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Occupational & Environmental Medicine Fellowship

Our Occupational Medicine Fellowship is a one-year ACGME clinical training program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus that runs concurrently with our residency training program. Fellows gain clinical and research experience in occupational medicine, have the opportunity to complete their Master’s in Public Health degree with a concentration in Environmental & Occupational Health, and practice their skills in a wide variety of settings, from medical facilities to industry sites. Fellows in our program complete all requirements for board eligibility through the American Board of Preventive Medicine’s Residency Pathway, one of the few such fellowships in the US to do so. Fellows are financially supported through the Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC) at the Center for Health, Work & Environment, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, Pinnacol Assurance, and National Jewish Health.

Why choose us

Location

The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a state-of-the-art medical and research campus located in Aurora, CO. Nearby Denver is a great place to begin your career and to enjoy the arts and culture as well as the great outdoors!

Unique rotations

Residents can rotate locally at OSHA and NIOSH field offices. National Jewish Health—a preeminent pulmonary medicine hospital—is one of our core teaching sites. We also offer clinical research and practice opportunities at miner’s clinics and surveillance clinics for legacy energy and defense workers.

Train with residents

Fellows train alongside residents, providing an enriching experience for both trainees. Fellows have the opportunity to serve in mentorship roles for residents and share their backgrounds and diverse clinical experiences.

Anyone who has completed a residency in internal medicine, family medicine, emergency medicine, or other residency training with a clinical focus on adult medicine, musculoskeletal disorders, or public health; those with full board certification in a clinical discipline; those with an MPH or at least 50% of an MPH.

Because OEM training requires clinical rotations and completion of public health coursework, a fellowship candidate should have significant experience in one part or the other. For those interested in formal training and board eligibility who have little experience with both, the residency pathway is likely a better choice. Candidates who are eligible for the fellowship are also eligible for the residency.

The fellowship is ideally suited for candidates with significant clinical experience who want to complete an MPH and hone skills specific to OEM or candidates with a public health/preventive medicine background who want supervised clinical training in occupational medicine.

We can consider anyone interested in formal training in occupational and environmental medicine (OEM) who has completed a residency with a minimum of two years of supervised postgraduate clinical training through the ACGME, the AOA, the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada, or the College of Family Medicine of Canada.

Completion of a prior residency is required and board certification is preferred. Applicants must already possess an MPH or have at least 50% completion of graduate coursework towards the MPH.

All applicants must have completed an ACGME-accredited residency training program and must be board-certified or have documented plans to sit for the examination. Please note that AOA-accredited programs, clinical externships, clinical research, and training outside of the United States will not meet this requirement.

A series of interviews are required of all finalists. Offers of employment are contingent upon passing the necessary background check. The university will conduct criminal background checks on all new hires. Candidates will be sent a consent form allowing us to do the background check with the GME information packet in the spring.

Candidates should apply online through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) beginning September 15. The deadline to apply is November 1. Please refer to the admission requirements below before applying and note the following program number for the application: 3800777060 - Occupational Medicine Residency. All applicants to the fellowship should indicate their interest in the program in their personal statement.

Applicants interested in possible off-cycle admissions may contact Kasie Holcomb, the program coordinator, for availability.

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Welcome from the director

Welcome to the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Residency and Fellowship, part of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Colorado School of Public Health.

Read the full note >

Curriculum

Residents must complete a scholarly project as part of their training and can participate in other educational experiences such as monthly journal clubs, weekly case conferences, MAP ERC Research Day, presentations at the Rocky Mountain Academy of Occupational & Environmental Medicine, as well as other regional and national conferences. Additional opportunities include international worker health programs in Guatemala and Mexico and a field experience at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.

Residents complete at least one scholarly project and present at regional and national conferences. Examples of past projects include:

Using Digital Storytelling to Educate Employers about Chronic Disease and Aging in the Workplace
Worker Safety in the Marijuana Industry
Use of a Novel Diagnostic Tool to Identify Lung Disease in Veterans Deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan
Safety Training for Montana Logging Industry
Oil and Gas Occupational Injury Profile

In addition to required clinical rotations, residents may complete specialty rotations in orthopedics, ophthalmology, toxicology, physiatry, or psychology. Residents may also complete policy and law rotations.

Clinical rotations

Center for Occupational Safety (COSH) at Denver Health (core training site)
Colorado Division of Workers Compensation (core training site)
Concentra
International Occupational Medicine elective
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health
National Jewish Health (core training site)
National Renewable Energy Laboratory (Department of Energy)
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Orthopedic and urgent care
Peak Form Medical
University of Colorado Hospital Occupational Medicine
University of Colorado Toxicology
Workwell Occupational Medicine
Front Range Occupational Medicine
Injury Care Associates
Colorado Occupational Medicine Partners

Salary and benefits

Residents selected for this program are financially supported through the MAP ERC, Denver Health, and National Jewish Health.

PG Year	Stipend 2023-2024
1	$66,665
2	$68,870
3	$71,318
4	$75,421
5	$78,186
6	$82,216
7	$85,950

*The annual stipends include up to a $1,000 supplement for metric achievement in the GME Quality & Safety Partnership Program.

Benefits include:

Health, dental, life, vision, disability, and liability injury at work insurance
Flexible spending accounts and retirement plans
Vacation, FMLA, and educational leave
University of Colorado student discounts at local, regional and national businesses

Additional funding for:

MPH courses, paid in full
Books or other academic materials
Local and national conference and travel fees
Training opportunities in Colorado and Rocky Mountain region
Parking at major academic centers

Where alumni work

Our alumni fill every niche in occupational and environmental medicine. In the past 10 years, our graduates have joined or started private practices, worked in hospital-based clinics or related networks of care, crafted policy at the local, state, and national level, done academic advisory work for medical universities, worked in corporate occupational medicine, returned to active military service, and performed large-scale, grant-funded research projects.

Notable alumni include:

Dr. Ethan Moses (2014): Medical Director, Colorado Division of Workers’ Compensation, Denver, CO
Dr. Silpa Krefft (2016): Assistant Professor, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Denver VA Medical Center, Aurora, CO
Dr. Gabe Pepper (2017): Occupational Medicine Services Flight Commander, USAF, Hill Air Force Base, UT
Dr. Oscar Sanders (2018): Clinical Director, UC Health Occupational Medicine, Greely, CO
Dr. Pam Hackert (2019): Medical Health Officer, Genessee County Health Dept. Flint, MI
Dr. Kathryn Buikema (2020), Medical Director for General Motors CCA Plant, Denver, CO
Nancy Lin (2021), National Jewish Health and Johns Hopkins, Denver, CO
Ricky Pompei (2022), Injury Care Associates, Thornton, CO
Elizabeth Esty (2023), Center for Health, Work & Environment (MAP ERC), Aurora, CO

Spotlights

Faculty

Program leadership

Core academic faculty

Clinical faculty

Program mission

Our mission is to recruit and train the highest quality residents and prepare them for careers in occupational and environmental medicine (OEM). We serve those with occupational and environmental injuries and illnesses from the Denver-metro area, the state of Colorado, and the intermountain west. We are driven by injury and illness prevention, worksite wellness, and workplace health promotion and protection using Total Worker Health^® principles.

Colorado School of Public Health

CU Anschutz

Fitzsimons Building

13001 East 17th Place

3rd Floor

Mail Stop B119

Aurora, CO 80045

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