Iowa City's population is much too small to supply an adequate acute patient base for a medical school. They have to " truck in" patients. Rochester has similar problems. Omaha's metro area is approximately 1 million----much larger patient group teaching resource. Des Moines would have been a better location for Iowa's medical school facility.
Yes, but Iowa City is in proximity to "The triangle". Which is the area between Keokuk, Ottumwa and Davenport. A special area of Iowa that needs all the healthcare access it can get. (I learned of this from area from peds residents in Iowa City, and are quite versed in the varied learning that "the triangle" provides.)