Chief Residents
Luke Gessel | Marti Hlafka | Vijay Pottathil
Luke Gessel, M.D.
Luke grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He recieved a Bachelor of Science in Microbiology from Brigham Young University in 2005. He then pursued his medical degree at the Ohio State University College of Medicine, graduating with his M.D. in 2009. He then began his Internal Medicine residency training here at the University of Iowa. He has enjoyed the opportunities that his residency training has provided him and is excited for the chance to serve as Chief Resident this year.
Luke and his wife Marianne have four children. The oldest, Ryan is seven, followed by Ben, age 4 and twin boys, Matthew and Johnathan, age 2. Most of his free time is spent enjoying various activities with his family. He also enjoys reading, running and biking.
Marti Hlafka, M.D.
Marti received her Bachelor of Science degree from Illinois State University in 1992, with a double major in Chemistry and Biology. Following a career as a chemist and manufacturing manager in the pharmaceutical industry, she chose to pursue a medical degree. Marti received her M.D. degree at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 2009. She then completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa in 2012.
Following her year as a Chief Resident, Marti plans to remain in the Midwest as a hospitalist.
In her free time, Marti enjoys traveling, playing volleyball, spending time with family and friends, and cheering on her nieces and nephews in their respective sports.
Vijay Pottathil, M.D.
Vijay grew up in La Jolla, California and attended the University of Arizona where he received a B.S. in Biology. After his first two years attending UC Davis School of Medicine, he took a sabbatical to pursue a Master of Theological Studies degree from Harvard Divinity School where he studied Sanskrit and Comparative Religious Studies. He then resumed his medical training at the University of Michigan to join his wife, Iram. Vijay completed his Internal Medicine Residency at the University of Iowa and also obtained a Masters in Medical Education degree simultaneously. Following his chief year, Vijay plans to pursue a career in Academic Medicine with a focus on education.
Vijay and Iram have a 1 year-old-daughter, Ameera Pottathil, who he loves. He is thankful to his wife and his parents, Dr. Raveendran and Indira Pottathil, for their unconditional encouragement and love. Vijay's other passion is Carnatic music (South-Indian classical music), both vocal and violin, which he learns from his guru Sri Jayashankar Balan. He also enjoys reading, yoga, jogging, and weight lifting. He hopes to find a balance between his four core values: Family, Medicine, Music, and Health.