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At the foot of the Rocky Mountains, Denver is known for sweeping views and wide array of outdoor activitiesAllergy and Immunology Fellowship
Program Overview
Our program is primarily based at Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO), with adult clinics and consultative services at the University of Colorado Hospital (UCH), both are based at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado. This is an ACGME-accredited, University of Colorado Program, Allergy and Immunology Fellowship (Program Number 0200700087). This is a 2-year fellowship with an optional 3rd year. Given our program is based at a Children’s Hospital, we accept applicants from General Pediatrics or combined General Pediatrics/Internal Medicine training programs.
Children’s Hospital Colorado has been consistently ranked in the top 10 Children’s Hospital’s in the United States. In addition to being one of the newest Children’s Hospitals, it is among the largest and has a large catchment area with no other major Children’s Hospitals within a 500-mile radius.
The Allergy/Immunology Section at Children’s Hospital Colorado was founded in 2013 and the Allergy and Immunology Fellowship started in 2016. Despite both being relatively new, our faculty have over 100 years of combined experience in every facet of Allergy and Immunology, with:
- 10 primary pediatric allergy faculty
- 4 primary clinical pediatric immunology faculty
- 5 primary adult allergy and immunology faculty
- 1 MD/PhD director of clinical & translational allergy & immunology lab
- 1 PhD clinical psychologist
- 1 PhD dietician
We opened a new state of the art Allergy and Immunology Center at CHCO in 2018. This center is one of the largest facilities in the country, providing an opportunity to synthesize research, education, and clinical work in one space for our fellows. The Allergy and Immunology Center
- 12 clinic exam rooms
- 12 food/drug challenge rooms
- Dedicated immunotherapy/biologic administration area
- Dedicated educational conference room
Fellowship Program Aims
- To prepare subspecialty physicians to provide patient-centered, culturally competent care for patients and their families. The case is provided with an emphasis on effective communication, patient safety, quality improvement and high value evidence based approaches.
- To enable fellows to individualize their educational program and to offer opportunities for scholarly activity in a manner that allow them to explore diverse career options that align with their goals.
- To utilize essential strategies at both the program and individual level to maintain wellness, to build resilience and to minimize burnout.
- To build and maintain an infrastructure to recruit diverse fellows and provide an inclusive learning environment that promotes and celebrates differences
- Equip trainees with tools and strategies to promote success in their roles as career long, lifelong learners and teachers.
- Our fellows receive comprehensive state of the art clinical training in allergy and clinical immunology with an emphasis on:
- Allergic rhinitis
- Anaphylaxis
- Angioedema
- Asthma
- Atopic dermatitis
- Drug and vaccine allergy
- Eosinophilic gastrointestinal diseases
- Food allergy (IgE and non IgE mediated)
- Insect venom allergy
- Primary and secondary immunodeficiencies
- Mast Cell Disorders
- Urticaria
- Sinsuitis
Our Hospital
Ranked No. 11
Children’s Hospital Colorado consistently ranks in the top 20 on the U.S. News Best Children’s Hospitals Honor RollOur Department
49 Allergy Specialists
Our multidisciplinary allergy and immunology specialists work together to treat young patients with immunologic conditions.First Year of Fellowship Overview
Much of the first year of fellowship will be devoted to direct clinical care. First Year Fellows will spend most of their time in several outpatient clinic settings, including:
- General pediatric and adult allergy & immunology clinics
- Pediatric and adult continuity clinics
- Immunodeficiency clinic
In addition, fellows will attend a number of elective clinics including those listed below with options for additional electives based on fellow clinical interest:
- Pulmonary
- Eosinophilic Gastrointestinal Diseases clinic
The outpatient experience is balanced with participation in the inpatient-based Allergy and Immunology Consult service at Children’s Hospital Colorado. During their first year, fellows will each provide 20 weeks of coverage on the consult service with attending supervision.
