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Carver College of Medicine

The Roy J. and Lucille A. Carver College of Medicine is an integral part of The University of Iowa. It contributes to the education of several thousand University students, is home to ground-breaking research in a wide array of disciplines, and provides a statewide health care resource.

The Carver College of Medicine is the only college in Iowa that offers a curriculum leading to the Doctor of Medicine. It also offers a Bachelor of Science in clinical laboratory sciences, nuclear medicine technology, and radiation sciences (see "Undergraduate Programs" later in this Catalog section) as well as Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in several disciplines, the Master in Medical Education, the Master of Physician Assistant Studies, and the Doctor of Physical Therapy (see "Graduate Programs" later in this section).

Doctor of Medicine and other health science students have a number of opportunities to gain experience in private medical offices, community hospitals, and a major academic medical center. M.D. graduates may pursue further training in the specialties of family medicine, internal medicine, surgery, and pediatrics at one of 13 University of Iowa-affiliated residency programs in six Iowa cities.

The college also participates in the education of students in the Colleges of Dentistry, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Public Health and in the life-sciences and health-related programs of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Engineering, and the Graduate College.

Health professionals from throughout the Midwest take part in the college's year-round continuing medical education programming—updating their knowledge and skills through refresher courses, clinics, and conferences. The college also offers a variety of services in support of Iowa physicians and community hospitals.

In addition to providing education and resources for physicians and other health care organizations, the college addresses broad public issues of distribution and organization of health care services. Its faculty members advise and serve on national, state, and regional health planning councils, health boards, and various health agencies.

Accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education of the American Medical Association and the Association of American Medical Colleges, the Carver College of Medicine meets the requirements of all state licensing boards. Its M.D. diploma admits the holder to all privileges granted to graduates of all medical colleges before such boards. All other professional programs administered by the college are accredited by their respective accrediting bodies.

Professional Program (M.D.)

The Doctor of Medicine is a four-year program that prepares students to practice primary care medicine and to pursue further education and training in specialized areas of medicine. For a description of the M.D. curriculum and information about admission to the program, financial support, and academic rules and procedures, see Doctor of Medicine in the Catalog.

Undergraduate Programs

The Carver College of Medicine offers a Bachelor of Science with majors in clinical laboratory science, nuclear medicine technology, and radiation sciences. The clinical laboratory sciences major is offered through a partnership with the University of Nebraska Medical Center. See Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Nuclear Medicine Technology, and Radiation Sciences in the Catalog.

Undergraduate study in the Carver College of Medicine is guided by the following academic rules and procedures.

Health Insurance, Immunizations

All health professions students are required to provide proof of health insurance coverage annually. Contact the University Benefits Office or visit its web site.

All health sciences students must show proof of health examinations and screenings annually. For more information, contact Student Health & Wellness and see Requirements and Forms on its web site.

Application for Degree

Students who want to be considered for graduation must file an Application for Degree with the Office of the Registrar before the deadline for the session in which the degree is to be conferred. Students who want to have a minor listed on their transcript must indicate this on the degree application form so that completion of the requirements for the minor can be verified.

Academic Recognition

The University of Iowa and the Carver College of Medicine recognize academic achievement every fall and spring semester.

GRADUATION WITH DISTINCTION

Graduating students may be recognized for their scholastic achievement upon recommendation by their academic program and with the dean's approval. Graduation with distinction, high distinction, or highest distinction is determined by cumulative and University of Iowa grade-point average. Highest distinction requires a g.p.a. of 3.85 or higher; high distinction requires a g.p.a. of 3.75 to 3.84; and distinction requires a g.p.a. of 3.65 to 3.74. Radiologic technology certificate course grades are not included in grade-point-average.

To graduate with distinction, students must have completed a minimum of 60 s.h. in residence at The University of Iowa and must have completed 45 of the final 60 s.h. before their final semester of registration.

Students graduating with distinction are recognized at graduation and a notation is added to their transcript and diploma.

DEAN'S LIST

Undergraduate students who achieve a g.p.a. of 3.50 or higher on 12 s.h. or more of University of Iowa graded course work during a given semester or summer session and who have no semester hours of I (incomplete) or O (no grade reported) during the same semester are recognized by inclusion on the Dean's List for that semester. Students may qualify for the Dean's List with fewer than 12 s.h. of graded credit if deemed appropriate by the college.

