Welcome to the Peak-to-Peak Pathway

Students in the DH-FM pathway will start their clinical training in the first year with a preceptorship experience in Family Medicine at Denver Health. They will then proceed with a guaranteed placement in the Denver Health Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. Together, these early immersive clinical experiences will maximize mentorship, clinical training opportunities and health systems exposure in a supportive community of educators, practitioners and peers committed to primary care of vulnerable urban populations.

The third year of medical school will include additional advanced training opportunities at Denver Health in Family Medicine as well as elective opportunities carefully designed to ensure readiness for the University of Colorado Family Medicine Residency. 

Family Medicine Accelerated Pathway Director

Dr. Lakshmi Karra is a full-spectrum family physician at Denver Health and an Associate Professor of Family Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz. She also serves as a member of Denver Health's Ethics Committee and as the Director of Family Medicine Fellowships at Denver Health. She received her Master's in Epidemiology from the Harvard School of Public Health and her medical degree from the University of Michigan.

Students in the DH-IM Infectious Diseases pathway will start their clinical training in the first year with a preceptorship experience in Internal Medicine at Denver Health. They will then proceed with a guaranteed placement in the Denver Health Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. Together, these early immersive clinical experiences will maximize mentorship, clinical training opportunities and health systems exposure in a supportive community of educators, practitioners and peers committed to public health, infectious diseases and the care of vulnerable urban populations.

The third year of medical school will include additional advanced training opportunities at Denver Health as well as elective opportunities carefully designed to ensure readiness for residency. 

For more information, please visit the University of Colorado Internal Medicine Residency Program and University of Colorado Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program webpages. 

Internal Medicine-Infectious Diseases Accelerated Pathway Director

Dr. Sarah Rowan is the Director of the Division of Sexual Health, HIV, and Viral Hepatitis at the Public Health Institute at Denver Health and an Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Colorado Denver. She is board certified in infectious diseases and specializes in the care of patients with HIV, hepatitis C, and sexually transmitted infections. Dr. Rowan’s research focuses on optimizing public health efforts to diagnose, treat, and prevent HIV and hepatitis C (HCV). She also serves as the Medical Director of the Denver Prevention Training Center and the Associate Director for Public and Community Health for the Mentored Scholarly Activity Program in the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

Students in the DH-IM Primary Care pathway will start their clinical training in the first year with a preceptorship experience in Internal Medicine at Denver Health. They will then proceed with a guaranteed placement in the Denver Health Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. Together, these early immersive clinical experiences will maximize mentorship, clinical training opportunities and health systems exposure in a supportive community of educators, practitioners and peers committed to primary care of vulnerable urban populations.

The third year of medical school will include additional advanced training opportunities at Denver Health in Internal Medicine as well as elective opportunities carefully designed to ensure readiness for the University of Colorado Internal Medicine Residency and the University of Colorado Internal Medicine Primary Care Track. 

Internal Medicine-Primary Care Accelerated Pathway Director

Dr. Kira Grush is an Assistant Professor in the Divisions of Hospital Medicine and General Internal Medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She holds a dual clinical role at Denver Health where she practices as both a hospitalist and a primary care physician. Drawing on her Colorado roots and her experience as a K-12 educator in Denver’s Five Points and Cole neighborhoods, Dr. Grush has devoted her career to serving the city’s urban community. As Director of the Accelerated 3-Year Pathway for Denver Health Internal Medicine-Primary Care, she is dedicated to supporting students as they build careers centered on caring for Denver’s most vulnerable populations. 

Students in the CHCO-Pediatrics pathway will start their clinical training in the first year with a preceptorship experience in Pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Colorado. They will then proceed with a guaranteed placement in the CHCO Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship. Together, these early immersive clinical experiences will maximize mentorship, clinical training opportunities and health systems exposure in a supportive community of educators, practitioners and peers committed to pediatric care.

The third year of medical school will include additional advanced training opportunities at CHCO in Pediatrics as well as elective opportunities carefully designed to ensure readiness for the CU Anschutz Pediatric Residency Program.

Pediatrics Accelerated Pathway Director

Dr. Laura Lockwood is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Pediatric Hospital Medicine at the University of Colorado and Children’s Hospital Colorado. She is also an Associate Program Director for the University of Colorado Pediatric Residency Program. Within the residency program, Dr. Lockwood leads resident assessment and the medical education pathway and her scholarly worked is focused on building systems that optimize competency-based medical education and mastery learning.

Students in the Rural-FM pathway will start their clinical training in the first year with a preceptorship experience in Family Medicine. They will then proceed with a guaranteed placement in the Rural Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship in the community in which they have a directed residency match. Together, these early immersive clinical experiences will maximize mentorship, clinical training opportunities and health systems exposure in a supportive community of educators, practitioners and peers committed to care of vulnerable rural populations.

The third year of medical school will include additional advanced training opportunities in family and rural medicine as well as elective opportunities carefully designed to ensure readiness for residency. 

For more information, please visit the North Colorado Family Medicine Residency and Southern Colorado Family Medicine Residency webpages. 

Rural Family Medicine Accelerated Pathway Director

Dr. Elizabeth Gundersen is an Associate Professor of Hospice & Palliative Medicine, Assistant Dean for Student Affairs, and core faculty in the Rural Program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Her original training and practice was in rural Family Medicine, and she is passionate about supporting students throughout their medical education while promoting rural healthcare. She has additional interests in serious illness care, professional identity formation, and museum-based education.