MAP ERC trainee smiling in a white coat with a stethoscope

Occupational & Environmental Medicine Residency

Our residency is an ACGME-accredited two-year program at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Residents in this program complete all requirements for board eligibility through the American Board of Preventive Medicine, earn a Master of Public Health degree with a concentration in Environmental & Occupational Health, and develop skills in a wide variety of settings, from medical facilities to industry sites. Residents 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, Workwell Occupational Medicine, 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.

Clinical fellowship

We offer one of the few clinical fellowships in EOM in the U.S. Fellows–who typically bring mentorship and experience in another specialty–train alongside residents, providing an enriching experience for both trainees. Fellows have diverse backgrounds and training experience in pediatrics, emergency medicine, and more.
Occupational and environmental medicine is a medical specialty devoted to the prevention, treatment, and management of work-related injuries, illnesses, and disabilities and the promotion and protection of worker safety and health.

Broaden your impact
Occupational and environmental medicine physicians are public health specialists who care for injured workers, work with employers to prevent injuries, and help develop policies to maintain worker health. We direct workers to get the care they need so that they can perform essential functions in our society.

Build relationships
Occupational physicians form personal relationships with patients where they witness and participate in meaningful improvement in patient health.

Better work-life balance
Occupational physicians experience a significantly lower burnout rate than those working in any other field of medicine. Why? Even as a resident, you can experience work-life balance with manageable schedules (including no night shifts).

Financial support
In this particular program, residents also receive scholarships to earn their Master's in Public Health (MPH) degree as well as a Certificate in Total Worker Health®.

Good candidates for this program include:

  • Individuals who have completed a clinical residency and are interested in earning an MPH
  • Medical students interested in non-operative musculoskeletal skills and outpatient practice
  • Physicians seeking expertise in all elements of worker health including prevention, treatment and medical-legal
Man wearing an orange coat, glasses, and a hat smiling in a selfie with a dog

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.

Salary and benefits


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

Paul Ogden MD, MSPH

Clinical Assistant Professor; Program Director (OEM Residency & Fellowship)

Core academic faculty

Lee Newman MD, MA

Distinguished Professor, Director (CHWE)

Natalie Schwatka PhD, MS

Assistant Professor

Liliana Tenney DrPH, MPH

Assistant Professor, Director of Outreach and Programs (CHWE)

Clinical faculty

Kathryn Bird DO, MPH

Occupational Medicine Specialist (Concentra)

Elizabeth Esty MD, MPH

Clinical Instructor, University of Colorado Residency in Occupational and Environmental Medicine

Bibi Gottschall MD, MSPH

Pulmonologist (National Jewish Health)

Michael Kosnett MD, MPH

Associate Adjunct Professor

Annyce Mayer MD, MSPH

Physician (National Jewish Health)

James Ethan Moses MD, MPH

Adjunct Assistant Professor, Chief Medical Officer (Peak Form Medical Clinic)

Karin Pacheco MD, MSPH

Clinical Associate Professor, Allergist (National Jewish Health)

Cecile Rose MD, MSPH

Pulmonologist (National Jewish Health)

Oscar Sanders MD, MPH

Occupational Medicine Specialist (UCHealth)

Roxana Witter MS, MD

Adjunct Assistant Professor

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.

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