Our Students

Derious O. 

My name is Derious, and I am proud to be a medical student at the Fort Collins Branch of CUSOM. It has been a long journey to get to this point, and I could not have done it without the help of my family and, most importantly, my fantastic wife, Lydia. I started this journey to help others and advocate for people who look like me in healthcare. Regardless of the specialty I choose, I want to be a physician who connects with my patients personally and delivers the highest quality care. I am confident CUSOM will prepare me to fill that role. In addition, I could meticulously list all the reasons I wanted to be at CUSOM Fort Collins, but the reality of it has far surpassed my expectations. I could not have asked for a more nourishing and supportive environment. Plus, being a part of the Fort Collins branch means I have the unique opportunity to intimately experience 11 other perspectives that I would not have gotten otherwise. We will grow, falter, fail, and achieve together. Ultimately, I know we will learn from each other that there is no one “right” way to succeed in medicine, but many. I am originally from Indiana, but in the months I have spent in Colorado, I have come to accept it as my new home. The natural beauty here could sustain me for a lifetime, and I enjoy exploring it with my wife and dogs. I cannot imagine a better place to take on the challenge of medical school. As I struggle to learn yet another pathway or challenging concept in class, I can look to the mountains and be reminded that although something may seem insurmountable, it has already been summited. I need only to keep moving forward and know I am supported; for that, I am so thankful.

Katelyn B.

My name is Katelyn! I grew up in CO and I’m delighted to be a part of the class of 2027. I am especially excited to join the Fort Collins Branch campus – we are a tight community. I love the unique opportunities to foster deep relationships with the faculty, classmates (and their awesome partners/kiddos), and older student classes! The Fort Collins branch deeply values balance and well-being for their students, which motivates us to take care of ourselves and each other. Outside of classes (yes, there is time), I love to spend time outside hiking, kayaking, biking, swimming in Horsetooth, teaching and practicing yoga, and spending time with my sweet fiancé. Within medicine, I have deep passions for education, integrative medicine, mental health and systems-level change.

Mara D. 

My name is Mara, and I am a member of Mvskoke nation coming to Fort Collins from Tulsa, Oklahoma. I am excited to begin my journey in medicine to learn how to address the health concerns of indigenous communities, which often suffer from unfortunate health disparities. I am especially excited about being at the Fort Collins Branch because the One Health emphasis on the shared environment of plants, animals, and humans is something that I feel will be useful when working within the tribal health system as these concepts reflect some of the values held within these communities. Outside of work, I love hiking with my two dogs, and we look forward to being minutes away from the mountains!

Adam C. 

Hello, my name is Adam and I think of myself as a dad, partner, student, cat-parent, and veteran. At 29 years old, my journey through life has taught me that there are no metrics more important than our connection to other people. As a Fort Collins local for 9 years, I am exceptionally excited to attend the Fort Collins CUSOM Branch.  Being a new parent, I have felt that CUSOM recognizes the value of prioritizing both education and my home life. From personal experience, this town has a knack for bringing out the best in people, and I cannot wait to learn from this institution, distinguished for its excellence and service to a community that I love.

KC H. 

Originally from Oregon, KC spent the last decade as an outdoor science educator before joining the Fort Collins branch. In her spare time, KC enjoys gardening, hiking with her husband and new rescue dog, and playing roller derby. Her favorite parts of living in Fort Collins are how walkable the town is (so many great trails and things to do!) and how supportive & welcoming the community here has been.

Nick F. and Lizzy G. 

Our names are Nick and Lizzy and we are lucky enough to be attending medical school alongside one another and our stubborn Siberian Husky! Nick is originally from Texas but has lived all over the country chasing a childhood dream of playing junior and college hockey. Out of the many places Nick has lived, Fort Collins tops them all! Cycling, hiking, playing recreational hockey – there are ample opportunities to do anything and everything in this quirky place. Lizzy was born and grew up in Barcelona but has lived in several US cities since junior high. She was a swimmer in college and is hoping to start training for longer swims regularly at Horsetooth Reservoir (once the weather allows)! Aside from staying active, we both particularly enjoy walking through Old Town and trying new coffee shops, restaurants, and the occasional brew from one of our many local breweries!

P.S. FoCo is also a super doggo friendly town!

Natasha G. 

My name is Natasha, and I am a medical student in the Class of 2024. I grew up in southern California--the better half of California--and am thoroughly enjoying Colorado! I opted to be in the Fort Collins area for the more individualized experience and in the hopes of gaining exposure to medicine outside of large academic settings. The LIC has been wonderful so far: I was pleasantly surprised by just how caring, attentive, and thorough my preceptors have been. There is genuine excitement in the community to teach us medical students, which has really set us up for success. This has also allowed me to cultivate relationships with potential mentors much more easily. Currently, I am thinking I will go into Internal Medicine or Psychiatry, but I have yet to make any decisions. Many other specialties are still on the table, so I look forward to exploring!

Shea S. 

My name is Shea and I, along with my wife and 4 children, have been participating in the Fort Collins LIC program for five months. We chose to come here from main campus for a more tight-knit environment, my wife desiring a closer connection with the community and me wanting more one-on-one training with my preceptors. I came with the desire to pursue anesthesia knowing I would have plenty of opportunities for personalized development and the experience has been fantastic!