Family Medicine Medical Student Education

Even before medical school, our team is happy to connect with prospective students considering a career in family medicine/primary care. For those unfamiliar with the many career paths available for family docs, we encourage you to check out the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) website.

For 1st year medical students, we offer an introduction to family medicine elective course to further explore the profession and learn from family medicine physicians and residents. Our team also sponsors the Family Medicine Interest Group (FMIG). The interest group is a great opportunity to make connections and participate in fun socials, workshops, lectures, and other activities throughout the year.

During the core clinical year, you will be exposed to many specialties, including family medicine, as part of your Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship (LIC). Whether you are placed in a federally qualified health center, private practice, urgent care, rural health clinic, etc., we hope that you experience and come to appreciate the breadth and variety family medicine has to offer. We know this is a busy year and you have limited free time, but our core advisors are always available to meet with you!

We have a number of clinical and non-clinical electives available to students and partner with the family medicine residency programs across the state to offer acting internship experiences. We encourage you to attend a family medicine advising session and meet one-on-one with one of our core advisors to better understand your interests and help guide your 3rd/4th year planning. This is also a great time to pursue family medicine related research opportunities and local and national leadership roles through FMIG, AAFP, and other organizations. As you narrow your focus to family medicine, we offer several events to help with residency applications, interviews, creating your rank list, etc.

Roberto Silva, MD

Director DFM MSE; Rural LIC Director; Assistant Director SOM Rural Program

Professional Interest: Rural medicine; care of underserved populations.

Advising Expertise: Students who are undecided about residency choice, community health center/federally qualified health center residencies, rural medicine and residencies.

Email: roberto.silva@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile

George Olsen, MD

DFM MSE Asst Director and Core Advisor; Director of FM Acting-Internships and Electives

Professional Interests: OB and Maternity Care, Medication Assisted Treatment for Substance Use, Medical Education, Primary Care for Underserved Populations.

Advising Interests: Interview preparation, Finding the Right Specialty, Making a Rank List, 4th Year Acting Internships.

Email: george.olsen@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile

Jill VanWyk, MD

DFM MSE Core Advisor and Director of FM Advising

Professional Interests: Behavioral health in primary care, cognitive behavioral therapy, group visits, adolescent health, office procedures (injections, contraceptive procedures, nail matrixectomy, skin biopsy).

Advising expertise: Programs in the Pacific Northwest, Midwest.

Email: jill.vanwyk@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile

Heather Brougham, DO

DFM MSE Core Advisor and FMIG Faculty Advisor

Professional Interests: Women’s health, contraceptive procedures, mental health, obesity medicine.

Advising Expertise: Experience in academic and community medicine, former chief resident involved in match list preparation.

Email: heather.brougham@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile

  

Cleveland Piggott, MD, MPH

DFM MSE Core Advisor; Vice Chair for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion for the DFM

Professional Interest: Health equity and social justice, behavioral health integration, academic medicine, advocacy, leadership development, public health, and achieving the quadruple aim.

Advising Expertise: Colorado residency programs and those in the Southeast, connections to colleagues who have trained at many large family medicine programs around the country, and couples matching.

Email: cleveland.piggott@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile

Melissa Johnson, MD

DFM MSE Core Advisor; Director Physicians as Educators Course

Professional Interest: Medical student education, outpatient family medicine (all ages), women's health (IUD's, Nexplanon placement), office-based procedures (shoulder and knee injections), and minor skin procedures.

Advising Expertise: 4th year applications, self-discovery and specialty selection, work-life balance, interview preparation. 

Email: melissa.n.johnson@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile  

Erik (Seth) Kramer, DO, MPH

DFM MSE Core Advisor

Professional Interests: Metabolic disease, Diabetes Mellitus, Obesity Medicine, Nutrition, Public Health and Preventative Medicine of all ages, Office-Based procedures (Shoulder/Knee injections), HCV treatment, PrEP

Advising Expertise: 4th year application & interviewing process, community health, supporting those finding their place and specialty selection.

Email: erik.kramer@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile

Mark Deutchman, MD

Director School of Medicine Rural Program; Associate Dean for Rural Health; Patrick and Kathleen Thompson Endowed Chair for Rural Family Medicine

Professional Interest: Full-scope family medicine, rural family medicine, rural workforce development, oral health, practicing in ambulatory and hospital settings including maternity care, ultrasonography, and clinical procedures.

Advising Expertise: Colorado programs and rurally focused residencies. Defining and refining research options, choosing a career based on personal interests and aptitudes, personal financial management.

Email: mark.deutchman@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile

   

Brandy Deffenbacher, MD, FAAFP

Director of Developing Our Clinical Skills (DOCS), Family Medicine Clinical Content Director, Director AMC LIC Integration

Professional Interest: Faculty development - teaching teachers how to teach, provide feedback, direct observation, and curriculum development.

Advising Expertise: Improving academic medicine and medical education.

Email: brandy.deffenbacher@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile

Kari Mader, MD, MPH

DFM MSE Core Advisor; Director of Clinical and Education Innovation, Aurora Community Health Commons; Chief Operations Officer, DAWN Clinic

Professional Interest: Women's health including obstetrics, immigrant health, community-based research and organizing for achieving health equity, innovative care for underserved populations, team-based care, and leadership training.

Advising Expertise: Supporting students in finding their "place" in any specialty, 4th year application and interviewing process, Colorado programs, Southeast programs, and academic programs with innovative curricula.

Email: kari.mader@cuanschutz.edu

Faculty Profile

Melanie DeHerrera, MPA

MSE/Rural Program Manager

Email: melanie.deherrera@cuanschutz.edu 

Lucille (Lu) Heimerl

Admin and Student Support Coordinator

Email: lucille.heimerl@cuanschutz.edu

Melissa Darzins, MBA

Rural LIC Coordinator

Email: melissa.darzins@cuanschutz.edu

Julia Kendrick, MA

Rural LIC Coordinator

Email: julia.kendrick@cuanschutz.edu