area at The Comfort Inn and Suites Event Center, located at 929 3rd St. There are many different option for lodging; nonetheless, my family was very comfortable at this location. We were able to walk to many of our destinations and enjoyed the complimentary, hot breakfast.

Some of the activities we did included:

Des Moines Downtown Farmer’s Market: The farmer’s market was really entertaining and accommodated a diversity of vendors and products. You can find produce, food, art, flowers, and live music. It is a fairly large and active scene, but not overwhelming. I would definitely recommend leisurely strolling by the stands, grabbing a bite to eat, and exploring the many vendors.
Science Center of Iowa: We were with family friends who had memberships to the science center in Minneapolis, so we were fortunate to save some money using the reciprocity offered with their membership. My daughter enjoyed the exhibits, hands on activities, and shows presented by museum teachers. She still talks about getting to touch a bull snake! The museum is definitely kid-oriented and on the smaller side. I would put this on the list only if you need a kid-friendly indoor activity.
Iowa State Capitol: Exploring the capitol should absolutely be on your to-do list if you have never been. We went on a free, guided tour, which was great for adults (and children who sit very still for long periods of time). If your family is not up for the guided tour, walking around on your own will still be an interesting and worth-while experience.
Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens: Our family friends also had a membership to the botanical gardens in Minneapolis, so again we enjoyed the benefits of reciprocity. I felt this was a great experience for kids and adults. The gardens include both indoor and outdoor areas. Older kids can participate in a scavenger hunt to make their experience even more interesting.

Some of the activities on our list for the future:

Blank Park Zoo
Des Moines Art Center
Pappajohn Sculpture Park (with art center)

On our weekend getaway, we ate at:

Tacopocalypse: Tacopocalypse is a casual eatery featuring Asian-inspired tacos. My dentist actually recommended this spot. We weren’t blown away, but it was a fun spot with food you won’t find in Iowa City.
Le’s Chinese Bar-B-Que: We were pretty excited to eat some Chinese BBQ, specifically roasted duck and pork (char siu). This is definitely not a trendy eatery, but an authentic option we would never be able to find in the Iowa City area. Bonus: the left over duck made an awesome stir-fry when we got home!
Bubba- Bubba was a great spot with southern comfort food for Sunday brunch. I would highly recommend checking out their brunch while you are here. Everyone was very satisfied with their food (Especially my little one with her pimento mac and cheese).

Who in IMP has been to Des Moines? What restaurants and activities do you recommend adding to our to-do list for our next visit?

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Overnight Outings: Door County

9/18/2018

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By: IMP Member Laura Marthaler

If you’ve met me in person, chances are you know I am from Wisconsin. We love it there! Recently we took a tour of the state. We began on the western side for an interview then made our way east to spend some time with family, then finally, we dropped the kids off at grandma and grandpa’s house and got a couple days to ourselves in Door County.

Door County is the peninsula that sticks out into Lake Michigan, just northeast of the city of Green Bay. Most Wisconsinites will use their left hand as a map when describing where something is in the state. In this case, I’m referring to the thumb. To the west is the Bay of Green Bay and to the east is Lake Michigan. It’s a magical place that has a coastal New England feel, but is so much closer to home. According to Google Maps, it is 364 miles from my eastside abode, or a 5 hour and 43 minute drive.

This is my husband and my absolute favorite getaway! We’ve only visited during the spring and summer seasons...but fall would be gorgeous with all the forestry turning colors and there would be so much to do during the winter with plenty of recreational areas for outdoor winter activities.

So no matter the time of year, Door County would have something for everybody.

On past trips, we went on a tandem kayaking tour- I’m talking a true 3-hour tour of kayaking! We’ve enjoyed a winery tour on a trolley and we’ve taken the ferry from the north end of the peninsula across Lake Michigan to Washington Island. We did the sailboat cruises around the Bay and even attended a famous Door County “fish boil.”