PRESIDENT'S LIST

University of Iowa undergraduate students who achieve a g.p.a. of 4.00 on 12 s.h. or more of University of Iowa graded course work and who have no semester hours of I (incomplete) or O (no grade reported) for two consecutive semesters (excluding summer sessions) are recognized by inclusion on the President's List.

Financial Support

Students are eligible to apply for undergraduate financial aid. Scholarships, grants, loans, and part-time job placement are administered by the University's Office of Student Financial Aid. Part-time work in related areas is sometimes available.

Registration, Credit, Grading

REGISTRATION

Information about tuition and fees, registration, and deadlines is available from the Office of the Registrar. Students who add or drop a course after registration or who register late are assessed a fee. Each course dropped after the deadline results in a W (withdrawal) on the transcript (see Changes in Registration below). Students are not allowed to register for full-semester courses after the second week of the semester or the first week of the summer session. Students must register for off-cycle courses before the first day of the course. The maximum permitted registration is 20 s.h. in a regular semester and 10 s.h. in the summer session. Students must obtain permission from the head of the division to register for more than the maximum semester hours allowed.

CHANGES IN REGISTRATION

Courses may be added with the signatures of the advisor and the course instructor at any time during the first one-fifth of the course. They may be dropped at any time during the first two-thirds of the course. Approval is required from the dean of the Carver College of Medicine for all other changes in registration and is granted only in extraordinary circumstances. Students are assigned a mark of W (withdrawn) for any course dropped after the first one-fifth of the course. Students whose drop of one or more courses results in a registration of 0 s.h. for the semester must follow the procedure for withdrawal from the University instead of the add/drop procedure.

Students who have registered for courses offered for variable or arranged credit may change the number of semester hours with the signatures of the instructor, the advisor, and the head of the division at any time before the end of the first two-thirds of the course.

Other changes in registration (such as to audit for zero credit) may be made only during the first one-fifth of the course.

It is the student's responsibility to see that the change of registration form is approved by the necessary individuals and is delivered to the Registration Center. Changes in registration become effective on the date the completed form is submitted to the Registrar's Service Center.

WITHDRAWAL OF REGISTRATION

Students may withdraw registration without academic penalty at any time before the end of the first four-fifths of the course, but no credit is given for the course. Later withdrawal results in automatic assignment of an F. Students who withdraw are not reinstated after the deadline for that session.

AUDITING COURSES

Students may register to audit a course with approval of the appropriate program director and course instructor. In addition to obtaining these signatures, students must register for zero credit in the course to be audited. The mark of R (registered) is assigned if the student's attendance and performance are satisfactory; if they are unsatisfactory, the mark of W (withdrawn) is assigned. Courses completed with a mark of R do not meet any college requirement and carry no credit toward graduation. Auditing may not be used as a second-grade-only option.

COURSES OFFERED BY OTHER UNIVERSITY OF IOWA COLLEGES

Students who enroll in courses offered by other University of Iowa colleges are governed by those colleges' rules in matters regarding the courses. See Policy Governing Students Enrolled in Courses Outside Their Own College or Degree Program.

IN-RESIDENCe REQUIREMENT

The in-residence requirement may be met by earning the final consecutive 30 s.h. in residence at The University of Iowa, or 45 of the last 60 s.h. in residence, or an overall total of 90 s.h. in residence.

Nonresident instruction includes course work and correspondence study at other colleges, universities, and institutions. Undergraduate course work in other University of Iowa colleges counts toward in-residence requirements.

DUPLICATION AND REGRESSION

Duplication occurs when students take the same course more than once or when they take a course that duplicates the content of a course they already have completed satisfactorily. Regression occurs when students take a course that is less advanced or at a lower level than one in the same subject that they already have completed satisfactorily. Duplication and regression are assessed by the registrar at the time of graduation analysis. Semester hours earned by duplication or regression do not count toward graduation.

