Advancing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Anesthesiology

Our DEI team works in tandem with CU Anschutz and the central office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement  and focuses on implementing programs and initiatives around diversity and health equity specific to the field of anesthesiology.

Annual Black Men in White Coats Youth Summit (Early May)

Our Department’s faculty and staff attend this annual youth summit for middle, high school to demonstrate airway simulation, ultrasound demonstration, brain anatomy, etc. Promotion of health care careers among elementary, middle and high school students. 
Masters of Science students in our Anesthesiologist Assistant Program regularly participate in local middle and high school outreach efforts to introduce students to careers in science, technology, engineering, arts and medicine. 

Find a listing of those events here.  

Grand Rounds 

Upcoming:   Implicit Bias; Microaggressions, Allyship, and Upstanding; and Equity in Action

Past Events:

Finding the Junction: Where Equity and Advocacy Collide. Anthony Sawyer, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Division of Pediatric Anesthesiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Jane Stewart, MD, Director of Education for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, University of Colorado Department of Anesthesiology, Clinical Instructor, Anesthesiology Denver Health and Hospital Authority

DEI 101: Health Equity in Action Lab “HEAL” training. Rita Lee, MD. Professor Division of General Internal Medicine, Director of the Health Equity in Action “HEAL” Lab. Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Community Engagement University of Colorado

DEI Recruitment Efforts

Our DEI Committee, consisting of committed faculty and staff, actively participates in resident and AA candidate interviews. They highlight our DEI initiatives, scholarships, outreach programs, and collaboration with the School of Medicine. This involvement has generated positive applicant engagement and interest.

Our faculty ensures a thorough review of all applications, giving extra consideration to underrepresented candidates. Personal calls to applicants have been well-received, addressing their queries and encouraging interview attendance.

Medical Student Externship Diversity Scholarship

The Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM) offers an Externship Diversity Scholarship Opportunity for 4th year visiting medical students who are interested in Anesthesiology. We are proud to announce our next round of scholarships for the 2025/2026 academic year. Up to four scholarships, $3,500 each, will provide financial assistance for recipients to complete a senior-level four-week anesthesiology clinical rotation at the CUSOM. Rotations are completed in late summer through early fall based on space availability.

Testimonial from 2024 Award Recipient

My rotation at the University of Colorado was truly enriching and I’m grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of the team.

During my time here, I gained substantial hands-on experience, particularly in managing complex cases and responding to critical situations. The autonomy I was granted, along with the incredible mentorship from both residents and attendings, allowed me to grow not only in my clinical skills but also in my ability to communicate effectively with the team. I particularly enjoyed taking patient histories, creating detailed anesthetic plans, and engaging perioperatively.

This rotation reinforced my love for anesthesiology and for working with a diverse patient population. It also highlighted how much I value working in a supportive, team-oriented environment like the one at the University of Colorado. 

Thank you again for the incredible opportunity.

Jessmin Fernandez

Program Description

The Externship Diversity Scholarship Program is designed to give students the experience of rotating as an anesthesiology “Acting Intern” (4th year medical student) at University of Colorado Department of Anesthesiology. The "Acting Intern" will function in the role of an anesthesiology resident and will be required to attend all conferences including core curriculum, morbidity and mortality conference, rotation-based clinical case conferences, and simulation lab experiences with the anesthesiology residents. For more information, please go to our Medical Student Externship page.  

MS in Anesthesiology (Anesthesiologist Assistant Program) Diversity Scholarship

The Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (CUSOM) is proud to announce our Chair’s Diversity Scholarship program, designed to help defray tuition costs, and the next round of scholarships for the 2025 calendar year.

We offer up to (4) $10,000 scholarships for first year students and (2) scholarships for senior students. To learn more about the scholarship and the application process, please visit our AA program website.

DEI Committee Members

Claudia Clavijo, MD, DEI Vice-Chair
Jane Stewart, MD, Director of DEI for education
Nidia Quillinan
Mario Villaseñor
Ramu Gumidyala
Rachel Clopton
Eliza Krishnan
Keleka Blair (Resident)
Carolina Aibar
Sounitha Murphy
Jaeda Gothberg
Gabby Ingalsbe
Stella Brock
Nurta Mohamed
David Feenstra
Alexis Gough (Resident)