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A: CSB students have the same experience during Phases I and II as the remaining CUSOM students on the Anschutz Medical Campus.  CSB students do not move to Colorado Springs until the beginning of Phase III. CSB students are assigned to Problem Based Learning (PBL) groups with other CSB students (total 8 students per group) and are assigned to select Advisory Colleges that contain both CSB students and AMC students from all classes.  CSB leadership make scheduled and as-needed visits to the Anschutz Medical Campus to answer questions and provide support to CSB students during Phases I and II.

A: CSB students have access to the same academic, career, and financial support, as all CUSOM students do, through the Office of Student Life (OSL).  OSL representatives are available by phone, video conference, and in-person at the CSB during regularly scheduled visits or by appointment. CSB students also have access to local advisors in addition to designated specialty advisors on the main campus. 

A: In addition to the strong performance of CSB students on the NBME subject exams, CSB students hold many leadership roles throughout CUSOM and their respective classes on the Anschutz Medical Campus. CSB students have also been successful at receiving awards and recognition within their respective classes.  See next FAQ regarding the residency match.

A: The goal of the CSB is to help all CSB students become competitive applicants for residency programs in any specialty.  CSB students have scored above the national average on NBME subject exams and obtain strong letters of recommendation from Phase III faculty that they have worked with for the entire year.  All CSB students achieve the same Phase III goals, objectives, and competencies and see the same required clinical conditions compared will all other students at CUSOM.  CSB students have access to the same specialty advisors, Advisory College Program faculty, financial aid support, and support from the Office of Student Life (OSL) as all other CUSOM students.  Specialty advisors and OSL faculty and staff from the Anschutz Medical Campus also make regularly scheduled visits to meet face-to-face with CSB students.

All CSB students will engage with a community organization as part of their Partner Education Action (PEAK) project.  Prior to the start of Phase II, CUSOM students have the opportunity to participate in a 2-day experiential poverty immersion known as the Poverty Immersion in Colorado Springs (PICOS).  Each November, CSB students can volunteer to help raise donations to support youth homeless services during Urban Peak’s Night Out to End Youth Homelessness.  In 2017, we established a student-run free clinic (see FAQ for more details). Students can also opt to dedicate their 4-year Mentor Scholarly Activity (MSA) to community-based research or advocacy.

A: Please contact Erik Wallace, MD, Associate Dean for Colorado Springs Branch, if you have any questions regarding the CSB.  You may reach Dr. Wallace by email at erik.wallace@ucdenver.edu.  If you would like to speak with a CSB student, Dr. Wallace can provide you with a list of students to contact.

The CSB partners with Mission Medical Clinic (MMC) to provide free care to Colorado Springs' most vulnerable adults. Mission Medical Clinic is a veteran of Colorado Springs' "safety net" for uninsured and under-insured residents. In 2017, CSB students pioneered a collaboration with MMC to imbed a monthly student-run free clinic within Mission Medical. CSB students provide mentored primary care to adults in partnership with CSB faculty on the third Saturday of each month; students can join the team as early as the spring of their first year of medical school. CSB students are also leading longitudinal quality improvement projects and community engagement projects at Mission Medical Clinic.