The Foundations of Doctoring Curriculum (FDC) is a three-year, multi-faceted course for medical students at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. It is focused on teaching basic skills and professional development.

Description: Preceptorship and Longitudinal mentoring program which matches medical students to physicians in their practice settings. This relationship may last over two full years. The preceptorship program allows students to participate in patient care, gain exposure to various medical fields, and apply knowledge from medical school didactics, under the supervision and guidance of practicing physicians. This is also an opportunity for students to experience the practice of a particular specialty, helping to determine their career path.

Time Commitment: Two to three half days per month during the school year, at a time convenient to the preceptor’s clinical schedule.

Time of Year: First-year medical students: October through June; Second-year medical students: August through December

Level of Trainee: First- and second-year medical students

Faculty Needed: Family physicians, internists, pediatricians, emergency and urgent care physicians in the Denver Metro and surrounding areas for first- and second-year students. Preceptors must be members of the Clinical Faculty of the School of Medicine

Preceptors Needed: General pediatricians, emergency and after-­hours care pediatricians in the Denver metropolitan area for first­- and second­-year students. Third­-year students may elect to explore fields other than primary care and work with a specialty pediatrician. Preceptor/mentors must be members of the Clinical Faculty of the Department of Pediatrics.

Additional Information: Preceptors may share students with their physician partners.

Contact: Kristin Furfari, MD, Associate Director for Preceptorship at Kristen.Furfari@cuanschutz.edu; or Veronica Paradise at Veronica.Paradise@cuanschutz.edu. (303) 724-4559.

Course Description: The required pediatrics clerkship is six weeks long, including inpatient and outpatient experiences. Students will spend 2-3 week blocks with community providers in their office or clinic setting, focusing on well-child care and the management of minor acute illnesses.

Time Commitment: Two- to three-week blocks.

Time of Year: Up to eight rotations per year, year-round.

Level of Trainee: Third-year medical students.

Preceptors Needed: Rural and urban general pediatricians in outpatient settings who are members of the Clinical Faculty of the Department of Pediatrics.

Additional Information: Preceptors may share students with their physician partners, as long as they have a Clinical Faculty appointment in the Department of Pediatrics.

Contact: Shelley Moore at (720) 777-6867, Shelley.Moore@childrenscolorado.org

(This clinic is on pause during the COVID-19 pandemic)

Course Description: This is a semester-long opportunity for first- and second-year medical students to learn history and physical exam skills in a non-pressured environment.

Time Commitment: One or more evenings per semester. The Healthy Beginnings Clinic at Warren Village is held on Wednesday evenings from roughly 6:30-9:30pm.

Time of Year: Year-round with breaks taken between school terms.

Level of Trainee: First- and second-year medical students. A third- or fourth-year student from the Warren Village Steering Committee is also present on each clinic night to provide logistical support.

Preceptors Needed: General pediatricians who are members of the Clinical Faculty of the Department of Pediatrics.

Contact: Stephanie Stevens, MD, Course Director, Stephaniestevens@earthlink.net

Course Description: This is a three-year experience for pediatric residents in which they participate as providers in a community pediatric practice. They spend a half-day per week as well as two full months in the community practice over their three years as residents. The objective is for the resident to learn how general pediatricians provide continuity of care in a practice setting. By taking care of their own panel of patients, residents will be exposed to the breadth of general pediatrics,  health maintenance, acute illness care and long-term management of chronic illness.

Time Commitment: One afternoon per week (perhaps two afternoons per week in the second and third years).

Time of Year: Year-round.

Level of Trainee: One resident for all three years of their program.

Preceptors Needed: General pediatricians in the Denver metropolitan area.

Additional Information: Preceptors may share residents with their physician partners.

Contact: Daniel Nicklas, MD, Daniel.Nicklas@childrenscolorado.org

Course Description: This elective gives second- or third-year residents an opportunity to learn about rural practice.

Time Commitment: One month.

Time of Year: July through May.

Level of Trainee: Second- or third-year residents.

Preceptors Needed: General pediatricians in a rural practice in Colorado. Preceptors must be members of the Clinical Faculty of the Department of Pediatrics.

Contact: Daniel Nicklas,  MD, Daniel.Nicklas@childrenscolorado.org

Child Health Associate/Physician Assistant (CHA/PA) Students

Students in the CHA/PA Program have clinical experiences in community practices during all three years of their training.

First-Year Clinical Rotations

Course Description: First-year students learn clinical skills, including history, physical examination assessment, and patient management, under the supervision of community clinical preceptors. Preceptors should be licensed health care providers with experience in their field of instruction.

Time Commitment: One day each week (Tuesdays) for each six-week session.

Time of Year: There are two sessions per year, one in Spring and the other in Fall

Level of Trainee: First-year CHA/PA students.

Preceptors Needed: MDs, DOs, PAs, or NPs.

Contact: Janice Baker, MHR, (303) 724-1336, janice.s.baker@cuanschutz.edu

Second-Year Clinical Rotations

Course Description: Second-year students expand on their clinical skills, including history, physical examination, assessment, and patient management, under the supervision of community clinical preceptors.

Time Commitment: One day each week (Tuesdays)

Time of Year: August through May

Level of Trainee: Second Year CHA/PA students.

Preceptors Needed: MDs, DOs, PAs, NPs

Contact: Janice Baker, MHR, (303) 724-1336, Janice.S.Baker@ucdenver.edu

Second-Year Summer Clinical Rotations

Course Description: During this experience second-year PA students expand on their clinical skills, including history, physical examination, assessment and patient management, under the supervision of community clinical preceptors.

Time Commitment: Daily for two-week blocks

Time of Year: June- August

Level of Trainee: Second-year CHA/PA students.

Preceptors Needed: MDs, DOs, PAs, or NPs.

Contact: Janice Baker, MHR, (303) 724-1336, Janice.S.Baker@ucdenver.edu

Third-Year Rural Clinical Rotations

Course Description: It has been shown that students who do longer rotations in a rural area are more likely to practice there. All CHA/PA third-year students are required to do a one-month rural rotation in primary or specialty care.

Students in the Rural track have an additional two-month rural family medicine requirement. During this experience students expand on their clinical skills, including history, physical examination assessment, and patient management, under the supervision of community clinical preceptors.

Time Commitment: Daily for one month for all third-year students. for all third-year PA students; and two months in family medicine for rural track students.

Time of Year: June through April.

Level of Trainee: Third-year CHA/PA students.

Preceptors Needed: MDs, DOs, PAs, or NPs in rural settings. in family medicine, pediatrics, internal medicine, women’s health, inpatient, emergency medicine or other disciplines,

Contact: Janice Baker, MHR, (303) 724-1336, Janice.S.Baker@ucdenver.edu

Third-Year Clinical Rotations

Course Description: This experience gives CHA/PA third-year students the opportunity to develop competencies in a variety of required and subspecialty disciplines including family medicine, ambulatory pediatrics, internal medicine, emergency medicine, inpatient medicine, neonatology or adolescent medicine, surgery, women’s health and other disciplines under the supervision of community clinical preceptors.

Time Commitment: One month.

Time of Year: June through April.

Level of Trainee: Third-year CHA/PA students.

Preceptors Needed: MDs, DOs, PAs, or NPs.

Contact: Janice Baker, MHR, (303) 724-1336, Janice.S.Baker@ucdenver.edu