This past trip was kind of last minute, so we didn’t plan ahead like we’ve done in the past. It still turned out great! We enjoy driving from town to town and walking around the shops, checking out new restaurants and cafes and even hitting up a winery or brewery for a tasting. We love going to at least one state park to hike or just sit and enjoy the views of the water. Our days were still filled with fun, great dining and a lot of relaxation! We did attempt to go on a kayak tour of the caves of Lake Michigan, however the weather did not cooperate and unfortunately, it was cancelled.

One of the highlights of this trip was our morning spent in Peninsula State Park. The park is located along the shores of the Bay. We have known many people who camp in the park and spend a week just exploring it. We are not campers, but every trip we’ve been on, we’ve always fallen in love with something new there. We planned to rent bikes at the base of the park and ride through, but instead, we decided to hike.

We drove in toward the Eagle Bluff, parked and began the Eagle Bluff trail. It was about a two mile “difficult” loop that got us in caves, climbing rocks, and also allowed us to find some tiny private beaches. In addition to the miles of hiking available, the park also has a large public beach and a number of overlooks to stop at and just enjoy the views of the water. We’ve caught a sunset or two that have been glorious!

If you are planning on a trip to Door County, here are a few “pro tips” to help you out:

First, do you want to stay on the Lake or on the Bay?
We personally are “Bay” people and love staying in Sister Bay, Ephraim, Fish Creek and Egg Harbor.

What type of accommodations would you prefer?
There are resorts galore as well as standard hotels. If you like to camp, there are plenty of options depending on whether you tent or use a camper. AirBnB is big up there as is VRBO if you are even interested in renting an entire house. And let’s not forget about the quaint Bed and Breakfasts located all over! It is nice to find a place with a kitchenette especially if you are there for more than a couple days. It takes away the need to eat out every meal.

What time of year will you be going?
Door County is a very popular tourist destination. When looking at accommodations, if you are planning on going “peak season,” you will pay more than off, naturally. Our stay was a little lower because we did a Sunday-Tuesday trip.

What should we know about the restaurant scene?
We love the dining in Door County. There are so many options! Whether you want fine dining or would rather hit up a place where the locals hang, there literally is everything! Just be mindful of their hours of operation. We found many were not open Mondays or only had breakfast served Thursday-Monday. Oh yeah, and its Wisconsin. Portions are huge!

Our first night out at LURE in Sister Bay left us offering the rest of the patio a taste of our Crab Rangoon nachos. (Yes, they were as amazing as they sound, but really, I think one order would have been enough for all of IMP!) In addition to LURE, we also enjoyed Bluefront Café in Sturgeon Bay, Wild Tomato in Fish Creek, Al Johnson’s in Sister Bay (in case you want some Swedish food with goats hanging out on the roof of the restaurant) and a tiny breakfast joint called Carroll House also in Sister Bay.

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Overnight Outings: Dubuque

9/11/2018

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By: IMP Member Ceric Keck

Located only a little over an hour and a half away, Dubuque is a great destination for a family weekend trip. It is located along the Mississippi River, and the bluffs surrounding it show off a different landscape than what most people expect of Iowa (i.e., flat).

The best place to stay is the Grand Harbor Resort. They are located downtown right along the Mississippi and have an attached waterpark that is great for kids of all ages. They have everything from a zero-entry wading pool for the littlest of swimmers to larger tube waterslides. When booking at the hotel, you can get weekend passes for the waterpark bundled with your room to save some money. Or, if you choose to stay at a different hotel, waterpark-only passes are also an option.

Right next door to the Grand Harbor is the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. They have a great area for smaller children where they can interact with some different exhibits and burn off some energy playing. There’s a large water table that allows you to build dams and float boats down the river—a particular favorite of my daughter’s. They also have different traveling exhibits that come through, so there is always something new.

If you are looking for some outdoor activities, the Mines of Spain Recreation Area is located just a few minutes south of Dubuque and has a good selection of hiking or cross-country skiing trails (depending on the season). The Julian Dubuque Monument is also located on the bluffs within the park and offers a great view of the river.

