Justin Elwood is doing his residency in anesthesiology
By Haley Brase
Problem solving and teamwork drove Justin Elwood to major in mechanical engineering at Iowa State, but it also made him interested in medicine. While attending ISU he worked as a technician in an emergency department which sparked the idea of medical school.
After graduating from ISU in 2009, Elwood went to medical school at the University of Iowa. He will complete his four-year residency training this June and then plans a one-year fellowship at U of I in pain medicine – a subspecialty of anesthesia.
“The teamwork and collaboration between the physicians and nurses I saw on a regular basis helped me determine what kind of doctor I wanted to be someday,” Elwood said.
He enjoys helping patients through surgery, and if problems do arise, he finds a solution.
“Whatever problem happens, I ask myself why it’s not going the way it should be, and I try to figure out how to solve it,” Elwood said. “It reminds me of my training as an engineering student at Iowa State.”
After he completes his fellowship, he plans on remaining in Iowa and practicing pain medicine.