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Occupational & Environmental Medicine Fellowship

Our Occupational Medicine Fellowship is a one-year 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 all or part of 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 Complementary 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.

Program details

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 significant post-graduate clinical experience otherwise eligible (two years minimum of supervised clinical training); or those with an MPH and a minimum of two years of supervised clinical training.

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 eligible for the residency.

The fellowship is ideally suited for candidates with significant clinical experience who want to pursue 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 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. Please review the ABPM frequently asked questions regarding the complementary pathway to board eligibility. Completion of a prior residency and other board certification is preferred. An MPH or equivalent degree is also preferred.

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, at Kasie.Holcomb@CUAnschutz.edu for availability.

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 in-person 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.

Fellows are financially supported with tuition, stipends, and research and travel funding by the Mountain & Plains Education and Research Center (MAP ERC) and a generous gift from Pinnacol Assurance. The MAP ERC is one of 18 National Institute of Occupational Health and Safety (NIOSH) Education and Research Centers in the country. Students supported by the Center collaborate with trainees with specialties in industrial hygiene, ergonomics, occupational health psychology, and health physics on interdisciplinary research, scholarly projects, and in-depth field assessments at local industrial sites.

The fellowship includes 5-10 credits of coursework in the Colorado School of Public Health as well as rotations in clinical and population-based occupational medicine settings. Coursework and rotations can be customized based on fellows’ prior clinical experience and designed to fit the needs of physicians from a variety of specialties.

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

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
Concentra
Exempla/SCL
Hughes Medical Clinic (IME and Aviation medicine)
International Occupational Medicine elective in Guatemala
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

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.

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 arts and culture as well as the great outdoors!

Unique rotations

Residents can rotate at OSHA and NIOSH field offices. And 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.

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

Faculty

Program leadership

Core academic faculty

Clinical faculty

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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Occupational & Environmental Medicine Fellowship

Program details

Program mission

Why choose us

Where alumni work