Another great option for an outdoor activity is the Heritage Trail, which runs from Dubuque to Dyersville (where the Field of Dreams is). It is a crushed limestone trail that is nice for walking, biking and running. There is also a stocked pond by the main parking lot with fishing platforms.

About 10 minutes south of Dubuque is Crystal Lake Cave, and while not an especially large cave, it is definitely worth a trip with lots of great formations. If you are looking for a larger network of caves, Maquoketa Caves State Park is only 30 minutes south of Dubuque and has scenic hiking trails linking different caves, formations, and overlooks.

Other attractions in and around Dubuque:

Fenelon Place Elevator (aka the 4th street elevator to locals), which is the world’s shortest and steepest railway. It travels almost 300 feet up the side of a bluff.
Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens, which includes a peaceful Japanese garden and Koi pond, as well as some recreations from classic children’s books such as Peter Rabbit’s garden and the 3 Billy Goats Gruff bridge.
Swiss Valley Nature Center, which has 10 miles of nature and hiking trails. These trails are also used for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter.

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Friday Field Trip #1

9/4/2018

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By: IMP Member Jaycee Chambers

I grew up in small-town Kansas, and have a soft spot for rural life. While I love Iowa City, I especially love exploring new places, meeting new people, and exposing my boys to the charm and beauty of small towns and country life. I started taking regular “field trips” with my boys last year, and I’m excited to share our journeys with you!

Load up your kids and picnic basket, it’s time for a Friday field trip! Today, we are headed north for some outdoor fun and a sweet, local treat.

Our Itinerary:

Indian Creek Nature Center, Cedar Rapids
Dan & Debbie’s Creamery, Ely

Indian Creek Nature Center (ICNC) is roughly 40 minutes north of Iowa City. I prefer the scenic route, and followed Highway 1 through Solon, and then along the Cedar River. If you want to see some beautiful Iowa landscape, I highly recommend this route. My boys also loved yelling “Moooo” at the many cows we saw along the way.

We spent our first hour in ICNCs “Amazing Space,” which is their main campus building. Built in 2016, it is one of the most environmentally sustainable buildings in the country. Inside, we explored classrooms filled with taxidermy, puppets, and children’s books. We then said hello to a few animals who call the Amazing Space their home, including a turtle, toad, fish and snakes.

Also inside the Amazing Space building is a bird watching room, complete with comfy chairs, books, and a contained beehive. If you have a little one tagging along for this field trip, I recommend this area for any quiet time you may need. The older members of your crew will keep busy looking through the binoculars at the many birds, and peeking into the beehive. Have them search for the queen bee, that should keep them busy for a while!

Surrounding the main campus building are four miles of hiking trails that wind through 210 acres. You have your druthers when deciding which landscape you’d like to explore. Prairie? Woodlands? Wetlands? Take your pick!

The boys and I headed off on a prairie hike, but somehow got stuck inside the labyrinth trail. I guess that’s what happens when your guides are 4 and 3! I advise grabbing a trail map from the main building, or researching the trails online before you go!

The highlight of our trip to ICNC was the outdoor nature sensory trail, complete with a full-sized teepee, mud kitchen, and functional water pump, which was a big hit! My boys could have spent the entire day in this large, child friendly space. They can mud paint on canvas, balance on tree stumps, make mud pies, or do whatever their imaginations see fit. Your child (and possibly you) will most likely end up dirty, so wear appropriate clothes.

After a morning of hiking and play, we enjoyed our picnic lunch at one of the many tables throughout the nature center. Before leaving, we popped back into the Amazing Space to use the restroom (yes, there are changing tables) and browsed their gift store, Creekside Shop. Pick up some raw honey or fresh maple syrup to try.

Ice Cream Time!

The final stop on our field trip, Dan and Debbie’s Creamery, is located about 10 minutes south of the nature center. I had been waiting all summer to check this place out, and it didn’t disappoint!

According to their website, goal of the Creamery is to “provide the freshest, most wholesome farm to table dairy products in the area.”

