Internal Medicine Residency Program
A Note from the Program Director
Welcome to the ACGME-accredited Internal Medicine Residency Program at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center.
Thank you for your interest in our program. We are proud to offer a supportive and rigorous training environment that prepares residents for success in primary care, hospital medicine, academic medicine, and subspecialty fellowship training.
Our mission is to develop compassionate, skilled, and intellectually curious physicians who provide exceptional patient-centered care. Through our unique partnership with Primary Health Care, Inc. (PHC), residents benefit from meaningful ambulatory experiences within a Federally Qualified Health Center and outstanding inpatient training at MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center serving a diverse patient population.
What truly distinguishes our program is our people. We foster a collaborative and inclusive culture where residents are supported, challenged, and encouraged to grow. Our size allows us to know our residents personally and provide individualized mentorship throughout training. Faculty members are deeply invested in resident success and committed to helping each resident achieve their unique professional goals.
We offer both a Categorical Track and a Primary Care Track, providing flexibility for residents pursuing a variety of career paths. Regardless of track, residents receive comprehensive training across the spectrum of Internal Medicine, including inpatient medicine, ambulatory care, subspecialty rotations, critical care, and elective experiences tailored to individual interests.
Our curriculum combines clinical excellence with a strong educational foundation. Residents participate in morning report, case-based conferences, journal club, Grand Rounds, board review, multidisciplinary conferences, clinical reasoning lectures, quality improvement initiatives, scholarly activities, point-of-care ultrasound training, and financial literacy education. We are equally committed to resident wellness and creating an environment where physicians can thrive both professionally and personally.
We are proud of our graduates, who have gone on to successful careers in primary care, hospital medicine, academic medicine, and fellowship training. Our residents consistently demonstrate strong board preparation outcomes and are well prepared for the next stage of their careers.
Thank you for considering MercyOne Des Moines. We invite you to explore our website and learn more about our residents, faculty, and curriculum. We look forward to sharing what makes our program a special place to learn, grow, and serve.
Sincerely,
Maria Alejandra Guevara Hernandez, MD, FACP, FHM
Program Director
Note from the Chief Residents
Welcome and thank you for your interest in the MercyOne Des Moines/PHC Consortium Internal Medicine Residency Program. As chief residents for the 2025-2026 academic year, we will strive to contribute to the growth of our program, and we welcome all interested applicants.
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center, located in downtown Des Moines, is one of four MercyOne Medical Centers in Central Iowa which include locations in West Des Moines and surrounding areas. In total these medical centers have 875 beds.
MercyOne is a large tertiary referral center for Central Iowa and is certified as a Level II trauma center. Additionally, MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center has been certified as a Primary Stroke Center by The Joint Commission since 2007 and owns MercyOne Iowa Heart Center, a major driving force for cardiac clinical research and patient care.
Our three-year residency program has developed a comprehensive and balanced learning environment, including a strong inpatient foundation, immersive critical care experience, diverse subspecialty rotations and weekly continuity clinic. There are 13 positions per class with 10 categorical spots and three primary care track spots. This year is our first year with cohorts of 13 residents in all three classes since expanding to offer primary care track positions three years ago. Our primary care track provides the opportunity for a personalized experience at MercyOne for residents interested in outpatient medicine.
In our program, you will receive mentorship and education from top-class faculty members who are dedicated to your growth as strong and competent physicians. Ample one-on-one experience with subspeciality trained physicians in our hospitals and clinics creates an easy avenue to develop connections and meaningful relationships within your field of interest. We also work closely with our cardiology fellowship, which continues to grow with further expanding class sizes.
Our program exemplifies resident wellness by customizing schedules for each resident based on their interests and career goals. The program boasts of having no 24-hour call schedules and flexible PTO to maximize mental and physical health. We pride ourselves on our residents' camaraderie and cooperative atmosphere.
Our specialized didactic schedule is developed to ensure protected time away from clinic duties to focus on building your knowledge base and to complement your bedside learning. We have daily didactics that include subspecialist led lectures, morning reports, monthly M&Ms, Journal Clubs and Grand Rounds. In addition to this, we have one half-day every Friday that is focused on preparing for boards. Our residents regularly publish research and case reports and have often been able to benefit from our relationships with specialists in the Des Moines metro, as well as with the local medical school, Des Moines University. We regularly attend and present at regional and national conferences, such as ACP, CHEST and Society of Hospital Medicine. Our residents have diverse professional interests, with past graduates working in primary care, hospital medicine and subspecialty fellowships. Past residents have successfully matched into fellowships in cardiology, pulmonary/critical care, hematology/oncology, rheumatology, GI, nephrology, endocrinology, ID, sleep medicine and geriatrics.
Our primary focus is ensuring a welcoming and family-like atmosphere, a strong culture of respect and community, and preparing our residents to practice independently. We invite you to reach out to see what makes MercyOne Des Moines so special!
Chief Residents
Bansari Amin, DO
Matthew Holzer, DO
Sourav Bansal, MD