First Year Outpatient
Pediatric Continuity Clinic: This half-day per week clinic is scheduled weekly for the two years of fellowship. Fellows will have the opportunity to follow a cohort of patients for up to 2 years. The major goal is to gain experience and expertise in the diagnosis and management of common pediatric allergic diseases, as mentioned in the Fellowship Program Aims (see Program Overview). Fellows will also develop the procedural skills required of an Allergist/Immunologist which includes:
- Performance of and interpretation of epicutaneous skin testing,
- Lung function testing
- Allergen immunotherapy
- Prescription of Biologic therapy for allergic diseases
- Food and drug challenge testing
Adult Continuity Clinic: For this half-day clinic/per week over the two years of the fellowship, our fellows will develop expertise in caring for adults with allergic and immunologic diseases. This clinic is based at UCH, which is adjacent to CHCO. They will become familiar with the diagnosis and management of adults with:
- Aspirin exacerbated respiratory disease, including aspirin challenges/desensitization
- Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
- Fixed obstructive lung disease
- Chronic rhinosinusitis
- Drug allergy
- Insect sting allergy
- Hereditary angioedema
- Primary and acquired immunodeficiencies.
Immunodeficiency Clinic: This one half-day clinic will be attended by every fellow for 12 months over the 2 year fellowship. Fellows will develop expertise in the diagnosis and management of a number of immunodeficiency disorders including:
- B-cell and T-cell immunodeficiencies
- Severe combined immunodeficiency
- Complement component deficiencies
- Abnormalities of neutrophil number and/or function.
- Prescription of immunoglobulin replacement therapy.
General Pediatric and Adult Allergy Clinics: Fellows will work directly with all of the attendings in their clinics. This will provide the fellows a chance to see how each faculty member approaches allergic and immunologic diseases and also to gain from their unique and extensive knowledge of their specific interests.
First Year Inpatient / Consult Service
Each first year fellow will provide 20 weeks of coverage for the inpatient Allergy & Immunology consultative service at Children’s Hospital Colorado. The Second Year fellows will also provide 6 weeks of inpatient coverage of the consult service as well. The emphasis during this rotation will be on specialty consultation within a large, full-service academic Children's Hospital. During this rotation, the fellow will be responsible for:
- Answering calls from referring physicians within the region who seek advice on their patients with allergic and immunologic disease
- Performing Allergy/Immunology consults on the inpatient units
- Drug desensitizations.
An attending will always be available to supervise all consults and will be available to provide guidance with any telephone calls the fellow may receive.
Second Year of Fellowship Overview
The second year is largely focused on pursuit of scholarly activity and education. Second year fellows will continue to attend the Pediatric and Adult Continuity Clinics as well as the Immunodeficiency clinic and electives which are in line with their career interests. They will also spend one month performing consults on hospitalized adults with allergic and immunologic diseases at the UCH under the direct supervision of the adult allergists at UCH.
Second Year Outpatient Clinics
The major clinical goal during the second year is for the fellow to develop increasing expertise in the diagnosis and management of allergic and immunologic disorders in both children and adults. They will attend three one half day clinics during their second year, which include:
- Pediatric Allergy Continuity Clinic
- Adult Allergy Continuity Clinic
- Immunodeficiency Clinic (2 months)
- Electives tailored to fellow career interest
Second Year Inpatient Experience
Each fellow will provide 6 weeks of coverage for the inpatient allergy & immunology consult service at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
Each fellow will spend one month on the Adult Allergy Consult Service at UCH. During this rotation, fellows will:
- Develop knowledge and skills in working with and instructing primary care providers in adult allergy, asthma, and immunology care
- Continue to develop expertise in interacting, as a consultant with primary care providers
- Provide consultation for patients admitted with immunologic, allergic and asthmatic diseases
- Perform drug allergy testing and desensitizations.
- An attending from the UCH always available for guidance and backup of all consults.
Education
We have a robust educational curriculum which utilizes varied teaching formats to cover all fundamental Allergy & Immunology topics as described below:
Fellow Introductory Series “Boot Camp”: 2022 Fellowship Introductory Series
Clinically oriented lecture series in July and August which provide fellows with the fundamental knowledge needed when caring for patients with Allergic and Immunologic concerns.
Wednesday Afternoon Teaching Sessions:
Our weekly half day academic sessions occur September through June and provide a more in depth look at the literature and management of complex patients with Allergy and Immunologic diagnoses through the following teaching formats: 2021.2022 Updated Curriculum
Case Conference Series:
- Cased based discussion with input from fellows as well as faculty. Both formal and informal formats are utilized including fellow formal presentations.
Formal Didactics:
- A traditional lecture given by Allergy & Immunology faculty as well as faculty members outside our section who have expertise in key areas which have overlap with our field (i.e. evaluation in severe asthma, autoinflammatory diseases etc.)
Board Review Series:
- A structured board review which incorporates board review material from the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology and American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, reading materials from core educational texts (Abbas Cellular and Molecular Immunology) and teaching sessions with faculty, all designed to help fellows pass the American Board of Allergy and Immunology (ABAI) exam.