All of the dairy products served at the Creamery are truly farm to table. On a small farm outside of Ely, 150 dairy cows are milked twice a day and are treated like cow royalty. Each cow is given a name at birth, is milked in a parlor, and housed in a sand bedded freestall barn. Months before a cow is to give birth, she is sent to pasture for some momma-to-be R&R. Now that’s what I call a babymoon!

Tours of the farm are available, but if you want the good stuff (the ice cream!) visit the Creamery, located in downtown Ely. This is where the milk from the farm is transformed into squeaky cheese curds, delicious ice cream, or bottled to sell, cream top. If you’d like to see the transformation first-hand, you’re in luck! Inside the Creamery is a viewing room, where you can watch the process from start to finish.

The ice cream was truly the best ice cream I’ve ever tasted. So fresh and creamy, not overly sweet, and served at the perfect temperature. Enjoy a cone at the store and buy a pint (or 6) to take home! The Creamery also sells a handful of other local items, it’s a one-stop shop for groceries!

Until next time, keep adventuring!

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Reflecting on the Medical Journey & My Own Vows

8/3/2018

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By: IMP Member Katelyn Rose

Recently, I was asked to officiate the wedding of a good friend. Shawn has been my husband’s best friend since they were in middle school, so I’ve known him for a decade. While he can be somewhat of a troublemaker (read: perhaps not the best influence), I feel honored and privileged to lend myself to him in such an important role!

For the curious, no! I have not done this before. I am not any sort of pastor or church official. I’ve heard of friends officiating weddings for friends, but never knew much about it. It’s as simple as googling “become an officiant” and filling out a form. Boom! I am now a member and a REVEREND in the Universal Life Church. A close friend of mine tells me that this could be grounds for excommunication from the Catholic Church, but I don’t believe the Vatican will be calling me anytime soon.

In preparation for the ceremony, I scoured Pinterest and countless blogs about what in the world to say. Obviously, I am married (we had a full Mass) and I’ve been to dozens of weddings, but now that the script is mine to write, I am drawing a complete blank on what one says at a wedding ceremony. Does anyone pay much attention to the words spoken? Or are we all focused on the bride and groom? At the end of the day, the most important aspect of the ceremony is that the couple is, well, married. I ask them a few questions, they each say “I do” and they kiss. While I will include this, I would like to provide some meaningful thoughts and even suggestions as well.

Most of my research ended up yielding the same result. Whether it a religious, civil or somewhat comical ceremony, all officiants seemed to include something in their “sermons” about three things: love, honor and respect.

Writing a wedding ceremony forced me to reflect on my own marriage, which brings me to this blog post. If you’re in Iowa Medical Partners and reading this (my first blog post ever!!), then you’re obviously either married or quite committed to someone in medicine. Which, let’s face it, adds quite a bit of stress to the already difficult, although wonderful, commitment that is a long-term relationship.

The medical journey is a long one and often leaves those of us NOT on the doctor-track feeling like the love, honor and respect is a bit one-sided. It can be taxing! We are so lucky to have a tribe in IMP to lean on others who just get it.

But before we come out the other side, on the days when you’re really feeling stretched a little thin, maybe reflect on your own (or possible future!) wedding ceremony. Remember the words spoken in front of your home tribe and the vows that you and your spouse shared.

Let your love be stronger than your anger. Learn the art of compromise and the wisdom that comes with it. It is far better to bend a little than to break.

Look at me! I’m only a few weeks into being a “certified” ;) officiant and I’m already preaching.

So, let me hear it. Have you ever officiated a wedding? Who married you and your spouse? What important words do you remember from your wedding ceremony?

Thanks for reading!!

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Recap: Red, White & Blue Potluck

7/3/2018

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Summer in Iowa City is awesome, and the 4th of July has always been one of my favorites. There are a ton of Pinterest lists of Independence Day-themed food that I couldn't possibly all make myself. So, it was mainly selfish to host a potluck party.