MINIMUM GRADE REQUIREMENT

Students must earn a g.p.a. of at least 2.00 each semester in all college work attempted, all work undertaken at The University of Iowa, and all graded work attempted after admission to the Carver College of Medicine. Students enrolled in a program that uses the pass/fail/honors grading system must pass all courses required to complete the program.

Students must earn a C or higher in professional specialty (modality) courses.

GRADING PROCEDURES

Grading procedures vary from program to program. Students should consult individual program policy statements for information.

PASS/NONPASS

Students may take a maximum of 15 s.h. of course work pass/nonpass (P/N). Students must be in good academic standing (not on academic probation) to be eligible for the pass/nonpass option. They may take a maximum of two P/N courses in one semester. Courses taken P/N may not be used to satisfy General Education requirements or requirements for a major or a minor. Students may use P/N for elective courses that are not part of their major.

P/N registration must be completed during the first 10 days of a fall or spring semester, the first one and a half weeks of a summer session, or the first one-fifth of an off-cycle course. Students must have the approval of the advisor and the instructor and must submit a P/N form with the advisor's and instructor's signatures to the Registration Center by the appropriate deadline.

Earned grades of C-minus and higher are recorded as P; earned grades of D-plus and lower are recorded as N. Credit from P/N courses is not included in grade-point-average calculations, but courses graded P count toward graduation.

SECOND-GRADE-ONLY OPTION

Repeating courses for the second-grade-only option is allowed in extraordinary circumstances. To repeat a course for the second-grade-only option, students must obtain the signatures of the course instructor, the program director, and the dean on a form available from the dean's office; the signed form must be returned to the Registrar's Service Center before the end of the first one-fifth of the course. Both grades remain on the permanent record, but only the second one is used to calculate grade-point average and credit earned. Students using the second-grade-only option for courses that are not part of their major must follow the procedure for the college that offers the course.

INCOMPLETE

A grade of I (incomplete) may be reported if the reasons for inability to finish the course satisfactorily are acceptable to the program director and the course instructor. There also must be evidence that the course work will be finished within a reasonable length of time, usually by the end of the next academic session. Incompletes not removed by the deadline for submission of final grades for the next session result in the assignment of a grade of F. Changing the grade when an incomplete has been converted to an F requires the signature of the dean on a change-of-grade form.

REPORTS TO STUDENTS

Instructors notify any student whose work falls below the minimum acceptable level once the problem is recognized. Grades are reported on the student's transcript, following University protocol. No formal midterm reports are given.

Degrees and Minors

TWO BACHELOR'S DEGREES

Students who want to earn two bachelor's degrees, each from a different college, must graduate from one major, must apply to the college of the second major, and must complete the degree requirements for the second major, including the residency requirement.

SECOND BACHELOR'S DEGREE

Students who already hold a bachelor's degree and wish to earn an additional bachelor's degree must complete at least 30 s.h. consecutively in the Carver College of Medicine and must meet college and program degree requirements. Individuals interested in earning a second bachelor's degree must apply for admission to the degree program at the University's Office of Admissions.

MINORS

Students graduating from the Carver College of Medicine may earn a minor or minors in any degree-granting department or program in the college outside of their major department or in another college of the University by meeting that department's requirements for the minor. 

Academic Progress, Probation, Dismissal

Students are expected to maintain satisfactory academic and professional standards and to demonstrate reasonable progress toward the Bachelor of Science and certificate of completion. Students who fail to maintain satisfactory academic progress or professional standards of behavior as determined by their program may be placed on probation or dismissed from the program. Probation serves as a warning that the student will not graduate unless his or her academic performance and/or professional behavior improves.

Students on probation are restored to good standing by the program director upon evidence that the problem has been corrected. Such action is usually taken at the end of a semester or session. Entering students may be admitted on probation if they fail to meet the minimum stated standards for admission.

Continued unsatisfactory scholarship or unprofessional behavior may result in dismissal from a program. Students dismissed from a program must reapply for admission through the regular, established program admissions process, following review by a faculty committee, at least four months before the requested date of readmission.

Students placed on probation or dismissed from a program are notified in writing by the dean; copies are placed in their files. An academic probation notation is placed on the transcript.