Procedural Curriculum: CHCO Procedural Curriculum
- A series of sessions which includes formal teaching on procedures in allergy & immunology as well as a hands-on component. Fellows are additionally observed performing procedures by faculty to ensure competence. Topics include skin prick testing; pulmonary function testing; immunoglobulin replacement therapy, mixing of allergen immunotherapies, contact dermatitis/patch testing; allergy immunotherapy prescription and oral immunotherapy.
Career Development Curriculum: Career Readiness Curriculum
- A 6-part series to provide our fellows with an understanding on the types of faculty positions within our field and how to be a competitive applicant.
Journal Club:
- Allows fellows to explore a subject more in-depth by reviewing and discussing key articles on the topic, led by a faculty member.
- Adult Journal Club meets weekly.
- Pediatric Journal Club meets monthly.
Miscellaneous:
- Colorado Allergy and Asthma Society (CAAS):
- Fellows are encouraged to join the Colorado Allergy and Asthma Society who hosts 7 lectures throughout the year covering a broad range of topics from nationally prominent speakers.
- Denver Allergy Rounds is held weekly with the speaker at CAAS also providing a lecture.
Additional Learning Opportunities:
Subspecialty Excellence in Educational Leadership & Scholarship (SEELS) Program :
- The University of Colorado Department of Pediatrics is proud to offer the Subspecialty Excellence in Educational Leadership & Scholarship (SEELS) Program for subspecialty pediatric fellows committed to an academic career in medical education.
- The SEELS program guides fellows through an 18-month program that provides research mentorship, coaching, and instruction.
- The overall goal of SEELS is to equip these fellows with the necessary knowledge/skills/attitudes for success as future medical educators through educational scholarship and professional identity development, faculty and peer mentorship, and engaging in an educational community of practice.
Pediatric Fellowship Educational Series
This educational series has been developed by the Committee on Fellowship Education to address areas of scholarly interest common to all pediatric fellows. Nearly 100 sub-specialized physicians in training will attend 5-6 half-day seminars spread across their 3 years of fellowship.
- Attendance is mandatory and the trainee is excused from clinical responsibilities.
- In addition to providing core educational material, these sessions allow trainees in different disciplines and throughout the department to meet and interact with one another in an informal and collegial environment.
- Occurs several times per year throughout fellowship with fellows of different subspecialties
Pediatric Biostatistics for Clinicians Course:
This course is primarily intended for 2nd and 3rd year Department of Pediatrics fellows as part of the comprehensive fellowship educational program. Designed to help fellows to develop an ability to be a critical consumer of the literature and develop familiarity with many commonly used statistical methods.
- This course comprises for six 2-hour sessions
- Designed for second year fellows, but any fellow or resident an register for the course.
Advanced Degrees Available at CU:
Masters of Science in Clinical Science
Research & Scholarly Activities
All fellows participate in scholarly activity under faculty supervision with the goal of providing knowledge of the basic principles of research, including how research is conducted, evaluated, explained to patients, and applied to patient care.
Fellows regularly present their scholarly activity locally as well as at national meetings such as the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (AAAAI), American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) and Clinical Immunology Society (CIS).
Scholarly activity can include, but is not limited, to the following:
- Laboratory based
- Epidemiologic
- Quality Improvement
- Clinical Investigation-Based
We have the following resources to ensure successful fellow scholarly activity:
- Annual Research Symposium:
- Faculty present on projects (ongoing and future) that would have opportunities for fellow involvement. We encourage fellows to select or design a project which is aligned with their interests.
- Scholarly Oversight Committee:
- Functions to oversee that fellow scholarly projects are appropriate and meeting expectations for graduation.
- Comprised of Research and Fellowship Leadership Faculty
- Protected Time:
- Fellows have a 3-month block in their first year with less clinical responsibilities to focus on scholarly activity.
- A larger part of the second year is protected and dedicated to progression of their scholarly project.
- Protocol Development Workshop:
- Fellows are encouraged to apply fort his hands-on workshop through the CU graduate school.
Second Year Research Expectations
A high quality clinical or basic science research experience is the major goal of the second year of fellowship and will account for the majority the Fellow’s efforts.
- Every Second Year Fellow is expected to present their research at a regional or national meeting and have a manuscript ready for submission by the end of their Second Year. They will also be encouraged to write case reports, and to assist the Attending’s in writing book chapters and topical reviews.