If you're looking for some last minute dishes to make tomorrow, these are taste-test approved:

Berry feta salad from Carlsbad Cravings
Queso from RecipeTin Eats (served with salsa and blue chips)
Strawberry lemonade (like this one from AllRecipes)
Blueberry caprese salad (like Love & Olive Oil's version)
All-American Flag JELL-O mold from Kraft (anyone is welcome to borrow my mold!)
Build your own strawberry shortcakes (like this one from DIY Natural)
Sprinkle cookies (check out Simply Gloria's recipe)

We were also eyeing this red, white & blue pasta salad from Lynnae McCoy.

Iowa City Moms Blog has a list of activities and fireworks if you want to get out and about. We'll for sure be eating Southern Living's red velvet ice cream cake!

Have a Happy 4th- see you at the Welcome Brunch on Saturday!

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The Magic of MealTrains

6/11/2018

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Not much is better than a home-cooked meal you didn’t cook! One of the many IMP benefits is the ability to request meals after the birth of a child. I know this was a huge help for me! I also try to cook meals if a close friend is moving or going through another big life change. Here are some of my favorite recipes to drop off and a few other ideas.

Think Breakfast

I like to do egg dishes because they can be eaten any time of the day. As a vegetarian, I never think twice about cooking for girlfriends but can be self-conscious cooking for men not knowing if they expect meat in each meal. Dishes like this egg and cheese strata from Everyday Annie seem to be hearty enough that the meat won't be missed. This strata from Weelicious is also great. You can throw some fruit or muffins in with it or even make/pick up some smoothies too.

Soup

I’ve made this vegetable soup from Cooking Classy before when it looks like the new mom will be getting a lot of other heavier dishes. Give a loaf of bread with it because this is a little too healthy on its own . A a salad would complete the meal.

Heartier Dishes

This spinach-black bean lasagna, originally from Southern Living, is probably the dish I’ve made the most for my family the last decade. I like that this one dish can easily feed my family and gift a ton of food . Note: I double the spinach.

A pasta bake like this one from Two Peas and Their Pod is easy to make and delicious.

Other Ideas

In Facebook groups, I’ve seen suggestions for taking a deli-type platter for the new mom and family to easily be able to make sandwiches at any time.

Similarly, someone else once did a big basket of snacks, fruit and veggies.

Dessert

When I have time to bake, I love throwing in oatmeal cookies with the meal. If the mom is breastfeeding then it could be helpful, and if she’s not, well then, it’s still cookies!

I don’t have a go-to recipe but have used this one from Two Peas and Their Pod and this one from AllRecipes .

I also am a big fan of splitting a night with a friend--someone does any appetizer or salad and desert and the other one does the main dish.

What are your favorites dishes to give/receive??

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Budgeting Tips for Grocery Shopping in IC

5/15/2018

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From my perspective, the Iowa City area is full of great options for grocery shopping. In fact, I still find it hard sometimes to decide where to go when.

We used to go with Hyvee delivery when my youngest was a baby but recently switched to Walmart pick-up for most groceries. To my surprise, I find the Walmart app easier to use, and the experience has been great. I also do enjoy Bread Garden, Costco, Trader Joe’s and Hyvee…and I haven’t set foot in a Pioneer Co-op or else I’m sure I’d love it too!

Of course, budgeting comes into play with where to shop, so I thought who better to ask than a few IMP moms of four for their tips.

Meal plan!!!! Saves you money from not buying what exactly you will use
Shop in bulk from Costco—diapers/household items/meat/snacks/produce because of its bang for the buck
Smaller items, order online from Walmart or Hyvee—this prevents you from putting random things into the cart. If you use Hyvee, make sure you look for the digital coupons, fuel saver points
Look into a meal planning service called Meal Squeeze that comes up with recipes based off the Hyvee or Fareway sales ads
Speaking of Fareway, if you do prefer to shop in the store, they will automatically price match all the sale items from Hyvee
If you have room, keep an eye out for the Costco sales to stock up on an extra box of snacks or cereal you know you’ll go through
For meat, Zaycon is an option. They deliver to Coralville a few times a year and you can get chicken breast for as low as $1.49/lb. Note that it does come fresh so you have to bag and freeze it... and you have to order 40 lbs at a time (so look into splitting with an IMP friend too!)

