According to Gallup poll results, Iowa is the 4th highest state in well-being. Does that seem surprising or is it what you’d expect?

What do you think contributes to our overall wellness? Is it access to fresh fruits & veggies? Locally-grown meats and fresh dairy products? Is it our friendliness and attitude of helping our neighbors? All the fresh air and smoke-free businesses? Is it the culture of hard-work and self-sufficiency that comes from our rural roots?

Some groups that encourage Iowans to be healthier are the Iowa Chronic Care Consortium and the Wellness Council of Iowa. What are other groups working toward improved health in our area? How can we continue to support this culture of wellness?

Posted in Current Students, Life in Des Moines, Rural Health | 1 Comment

I realize we talked about our fall travel last week, but it’s such a busy time of year for us, I thought we needed to mention it again. (Here’s our schedule if you want to see if we’re coming to your school!)

Last week I joined admissions coordinator Lisa Vroegh at the UNI Career Fair to see first-hand what these recruiting trips are all about.We talked to a variety of students from freshman who were still undecided about their majors to graduated seniors who were already applying to medical schools.

Here are some of the most commonly asked questions:

• What are the requirements for your ____ program? (insert Physical Therapy, Osteopathic Medicine, Physician Assistant, Podiatric Medicine, Health Care Administration, Public Health, Anatomy or Biomedical Science)
• When should I apply? (Each program has a slightly different schedule, so check the website for specific dates. Regardless of the program, the sooner you get your application in the better!)
• What kind of financial aid is available?
• Do you have campus visits?

Posted in Anatomy, Biomedical Science, Health Care Administration, New Students, Osteopathic Medicine, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Podiatric Medicine, Prospective Students, Public Health, Research, Rural Health | 1 Comment

Fall is my favorite time of year. It’s not just that I love the crisp temperatures, forests changing colors to vibrant reds and oranges or even the fantastic college football (GO HAWKS!)  I also love fall because it’s a busy and exciting time around campus. Fall is when we start our interviews for our clinical programs, and it’s also when our enrollment staff starts traveling to undergraduate schools to recruit new students. We visit classrooms, talk with student groups and attend fairs and expos. It’s an exciting time of the year!

I love fall because as a director of admissions I get to travel around the country and meet so many interesting students. People from all walks of life across the country are preparing for graduate school right now, and I have the pleasure of getting to meet many of them when I’m out traveling.

Last week I got to see the sunrise over the Sierra Nevada Mountains as I drove to the first recruiting event of the fall in Reno, Nevada. As much as I enjoyed the beautiful early-morning vistas, I was more excited to meet some students that day and introduce them to Des Moines University. Right now, I’m back in Des Moines, but I’ll soon be heading to Wisconsin (first thing next week) to visit students in Green Bay, River Falls, Eau Claire and Menomonie.  So, if you’re in central Wisconsin, you should find some time to stop by and say hi!

Posted in Anatomy, Biomedical Science, Health Care Administration, New Students, Osteopathic Medicine, Physical Therapy, Physician Assistant, Podiatric Medicine, Prospective Students, Public Health, Research, Rural Health | 1 Comment

DMU has been working on launching four Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) in Iowa. This is a great system for recruiting and retaining rural healthcare workers.

Last week KCCI did a story on it. Dr. DeRegnier and Dr. Plundo are both grads. They also speak with a current student doing a rural medicine rotation.

ABC also did a story but it’s not online.Iowa Hospital Association had a blog on the topic awhile back. If you missed it, check it out!

Posted in Current Students, DMU Alumni, DMU News, Rural Health | Leave a Comment