Governor Branstad to visit Mount Pleasant as part of Iowa tour

July 20 visit is a good chance to learn about Iowa's largest medical school

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DMU president, Gov. Branstad

DES MOINES, IA (07/07/2009)(readMedia)--

He served the state for 16 years as governor, is now president of Iowa's only osteopathic medical school and will soon be in town to speak to you.

Governor Terry E. Branstad, president and CEO of Des Moines University (DMU), will be in Mount Pleasant on July 20 to speak to the Rotary Club and network with local DMU alumni. The Club's meeting at 6:15 p.m. will be held in the Iowa Wesleyan College student center, west dining room.

While in Mount Pleasant, Governor Branstad will also be available for media interviews before or after the Rotary meeting. To schedule an interview, please contact Courtney Tompkins at 515.271.1576.

Governor Branstad will discuss the impact of DMU students in Iowa and abroad, particularly programs that serve the needs of rural communities in Iowa and Third World countries. He will also talk about some of the exciting technological advances being incorporated into the medical school curriculum, as well as the importance of a lifelong prevention of disease. His stop in Mount Pleasant is the third in a statewide tour visiting DMU alumni and community groups.

Former Iowa Governor Terry E. Branstad was named the president and CEO of Des Moines University in August 2003. Branstad is the 14th president in the University's 111-year history. Governor Branstad served four consecutive terms as governor of Iowa, from 1983 to 1999. When elected, he was the youngest governor in Iowa history; and, when he left office, he was Iowa's longest-serving governor. A native of Leland, Iowa, he earned an undergraduate degree from the University of Iowa in 1969 and a law degree from Drake University in 1974. He was a partner in general law practice in Lake Mills, Iowa, from 1974 through 1982.

Des Moines University is the only private medical school in Iowa, offering graduate-level, professional degree programs in osteopathic medicine, podiatric medicine, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, anatomy, biomedical sciences, health care administration and public health. Founded in 1898, the University offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' pass rate on national examinations and board certifications is consistently higher than the national average and the rates at similar institutions. The campus also includes a ten-story multi-specialty medical clinic.