For those stretches when I’m not cooking as much (like when I had mono in the fall ugh), I did find the Trader Joe’s frozen meals delicious and a good deal. I also don’t have a pantry so buying in bulk comes at a price of storing in the basement. I like the idea of not going to the grocery store as much but I also like to see in person produce I'm choosing--so for important things, I may opt to go to the store. Like I said, I’m still figuring it all out!

Tell us, where do you shop? What’s best for certain categories? Also, do you use any meal planning tools or just good ole pen and paper?

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A Bucket List for our Time in Iowa City!

4/19/2018

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We are nearing our halfway point in Iowa City. I can’t believe how quickly (nearly) two years have flown by! I was reading a Facebook post and realize how I haven't done so many things in the area that I want to do before moving. Time to make my list and start planning!

Rachel Miller shared her bucket list:

Covered Bridges of Madison County and birth place of John Wayne
Captain Kirk’s future birthplace in Riverside (Trek Fest in June)
Sutliff Bridge
Pella tulips (festival in early May)
American Gothic House
Field of Dreams in Dyersville
Shortest and steepest railroad in Dubuque
Reiman Garden in Ames
Pikes Peak
Maquota Caves
Amana Colonies
Mennonite village in Kalona

Embarrassing- from her list, I’ve only been to Amana Colonies!!!

On the same thread, Jessica Jewitt Reed added:

Science Center
Iowa Historical Museum
Hickory Park Restaurant
Boone Scenic Valley Railroad and Ledges Park
Jordan Creek shopping area
Climb Iowa
Herbert Hoover birthplace and presidential library
Natural History Museum
Stringtown Grocery near Kalona
Mississippi River Museum in Dubuque

Also have only been to one of these!

I’m not from the Midwest so also want to explore the greater area. I visited Chicago for the first time after moving here. I also want to go to the Lake Michigan area in Wisconsin and hit up Minneapolis.

Former IMP member Ashley Breinholt also talked about some of these places in a post on Iowa City Moms Blog.

What are we missing on this list? What have been some of your favorite places to visit?

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Ideas for Favorite Things Parties

3/30/2018

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If you’re considering becoming an IMP officer next year, the favorite things exchange among leaders at Target should definitely be taken into account. Pursuing the aisles looking for the perfect items is way too much fun.

You probably know the premise- buy something (or multiple things at same price point depending on how you are doing it) and then pick someone's name (or two or three people's), and they get your item. You leave with great things and get ideas from what everyone else landed.

What I learned from our exchange:

Paper Mate marker pens are apparently beloved by teachers for not bleeding through paper.
You can buy a lot of stuff for $20 from Target. I was the only one who used the money for one item (Cravings cookbook by Chrissy Teigen). Less math involved (and I do love cookbooks).
We love Method multipurpose cleaner and hand soap.
Target has the best snacks (gummy worms, Bare apple chips, Justin's peanut butter cups and some chocolate/madeleine hybrid were all chosen.
An oil mister, hair towel wraps and travel phone charger also popped up.
The "dollar" area can be a great source- especially for cute notebooks and stationery.

Ideas from other exchanges I've been to...of course it depends on the price point you set (I've done $5, $7 and $20...and if it's both men/women...but chances are people can trade. This has happened with non-drinkers swapping wine for something else):

Gift cards: You won't win awards for creativity but who doesn't love an excuse to go to a coffee shop or cupcake place?
Trader Joe's: Wine, everything but the bagel spice mix, desserts, tea--so much to choose from at a good price point. I brought tea and shortbread cookies to my last party.
Mascara, lip-gloss or chap-stick.
Hand lotion, face masks or sunscreen.

I'm already thinking about what I'll pick for a future party. Who's hosting??

-Meg Willett

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Your Partner Matched at UIHC- Now What??

3/16/2018

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When my husband announced “Iowa!” into the mic at our Match Day ceremony, the acoustics must not have been that great. My mom was among the hundreds gathered for the big day and proceeded to text family & friends that we were headed to Ohio. He didn’t even interview in Ohio.

