Trisha Slehria

I grew up in North Carolina, earning my undergraduate degree at North Carolina State University before attending medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I was drawn to internal medicine by its breadth and its fundamentally holistic nature – the opportunity to care for the whole person, to reason through a wide spectrum of clinical problems, and to build lasting relationships with patients over time.

When it came time for residency, my now-husband Mash and I set out to interview at the same programs, carefully scheduling our visits on different days – until Iowa, which by pure coincidence was the one program we interviewed at together. It turned out to be the place we both ended up, and it’s hard to imagine it any other way. On interview day, Dr. Manish Suneja and Dr. Katie Harris stood out immediately; they had clearly read our applications and genuinely knew who we were. That thoughtfulness set the tone for everything that followed. We’ve come to love Iowa for its culture, for the friendships we’ve built, and for a program that has supported us at every step in becoming excellent internists and in pursuing our long-term goals.

I am passionate about women’s health, education, and mentorship, and I feel fortunate to carry those interests into my chief year. As the scheduling chief, I hope to continue advancing resident wellness – building schedules and a culture that protects the well-being of our residents while helping each of them grow into the physicians they aspire to be. Outside the hospital, my time is spent with family and friends, baking, exercising, and going on long walks, often with our one-year-old dog, Simba, who is truly the light of our lives. Looking ahead, I plan to pursue a cardiology fellowship, and I hope to once again couples match alongside my husband as we begin our next chapter together.