First-year Trip to Milwaukee


By Phil Wirtjes

Students enjoy a slide that connects two levels at EPIC
One of the many benefits that the Health Management and Policy department offers each fall is a first-year class trip to tour several area hospitals. Traditionally, this trip takes place in Des Moines and Omaha, but this year the first-year class packed their suitcases and headed to Milwaukee. Among the many opportunities included on the trip were speaking with alumni of the program, learning more about the locations visited, and growing closer as a class.


Students visiting  a tree house at EPIC
After departing Iowa City on Thursday morning, students made the first stop in Verona, Wisconsin at the “Intergalactic” headquarters of the healthcare software company, EPIC. Once there, the group was taken on a campus wide tour, participated in an extremely informative Q&A session, and was even allowed to ride the slide that connects the 2nd floor to the ground level! Due to the themed styling of each building and the groovy art that complemented those themes, the EPIC experience far exceeded our wildest expectations. Although everyone could have stayed longer at EPIC, it was time to get back in the vans and complete the trip to Milwaukee in time for dinner and networking with area alumni at Mo’s Irish Pub.

Students on tour at Froedert
The next day consisted of a trip to Froedert & the University of Wisconsin Medical College, and although my van was hit by some shaky navigation decisions, we all managed to begin the day on time and ready to learn. Throughout the day, not only were we able to speak with current executives and alumni about specific initiatives the Froedert was implementing, but also chatted about other topics such as their career paths, fellowship experiences, and challenges currently facing the healthcare system.

It was a great experience listening to the wise words that the executives and alumni had to share with us and it was pretty neat to see first-hand the type of experiences that are waiting in our futures. We all are eagerly anticipating applying the knowledge we gained from this trip to our classroom work. Furthermore, this trip was a perfect chance to get to learn more about ourselves while also getting to know the other members of our class better. We were all incredibly thankful for this great opportunity and returned to Iowa City excited and energized for what the future holds for us.

For more photos of the trip, check out our website.

First-year students outside of Froedert



                 

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