Electives
In addition to the full array of traditional electives in internal medicine subspecialties, the program offers several special opportunities. Residents are encouraged to choose from important areas within and related to internal medicine. Furthermore, if one of our residents self-identifies an opportunity or interest, we work to create a unique month that fulfills their needs and expands out offering for future residents. Our emphasis is on flexibility and helping our residents tailor their training to meet their interests and future career goals.
A complete list of electives available at the University of Colorado can be found below:
| Elective Rotation |
| ACUTE Center for Eating Disorders and Malnutrition |
| Add Med OP DH |
| Allergy |
| Ambulatory Dermatology at Denver Health |
| Ambulatory Endocrinology at Denver Health |
| Cardiology Consults |
| Cardiology OP |
| Cardiology Primary Care |
| Complementary and Integrated Health (CIH) |
| Clinical Nutrition |
| Denver Health Cardiology Elective |
| Denver Health Emergency Department |
| Denver Health Urgent Care |
| Endocrinology |
| Geriatrics |
| Gastroenterology Consults |
| Gastroenterology Outpatient at Denver Health |
| Gastroenterology Outpatient at University Hospital |
| Gastroenterology Elective at VA |
| Hematology/Bone Marrow Transplant at University Hospital |
| Hematology/Oncology Consults at Denver Health |
| Hepatology Outpatient |
| Hepatology Inpatient Consults |
| HIV |
| Hospitalist Preceptorship for Interns |
| Hospitalist Preceptorship |
| Hospitalist Preceptorship at Rose Medical Center |
| Infectious Disease Consults |
| Infectious Disease Outpatient |
| Med-Peds Primary Service Hospitalist |
| Medical Educators |
| Medical Genetics |
| MICU (UCH Medical Intensive Care Unit) Elective |
| Narrative Medicine |
| Neuro Clinic (Neurology Prelims Only) |
| Neuro-Radiology, Ophtho, Vacation, Rheumatology Elective (Ophtho Prelims Only) |
| Rose Intensive Care Unit |
| Obesity Medicine |
| Oncology Elective |
| Ophthalmology Clinic |
| Palliative Care/Hospice |
| Primary Care Research |
| Primary Care Select |
| POCUS (Point of Care Ultrasound) |
| POCUS (Point of Care Ultrasound) 2.0 |
| Practical Orthopedics for Internal Medicine |
| Preceptorship - Indian Health Service |
| Preceptorship - Refugee |
| Preceptorship - Rural |
| Preceptorship - Urban |
| Precision Medicine |
| Primary Care Practice Setting Exploration |
| Psychology Consults |
| Psychology Outpatient |
| Pulmonology Consults |
| Pulmonology/Hypertension |
| Pulmonology Outpatient |
| Rehabilitation Medicine |
| Renal Combined |
| Renal Inpatient |
| Renal Outpatient |
| Research |
| Rheumatology Combined |
| Rheumatology Inpatient |
| Rheumatology Outpatient |
| Rose Emergency Department |
| Sports Medicine |
| Sleep Medicine |
| Systems-Based Practice |
| Transitions of Care |
| UCH Medicine Consults |
| UCH Emergency Department |
| UCH Neurology |
| Understanding Health Systems |
| Women's Health/Neurology |
| Women's Integrated Health (WISH) |
Learning and practicing medicine in another country is a unique opportunity. The Department of Medicine encourages residents to train and practice medicine in remote communities as well as in communities outside the United States. We have partnered with the University of Colorado Denver Center for Global Health to expand and improve international offerings. All programs offered through the University of Colorado Internal Medicine Residency Program follow the ‘twinning model’ of global health and are equally beneficial to the residents here as they are to the sites of practice and trainees in the country with whom we partner.
Our two most established opportunities with support for expenses incurred are:
- Colorado – Zimbabwe International Exchange (CoZIE) program in Harare, Zimbabwe. This is a bilateral exchange program between University of Colorado School of Medicine (DOM UCSOM) and the Department of Internal Medicine in the University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZCHS). The rotation takes place in their medical school, which is located in an urban setting. This allows for residents to work in a resource poor setting with a team of UZCHS faculty, residents and medical students.
- The Guatemala (Trifinio) Global Health Elective. This is a clinic experience located ~45 minutes south of Coatepeque, Guatemala. The Center for Global Health and the Hose Fernando Bolaños Foundation developed this clinic and community programs in the surrounding area. The clinic serves a population of banana plantation workers and their families. Residents will work in the clinic with other providers to care for the surrounding areas. The population includes children and mothers allowing for other specialties as well.
Other highly rated experiences include:
- The Himalayan Health rotation in India
- Johnson and Johnson Global Health Scholars at various sites
- CU-sponsored sites in Nepal and India
Primary care residents have priority access to underserved electives, but these opportunities are also open to all internal medicine residents. The number of available spots throughout the academic year will depend on clinic availability and learner numbers
Local sites include:
- Denver Health and Hospitals Clinics, Refugee Health (Spring Institute), Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, and more: Residents have the opportunity to spend a month at a single site to experience the rewards of providing primary care to vulnerable populations.
- Indian Health Service Sites: Residents can take advantage of wonderful opportunities in these unique clinic locations in southwestern Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.
- Rural Colorado: Several alumni of Primary Care Track now practice in rural areas of Colorado. Many of these physicians are excited to act as preceptors to residents looking to experience a physician’s life outside of the urban area. As medicine becomes more and more specialized, you can spend a month learning what it’s like to practice without easy access to a cardiac catheterization lab, an MRI machine, or even most subspecialties at a variety of excellent sites around the state.