These Iowa PA Students Are Riding 68 Miles for Cancer Prevention (BONUS)

Iowa has one of the fastest-rising cancer rates in the country, so these PA students are fundraising to help.

Isabel Ahmann, Alex Fouts, and Nia Tanui, and Giana Michels just survived their first year of PA school alongside the MDs, and to celebrate they’re riding 68 miles across Iowa. This year’s Register’s Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa features a day focused on Why I Ride–that day, July 22, the route runs from Boone to Marshalltown. These physician associate students are dedicating their day to funding cancer screening and prevention across Iowa, especially in the rural communities where the rates are climbing fastest. They’re already over $1,000 in fundraising, with sponsors on the shirts, and every rider is committing a dollar per mile. Join the fundraising efforts!

But first, they have to figure out the gear. None of them have done RAGBRAI before, one just bought her bike a month ago off Facebook Marketplace. Clip-in pedals, road bikes versus “just a regular bike,” the physics of not face-planting when 500 riders behind you can’t stop in time — Alex walks Dave through all of it. Also, do you tape straws to your bike helmet for hydration? Apparently yes, one for water, one for whatever you’re bringing to a farm party, because RAGBRAI runs as much on beer tents as it does on fundraising.

Also, physician assistant is now officially physician associate, a change Dave’s going to have trouble unlearning. And yes, these PA students still find time to dress up as Hunger Games characters for their summer clinical skills exam.

Episode credits:

  • Producer: Dave Etler
  • Co-hosts: Isabel Ahmann, Alex Fouts, Nia Tanui, Giana Michels
  • Production: SCP Media Lab–Anna Royer, Cyrus Barati, Isa Perez-Sandi, Zach Grissom, Sarah Upton, Srishti Mathur, David Lee, and Jacob Thompson 

The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions.

We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

AI disclosure: Voices of host, co-hosts, and guests are human.  Some other voices–such as listener questions or questions/comments from the internet–may be AI generated.

Iowa has one of the fastest-rising cancer rates in the country, so these PA students are fundraising to help.

Isabel Ahmann, Alex Fouts, and Nia Tanui, and Giana Michels just survived their first year of PA school alongside the MDs, and to celebrate they’re riding 68 miles across Iowa. This year’s Register’s Annual Bike Ride Across Iowa features a day focused on Why I Ride–that day, July 22, the route runs from Boone to Marshalltown. These physician associate students are dedicating their day to funding cancer screening and prevention across Iowa, especially in the rural communities where the rates are climbing fastest. They’re already over $1,000 in fundraising, with sponsors on the shirts, and every rider is committing a dollar per mile. Join the fundraising efforts!

But first, they have to figure out the gear. None of them have done RAGBRAI before, one just bought her bike a month ago off Facebook Marketplace. Clip-in pedals, road bikes versus “just a regular bike,” the physics of not face-planting when 500 riders behind you can’t stop in time — Alex walks Dave through all of it. Also, do you tape straws to your bike helmet for hydration? Apparently yes, one for water, one for whatever you’re bringing to a farm party, because RAGBRAI runs as much on beer tents as it does on fundraising.

Also, physician assistant is now officially physician associate, a change Dave’s going to have trouble unlearning. And yes, these PA students still find time to dress up as Hunger Games characters for their summer clinical skills exam.

Episode credits:

  • Producer: Dave Etler
  • Co-hosts: Isabel Ahmann, Alex Fouts, Nia Tanui, Giana Michels
  • Production: SCP Media Lab–Anna Royer, Cyrus Barati, Isa Perez-Sandi, Zach Grissom, Sarah Upton, Srishti Mathur, David Lee, and Jacob Thompson 

The views and opinions expressed on this podcast belong solely to the individuals who share them. They do not represent the positions of the University of Iowa, the Carver College of Medicine, or the State of Iowa. All discussions are intended for entertainment purposes only and should not be taken as professional, legal, financial, or medical advice. Nothing said on this podcast should be used to diagnose, treat, or prevent any medical condition. Always seek qualified professional guidance for personal decisions.

We Want to Hear From You: YOUR VOICE MATTERS!

We welcome your feedback, listener questions, and shower thoughts. Do you agree or disagree with something we said today? Did you hear something really helpful? Can we answer a question for you? Are we delivering a podcast you want to keep listening to? Let us know at https://theshortcoat.com/tellus and we’ll put your message in a future episode. Or email theshortcoats@gmail.com.

We need to know more about you! https://surveys.blubrry.com/theshortcoat (email a screenshot of the confirmation screen to theshortcoats@gmail.com with your mailing address and Dave will mail you a thank you package!)

The Short Coat Podcast is FeedSpot’s Top Iowa Student Podcast, and its Top Iowa Medical Podcast!  Thanks for listening!

We do more things on…

You deserve to be happy and healthy. If you’re struggling with racism, harassment, hate, your mental health, or some other crisis, visit http://theshortcoat.com/help, and send additions to the resources there to theshortcoats@gmail.com. We love you.

AI disclosure: Voices of host, co-hosts, and guests are human.  Some other voices–such as listener questions or questions/comments from the internet–may be AI generated.

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