- Fellows interested in a career in Academic Medicine will begin planning on submitting grants and/or Career Development Awards with assistance from their Research Mentor.
1st Year Fellows
Priya Chopra, MD
- Medical School: University of Colorado School of Medicine
- Residency: University of Colorado Pediatric Residency
- Email: Priya.Chopra
Jonathan Medernach, DO
- Medical School: Midwestern University, College of Osteopathic Medicine
- Residency: RUSH University Medical Center
- Email: Jonathan.Medernach
2nd Year Fellows
Sabine Eid, MD
- Medical School: University of Louisville School of Medicine
- Residency: Nationwide Children's Hospital
- Email: Sabine.Eid
Stephanie Johannes, MD
- Medical School: University of California, San Francisco SOM
- Residency: Duke University Pediatric Residency
- Email: Stephanie.Johannes
Prior Graduates
In the past, approximately 50% of our graduates pursue private practice and 50% pursue academic positions. While we are a pediatric based program, given the robust clinical experience in adult allergy & immunology, many of our graduates are successfully seeing patients of all ages.
2017
- Private Practice Boulder Medical Center. Pediatric and Adult Patients
- Private Practice Allergy & Asthma Center of Southern Oregon
2018
- Academic. University of Utah. Pediatric and Adult patients
- Academic. Children’s Hospital of Colorado. Pediatric Patients.
2019
- Academic. University of Utah. Pediatric and Adult Patients.
- Private Practice. Allergy Associates of Utah. Pediatric and Adult Patients.
2020
- Academic. University of Utah. Pediatric and Adult patients
- Private Practice. Allergy Associates of Utah. Pediatric and Adult Patients
2021
- Academic. Joint Appointment Children’s Hospital Colorado and UCHealth. Adult and Pediatric Patients
- Private Practice. Allergy & Immunology Associates of Michigan. Adult and Pediatric Patients.
2022
- Academic. University of San Francisco School of Medicine. Adult and Pediatric Patients.
- Staying for 3rd year
Application Process: Pediatrics Allergy & Immunology Fellowship Program
The ACGME-accredited University of Colorado Program in Allergy and Immunology is based at Children's Hospital Colorado. Applications are accepted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
Application Checklist
- Residency in Pediatrics or Med-Peds
- ERAS application
- Personal Statement
- Curriculum Vitae
- USMLE Part 1, 2, and 3 scores if taken
- Medical school transcripts
- Three letters of recommendation
- Next Positions Available: 2
- The University supports H-1B and J-1 visa’s but we are unable to cover costs
ERAS Application Timeline
| Date | Activity |
| Monday, May 31, 2024 | ERAS 2024 season ends at 5 p.m. ET. |
| Wednesday, June 5, 2024 | ERAS 2025 season begins at 9 a.m. ET. |
| Thursday, June 5, 2024 | EFDO will release tokens to fellowship applicants. |
| Wednesday, July 3, 2024 | July cycle fellowship applicants may begin submitting applications to programs at 9 a.m. ET. |
| Wednesday, July 17, 2024 | July cycle fellowship programs may begin reviewing applications at 9 a.m. ET. |
| May 31, 2025 | ERAS 2023 season ends at 5 p.m. ET. |
NRMP Fall Match Timeline
| Dates | Activity |
| Wednesday, August 21, 2024 | Match Opens |
| Wednesday, September 25, 2024 | Ranking Opens |
| Wednesday, November 6, 2024 | Quota Change Deadline |
| Wednesday, November 20, 2024 | Rank Order List Certification Deadline |
| Wednesday, December 4, 2024 | MATCH DAY |
For additional Questions please contact:
Program Director
Maureen Bauer, MD
Maureen.Bauer@childrenscolorado.org
&
Program Coordinator
Ronda Esquibel
| Diversity / Equity / Inclusion |
We are committed to creating a diverse environment for students, residents, fellows, and faculty. We believe that an environment of inclusiveness and respect promotes excellence and that a setting where diversity is valued leads to the training of physicians who are prepared to practice culturally effective medicine and meet the needs of the various populations we serve. Visit our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion webpage for more.... |
| Well-Being / Resilience |
By embracing wellness and improving personal resiliency, physicians can reconnect with the meaning of their work and fend off stress. Reducing or eliminating burnout also has practical implications for the entire department such as improving patient safety, student advancement, and the overall campus environment. |