Clearly, we aren’t from the Midwest. In fact, I didn’t step foot in Iowa until moving day. Whether you’re from the Midwest or far away and whether University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC) was your partner’s first or last choice (which of course may be different from your preferences), I am confident you will love this community during your time here.

Welcome from all of us!

Iowa Medical Partners (IMP) is for partners, male and female, of residents and fellows at UIHC. You can be as involved as you’d like. Our closed Facebook group for members is a wonderful sounding board for advice. There are also tons of events. Some are during the day and geared more for stay-at-home parents, others are adult-only at night and some are for the whole family on weekends.

As I look back on the summer of 2016 when we moved to Iowa City, I am so thankful for IMP. I was just entering my second trimester with a 2.5-year-old in tow and was transitioning to staying at home. IMP play dates got me out of the house, introduced me to people and allowed me to explore the area. It helped me to feel grounded and connected. This new group also was a wonderful support system when I had complications with my pregnancy/birth far from family. I could not have anticipated all of this on Match Day...I was clinging to reassurances from my husband that Iowa City would be a great fit for us.

My family lives in University Heights, an area near UIHC, but many friends live on the east part of Iowa City, in Coralville and North Liberty. Some own but many rent. I realize that this does not narrow things down but know that we have been where you are and can answer specific questions you may have. If you are buying, the market is hot. Houses in desirable areas and at good price points sell in days.

The move to Iowa City (or staying!) may be about your partner, but there is so much for everyone here. Let us know who you are and if you have any questions!

A few more helpful links from our website:
Need a realtor?
Housing Listings through IMP
Basics about Iowa City / moving
And of course, join IMP! (Here’s the Facebook page once you do)
IMP Instagram

--Meg Willett

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11th Day Giveaway

12/11/2017

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On the 11th day of Christmas we are giving you an Amazon Dot! The Dot can play music, answer questions, set an alarm, order stuff from amazon, send and recieve messages and much more. This would make a great present for someone or for yourself:) I know I wouldn't mind getting one for Christmas...

I will post a video tomorrow on our instagram account, drawing out the winner's name. To enter tell us what your favorite part of Christmas Dinner is!

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December 08th, 2017

12/8/2017

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Today's giveaway is brought to you by one of our members, Jamie Walpole:

"Last spring I was fed up with my adult acne, sun damaged and dull skin. I mean "come on! I'm only 33"! But after years of playing softball in the Florida sun, 3 babies who screwed up my hormones and a medical life leaving me little time/motivation to care for my skin, my face had decided to rebel on me.
My sister had started one of "those" sales businesses and tried so hard to get me to try the products. She even sent me a whole regimen for Christmas. When I finally got around to trying it in February, I knew I couldn't go back! My skin had changed in just 4 short weeks it was clearer, softer and more vibrant. I fell in love with my skin again.
So here I am, one of "those" people on FB helping her friends change how they feel about their skin! Here's a little teaser for anyone wanting amazing lips and skin!"

For our 8th day, Jamie is giving away a Merry Kissmas gift pack. A 60 day supply of Rodan+Fields award winning Lip Serum, coupled with Lip Shield will keep those lips kissable all winter. To top it all off, $20 gift certificate to use towards your future purchase or to gift to a loved one.

This sounds pretty great to me right now!

You can check out Jamie's webiste here: www.jamiewalpole.myrandf.com

To enter, tell us your favorite winter indulgence! Is it a bubble bath, hot chocolate by the fire, etc?

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12 Days of Christmas - Favorite Winter Activities

12/6/2017

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Happy December! Today I want to talk about favorite winter activities, because I really love them all.

Seeing holiday lights? Yes!
Drinking hot chocolate? Always!
Curling up by the fire? If I had a fireplace, then sure!

Comment here and tell me your favorite winter activities and why you love them for a chance to win FOUR ice skating passes to the Ice Rink at Coral Ridge Mall! A random winner will be selected and announced tomorrow morning. Keep checking back for our giveaways each day!

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