In order to be restored to good standing, students placed on academic probation during a semester or summer session must have a University of Iowa g.p.a. and a cumulative g.p.a. of at least 2.00 by the end of the next semester (for full-time students) or by the time they have earned the next 8 s.h. (for part-time students). Students on academic probation who fail to meet the grade-point average requirement in the designated time frame for restoration to good standing are subject to dismissal at the end of the semester.

Students are expected to attend classes regularly. Students who miss classes or examinations because of illness are expected to present evidence that they have been ill. Any other absences must be approved in advance by the course instructor.

Any offense against good order committed by a student in a classroom, clinical setting, or laboratory may be dealt with by the instructor or referred to the program director. The instructor reports in writing any disciplinary action taken against a student to the program director. Repeated or exceptional instances are reported to the dean.

Academic Misconduct

PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING

All cases of plagiarism and cheating in the Carver College of Medicine are reported to the dean with a statement of relevant facts. The program director and the instructor may submit recommendations for appropriate disciplinary action.

The individual instructor may reduce the student's grade, including assignment of the grade of F in the course. A report of this action is sent to the student, the program director, and the dean.

The dean, or a faculty committee appointed by the dean, may impose the following or other penalties, as the offense warrants: disciplinary probation, requirement of additional hours for the degree, suspension from the program for a period of time, or recommendation of expulsion from the program.

APPEALS PROCEDURE

Students who want to appeal a decision should appeal in writing to the dean within two weeks after the date of receipt of the decision in writing.

Graduate Programs

The Carver College of Medicine offers graduate programs leading to the M.S. in pathology; the M.S. and Ph.D. in biochemistry, free radical and radiation biology, microbiology, molecular physiology and biophysics, and pharmacology; the Ph.D. in anatomy and cell biology and physical rehabilitation science; the Master in Medical Education (M.M.E.); the Master of Physician Assistant Studies (M.P.A.S.); and the Doctor of Physical Therapy (D.P.T.).

It also offers a joint M.D./Ph.D. degree through the Medical Scientist Training Program; see "joint M.D./Graduate Degrees" in the Doctor of Medicine section of the Catalog.

Many of the college's faculty members participate in the Graduate College's interdisciplinary programs in genetics, immunology, molecular and cellular biology, and neuroscience, and in its Biosciences Program.

The Biosciences Program gives graduate students the opportunity to become acquainted with basic molecular research in the Departments of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemistry, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Microbiology, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, Pharmacology, and the Programs in Free Radical and Radiation Biology, Genetics, Human Toxicology, Immunology, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Neuroscience, and Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science. The Biosciences Program offers graduate students flexibility during their first year of study, after which they select the department or program in which they will earn their Ph.D. degree. See Biosciences (Graduate College) for details.

Interdisciplinary Programs and Centers

The college's interdisciplinary programs and centers draw strength from college faculty members and the facilities available to them, without regard to departmental units or to the distinction between graduate and postgraduate training. For more information, contact the senior associate dean for scientific affairs.

The following centers are subdivisions of the Carver College of Medicine.

Alzheimer's Disease Research Center

The Alzheimer's Disease Research Center studies Alzheimer's disease and related neurological conditions from the viewpoint of neuroanatomy, neuroimaging, neuropsychology, and neurochemistry. The center's purposes are to improve the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions, to disseminate information on new research to the public, and to contribute to a better understanding of the neural basis of cognition.

Carver Genetic Testing Laboratory

The John and Marcia Carver Nonprofit Genetic Testing Laboratory provides genetic testing for rare eye diseases, especially diseases so rare that commercial tests are unavailable for them. The laboratory's test results provide information to patients and their families while keeping the tests affordable.

Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center

The Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center (HCCC) coordinates the efforts of University of Iowa faculty and staff in research, education, and clinical programs related to all aspects of cancer. The HCCC is recognized by the National Cancer Institute as an NCI-designated cancer center and has "comprehensive" status, a designation that recognizes the depth and breadth of interdisciplinary cancer research activity taking place at the University of Iowa.

