ATSU Board of Trustees member, alumnus Dr. John Thurman named Iowa Family Physician of the Year
Posted: November 22, 2023
John Thurman, DO, ’12, A.T. Still University (ATSU) Board of Trustees member and ATSU-Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine alumnus, was named 2023-24 Iowa Family Physician of the Year by the Iowa Academy of Family Physicians (IAFP) at the installation and awards banquet Nov. 17 at the West Des Moines Sheraton.
The Iowa Family Physician of the Year award is presented to one outstanding physician in Iowa who best exemplifies the tradition of the family doctor and epitomizes the finest standards of family medicine, says a press release from IAFP.
“He is the most positive, upbeat person I have ever met,” a nomination letter said. “He made me feel as though I was his only patient. He has that unique ability to focus on the person in front of him to the exclusion of all the other things that could be distracting. I felt that he saw and heard me as an individual, not just another patient. You come to understand that he really cares about you and your health.”
An accomplished seven-year, active-duty U.S. Army officer with combat experience and double board-certified family medicine physician, Dr. Thurman earned his bachelor of science degree in systems engineering from the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point. He completed a family medicine residency at MacNeal Hospital, Berwyn, Illinois, and was nominated chief resident in 2014. He recently joined the USMA class of 2027 for the 14-mile Graduate March Back to West Point. Among his many honors, Dr. Thurman was nominated for physician excellence at Great River Health for going above and beyond in patient care.
Dr. Thurman currently practices in Fort Madison, Iowa. He and his family physician colleagues complete extensive training beyond medical school in order to be able to provide the best possible patient care, including a three-year residency; in-depth training across a human lifespan from birth to death; and are trained in many areas of medicine including pediatrics, geriatrics, internal medicine, psychiatry, surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, and community medicine.
The Iowa Academy of Family Physicians has 1,800 members and is a constituent chapter of the American Academy of Family Physicians, which is one of the largest medical specialty societies in the United States with a membership of more than 129,000 family physicians, family medicine residents, and medical students.