Information Literacy Program: Meet the 2022-2023 Peer Associates

    Genevieve Lifka-Reselman, MPH '23 

I have previously worked as a nurse at area hospitals, a GI clinic, and a specialty pharmacy. I currently work in public health and as a respite nurse for children that are medically fragile. I am interested in the role nurses play in decreasing health disparities through education and navigation. I am also interested in systems change through provider support embedded in electronic health information systems. In my classwork I have focused on health disparities and solutions related to cancer screenings and chronic disease management. I also am concerned about maternal mortality, but it is not an area of nursing that appeals to me. I live in the Des Moines area and have been an active volunteer in area preschools and elementary schools.  I enjoy working on literacy skills and language development with children through play.  I also enjoy exploring books with children.  

   Elizabeth Pryor, DO '25 

I am a second-year student in the DO program. I am from Minnesota and graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2020 with a B.S. in Science-Business and a minor in Latino Studies. I have previously worked as a medical scribe and have also been involved in research regarding rare diseases and infectious disease testing. On campus, I am the president of the Medical Students for Latino Health and Infectious Disease and Public Health clubs and am also a teaching assistant in clinical medicine, ultrasound, and OMM. I am currently interested in pursuing pediatrics. I am especially interested in the intersections between public health and primary care for children. 

    Fue Vue, DO '25 

I am a second year DO student and am a research associate with Dr. Dai, studying type-2 diabetes and epigenetics. We are currently exploring candidate genes of hydroxymethylation for type-II diabetes patients. I obtained my B.S. in Psychology at Brown University in 2017 and finished a post-baccalaureate program at the California Northstate University – College of Health Sciences.

I have presented on a research proposal while at California Northstate University, targeting ACE-2 as a target protein for SARS-CoV-2 treatment. I also have research experience in the field of psychology, notably on theory of mind and cognitive empathy. During my gap year, I worked in the biotech industry to help create COVID-19 diagnostic kits. 

I am from Sacramento, California. Some of the other organizations I am actively a part of at DMU are Student National Medical Association (SNMA) and the Christian Medical Association (CMA). I am very open-minded about my future specialty, but presently, I am highly considering internal medicine, pediatrics, and surgery.

Fun Fact: I am a child of refugees and a first-generation Hmong student. You will see me playing volleyball in the gym because it is a sport passed down from many Hmong uncles, who learned to play volleyball while in the refugee camps in Thailand. I’ve always been a pass-first player, so feel free to reach out to me! 

   Rainie Scott, DO '25 

I am a second-year osteopathic medical student at DMU. I am a Southern California native and received my Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies with a minor in Geospatial Information Systems and Technologies from UCLA prior to deciding to pursue a career in medicine. My primary interest is in research that explores the role of structural racism in adverse perinatal outcomes for Black birthing communities, and how existing systems and methodologies might be modified to ensure equitable perinatal and gynecological care. My goal is to become an obstetrician/gynecologist and work with other healthcare professionals to facilitate the shift from a physician-centered healthcare paradigm to a patient-centered model that prioritizes access to perinatal and reproductive healthcare services that are high-quality, affordable, and culturally relevant.

    Erin Spieth, DPM '24 

I am Wisconsin born and raised but am turning into more of a southern gal. I am a current 3rd year CPMS student. I received my bachelors in 2019 from Missouri State University in cellular and molecular biology with an emphasis in genomics and genomic editing. Before starting at DMU, I was a full-time student, full- time employee at a large level 1 trauma center as a tech, a research assistant in an Alzheimer's research lab, and a university science tutor. 

I am very blessed as my family is my strongest support system. My brother is my largest inspiration in my current medical journey. In 2010, he was diagnosed with viral dilated cardiomyopathy at the age of 15 and was blessed with the gift of life of a new heart on June 8, 2010. He now is a spokesperson for the American Heart Association, The Transplant Foundation, and has competed in numerous international transplant games, which are very similar to a Paralympics, but for transplant recipients and living donors. He is one of the reasons I want to become a physician. My family spent countless months in the hospitals between his health and my graceful accidents. I know medicine is where I belong. My mom, stepdad, and step siblings live in Wisconsin which is luckily somewhat close to Des Moines. My father, stepmom, and stepsisters live in the Carolinas and have really influenced me in believing I belong in the south instead of the Midwest. My family is a 4-H family where we grew up always volunteering and giving back to our community. This is a family value I like to still keep to.

I currently am looking into more podiatric research articles and possibly brainstorming a future research project of my own. School takes a lot of my time but luckily, I have learned to find a balance between my personal life and the time expectations of medical school. Outside of school, I am a full-time dog mom to two beautiful AKC registered golden retrievers. I have been showing/handling dogs in AKC for about 15 years now. If I am not in town, I am most likely at a show with Blake and Chloe. The hope is to get Blake to Westminster, so watch for us on TV next year. I also enjoy the gym, swimming, yoga, horseback riding, reading novels, and binge-watching the newest docuseries on Netflix or HBO Max.

I came to DMU knowing this was the best school to match my personality and for me to achieve my aspirations on becoming a podiatric surgeon. I also love the ability to be involved with giving back to our community! I am always trying to improve my knowledge and skills on a daily basis. If you see me on campus, please say hi! I am a social butterfly and love meeting new faces, answering questions, or helping in any way I can.