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. MercyOne has partnered with Primary Health Care, Inc. to form the MercyOne Des Moines/PHC Consortium to enhance graduate medical opportunities in Iowa. MercyOne Des Moines/PHC Consortium is the Internal Medicine Residency sponsor. MercyOne Medical Center, in coordination with the ambulatory care experiences with Primary Health Care, Inc., conducts inpatient services and program management.

The residency outpatient continuity clinic is also a part of this collaboration. The outpatient continuity clinic is a Primary Health Care, Inc., Federally Qualified Health Center. The clinic comprises a diverse patient population spanning all age groups, socio-economic classes, and ethnic groups.

We offer a Categorical Track (10 residents at each post-graduate level) and a Primary Care Track (3 residents at each post-graduate level) designed to provide comprehensive and tailored experiences to meet your career goals and aspirations. I want to take this opportunity to describe both tracks and highlight what makes our program unique.

Categorical Track:

Our Categorical Track is designed for residents who are passionate about pursuing careers in internal medicine, subspecialties, academic medicine, or hospitalist roles. As a categorical resident, you will:

• Engage in a well-rounded and rigorous curriculum covering all internal medicine aspects.
• Have the opportunity to work closely with faculty leaders in their respective fields.
• Gain exposure to a diverse range of subspecialties and clinical research.
• Develop strong clinical skills in inpatient and outpatient settings.
• Be well-prepared for clinical practice or fellowship training. 

Primary Care Track:

Our Primary Care Track is perfect for those residents who are committed to becoming excellent primary care physicians or pursuing a career in specialized primary care (geriatrics, addiction medicine, women’s health, HIV), global health, ambulatory specialty (endocrinology, rheumatology), or academic medicine. As a primary care resident, you will:

• Receive specialized training in outpatient medicine, preventive care, and patient-centered communication.
• Benefit from mentorship and guidance from experienced primary care clinicians.
• Participate in community outreach and health promotion initiatives.
• Develop expertise in chronic disease management and continuity of care.
• Be prepared to provide comprehensive, compassionate, and evidence-based care in primary care settings.

The MercyOne Internal Medicine Residency program is a three-year program on both tracks. Inpatient Internal Medicine teams include residents, interns, and students who work with the faculty to provide 24-hour coverage for this service. The residents rotate through a broad spectrum of sub-specialties, including cardiology, pulmonology, critical care, endocrinology, geriatrics, gastroenterology, hematology/oncology, infectious diseases, nephrology, neurology, behavioral health, palliative care, and rheumatology. Elective rotations are also available.

The program faculty instructs and supervises the residents in the inpatient and outpatient settings. Faculty members include general internists as well as fellowship-trained physicians. The residents have the opportunity to participate in procedures related to the practice of internal medicine.

The program has a comprehensive didactic plan to assist residents in their preparation to practice state-of-the-art Internal Medicine. Our curriculum incorporates a traditional lecture format, case-based learning, and team-building exercises. The curriculum also includes morning reports, M&M discussions, lectures, multidisciplinary conferences, Journal Club, financial education, board review, and point-of-care ultrasound. In addition, we provide support for developing scholarly activities and nurturing the future internist’s curious mind.

We invite you to explore this site to better familiarize yourself with the comprehensive offerings of our residency program. You will see that our reputation for excellence in training is well deserved.

Please do not hesitate to contact us for further information.

Best,

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

Dylan Hengst, DO

Paul Kendall, MD

Bethany Travis, DO