Iowa Cardiovascular Center

The Iowa Cardiovascular Center coordinates research and training programs related to cardiovascular diseases. It encompasses several programs: Program Project Grant on Integrative Neurobiology of Cardiovascular Function, Program Project Grant on Cerebral Blood Vessels, Program Project Grant on Oxidative Mechanisms in Vascular Disease, Program Project Grant on Genetic and Signaling Mechanisms in the Central Regulation of Blood Pressure, Program Project Grant on Airway Physiology and Pathophysiology in a Porcine CF Model, Program Project Grant on Gene Therapy for Cystic Fibrosis Lung Disease, a Leducq Foundation Consortium grant, and a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation research and development program. It also coordinates several training programs and a program of other interdisciplinary research supported by a number of individual project grants. The center occupies two floors of cardiovascular research laboratories and administrative offices in the Medical Research Center.

Iowa Mental Health Clinical Research Center

The major emphasis of the Iowa Mental Health Clinical Research Center is the study of schizophrenia. The center provides the facilities for research linking the clinical picture of the illness with its underlying neurobiology. The center's seven research units conduct the necessary integrative and interdisciplinary research to advance knowledge about the disease.

Facilities

Education and Patient Care Facilities

Carver College of Medicine classes are taught in the Medical Education and Research Facility, Bowen Science Building, Medical Education Building, Medical Laboratories, and in University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics classrooms and conference rooms.

The Medical Education and Research Facility contains the college’s four learning communities. The communities group students who are at different stages in their medical education, encouraging peer-to-peer learning and emphasizing leadership and community service. Each learning community features small-group rooms, study and social spaces, computer workstations, a kitchen area, and staff offices. The Medical Education and Research Facility also houses the Performance-Based Assessment Program, which evaluates students’ clinical and communications skills by reviewing simulated physician-patient encounters recorded in mock patient examination suites. 

The Hardin Library for the Health Sciences is centrally located on the health sciences campus. 

Students acquire clinical-skills experience at the 711-bed University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and in affiliated hospitals and ambulatory care centers throughout Iowa. 

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics serves as a tertiary care center for Iowa and portions of adjoining states. Many patients are referred to UI Hospitals and Clinics for care and treatment not available in their home communities.

Research Facilities

The Eckstein Medical Research Building provides space, mechanical systems, and support services that offer flexibility and adaptability for current and future research. The facility enables interdisciplinary groups of faculty scientists, each of whom is researching a human biology problem at the advancing edge of science, to conduct research in close proximity to other select researchers. It also is home to the Biomedical Research Store, which provides University of Iowa investigators with common molecular and cell biology enzymes, reagents, and kits.

The Medical Education and Research Facility houses research laboratories in addition to space for medical education. Connected to it is the Carver Biomedical Research Building. With a state-of-the-art nuclear magnetic resonance facility on its lower level and five floors of laboratories above, the Carver Biomedical Research Building greatly expands the college's research capabilities.

Other buildings that house research labs include Medical Laboratories, Bowen Science Building, Medical Education Building, Medical Research Facility, Medical Research Center, and buildings at the University of Iowa Research Park.

The Office of Consultation and Research in Medical Education is staffed by education specialists from a range of disciplines who serve the faculty, staff, and administrators of all Carver College of Medicine programs. The office provides educational consultation, initiates and cooperates in educational research endeavors, and conducts faculty development activities.

Core Research Facilities are centralized laboratories dedicated to developing and providing resources that facilitate biomedical research. They are available on a fee-for-service basis to University of Iowa investigators as well as to entities outside the University. 

Currently under construction is the Pappajohn Biomedical Discovery Building. The 225,000-square-foot, six-story facility, located adjacent to the Medical Education and Research Facility and the Carver Biomedical Research Building, is scheduled for completion in 2014. It will contain laboratories and office space and will house the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center and the  Pappajohn Biomedical Institute, which will bring together scientists from across campus to collaborate on high-risk, high-yield life sciences research.

Nondepartmental Courses

Most Carver College of Medicine courses are offered by the college's departments and programs. They are listed and described in the corresponding General Catalog sections; see the links under "Index: Academic Programs" toward the top of this page. The college also offers the following nondepartmental courses.

Hospital Certificate Programs

The following courses are conducted by University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics staff.