BVU Biology Students Visit Cardiovascular Associates, P.C.

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BVU students at Cardiovascular Associates, P.C. in Sioux City.

STORM LAKE, IA (05/16/2017) (readMedia)-- Four Buena Vista University (BVU) science students traveled to Sioux City on May 9 for an exclusive tour of Cardiovascular Associates, P.C. in Sioux City.

During their time at the facility, the students met with a wide range of health professionals and learned about how nuclear cardiology, echocardiograms and cardiac stress tests are performed. They also met with a cardio electrophysiologist who demonstrated how to operate on patients with arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats, and how to return blood flow to the heart during a heart attack.

The experience was a direct result of BVU's ongoing partnership with Buena Vista Regional Medical Center (BVRMC). The partnership – which was formed in 2008 – marked the establishment of the Undergraduate Rural Medicine Education and Development (URMED) program that was designed to help alleviate the national shortage of physicians and other healthcare professionals in rural communities.

"The URMED clinical experiences BVRMC has developed and provided for BVU students, through internships at BVRMC and great field trips to specialty clinics like this most recent trip to Cardiovascular Associates, have been of great benefit to BVU students," said Dr. Brian Lenzmeier, professor of biology at BVU. "These experiences are often difference-makers for students in deciding to pursue medicine and in getting into medical school."

The community has also benefited from the partnership, including the recruitment of BVU graduates who are choosing to come back to the area to practice medicine, added Lenzmeier, who traveled with the students to Sioux City along with Brad Strader, executive director of the Buena Vista Regional Healthcare Foundation.

The trip was funded by the Otteman Endowment, which was gifted to BVU in 2010 and provides financial support to science students who have an interest in seeking medically related research and internships. Central Bank of Storm Lake provided lunch for the students.

The BVU students included:

• Courtney Studer, a freshman biology major from Clarion

• Matt Goodman, a sophomore biology major from Lime Springs

• Kalab Kibret, a freshman biology major from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

• Austin Amick, a freshman biology major from Spearfish, S.D.

About Buena Vista University

Since 1891, Buena Vista University has prepared students for lifelong success and blends liberal arts with real-world applications. Our traditional campus on the shores of Storm Lake hosts students in a variety of majors and pre-professional programs, including elementary, secondary, and special education; business and accounting; and biological and chemical sciences. Our 16 degree-completion locations, online, and graduate programs expand student potential with a pace and academic rigor designed for working adults and a variety of class formats that make scheduling even more convenient. With an average scholarship of more than 50 percent off of tuition, BVU is an affordable option for all students. Visit www.bvu.edu.