Story: Emily Nelson
Photography: Tim Schoon
Published: May 7, 2025
Mallory Obenauf first started coming to University of Iowa Health Care Stead Family Children’s Hospital as a 5-year-old. While being treated for severe scoliosis over the years, the future UI student found a home away from home, a passion to work in health care, and a lifelong mentor in her doctor.
“I grew up coming to Iowa City every six months for checkups and appointments, and it’s always felt like home,” says Obenauf, who will graduate this month with a DDS from the UI College of Dentistry. “So, it was an easy decision to come here not only for undergrad, but also dental school.”
Throughout Obenauf’s education at Iowa — which includes graduating with a BS in human physiology and a certificate in entrepreneurial management in 2021 — she has remained close to her childhood doctor, Stuart Weinstein, MD, an orthopedic surgeon at UI Health Care and Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
“Beyond being my doctor and surgeon, he’s been a great mentor,” Obenauf says. “Dr. Weinstein taught me patient-centered care, and that’s probably been one of the most valuable lessons I’ve learned. He’s been a wonderful person to reach out to for anything I need, and I can’t thank him enough for being a mentor for me for 20-plus years.”
Weinstein also helped ignite Obenauf’s interest in advocating for and educating the public on issues relevant to the dental field. As an eighth-grader, Obenauf traveled with Weinstein to Washington, D.C., to help him advocate for his scoliosis research.
“That was such a cool experience, getting to talk to legislators,” Obenauf says. “It really had an impact on me. When I found out I could do something similar for dentistry as well, it was a no-brainer. As future experts in our field, it is our responsibility to be our patient’s voice at both the local and national levels.”
Mallory Obenauf
Hometown: Davenport, Iowa
Degree: Doctor of Dental Surgery (DDS)
What’s next: Moving to Atlanta for an orthodontic residency, after which she has an offer to return to Iowa to join an orthodontic practice in Bettendorf.
As a dental student, Obenauf served as a legislative liaison for the Iowa chapter of the American Student Dental Association and as a delegate for the Graduate and Professional Student Government. In 2024, Obenauf was named the American Student Dental Association National Legislative Liaison of the Year awardee.
What was your most memorable experience at Iowa?
Participating in pregame in the Hawkeye Marching Band for the first time was one of my best memories ever. For just those couple minutes, 70,000 people in Kinnick Stadium are all looking at you and joining in singing the fight song. Being a part of that team spirit and camaraderie was absolutely unforgettable. And every time I did pregame after that was just as special.
What surprised you most about the University of Iowa?
Even once I came back for graduate school, I didn’t realize the depth of resources on campus. For example, just last year, I started going to the workout classes at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center with some of my classmates. If I had known about those in undergrad, I feel like I would have utilized those a lot more.
But there is a resource for everything at this university. Whatever you need, there’s someone to help you.
What has provided you with the greatest sense of belonging while at the University of Iowa?
Being a part of the Hawkeye Marching Band and contributing not only to the gameday atmosphere, but the general sense of community at Iowa as well. You also get to interact with people from all corners of campus. Being in the marching band, you’re with music majors, with pre-dental majors — you’re making friends across the university.
What did you get out of your Iowa experience that you don’t feel you would have gotten elsewhere?
The early clinical experience at the College of Dentistry is something that we’re known for. You won’t get that anywhere else. But beyond that, the faculty really cares about not only your success, but finding a method, a technique that works for you in each clinical situation, and that individuality, I think, is what sets Iowa apart.
What is one of the most valuable things you learned?
The most valuable thing I’ve learned at Iowa is perseverance. How to try again, to get up when you fall. I didn’t make the Hawkeye Marching Band my freshman year. That taught me to figure out what resources are on campus and who I could work with to get better. I auditioned again, and the rest is history.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank?
I would like to thank my parents for their unwavering support for these last eight years. My husband, for supporting me all those years as well, but also for being a great study buddy during my long study sessions in dental school. But most of all, I’d like to thank Dr. Stuart Weinstein for all his mentorship and for being a great inspiration for me during my education.