Medical Education at the University of Colorado

Dedicated to curriculum development, learner assessment, and program evaluation

Faculty Scholarly Interest in Medical Education

Nicolle Fernández Dyess MD, MEd

NICU

Dr. Dyess is one of the associate program directors of the fellowship program and studies multiple aspects of curriculum development and the career development of medical trainees, especially in the realm of identity formation. She has expertise in curriculum development/instruction, survey development/implementation, and qualitative analysis. She is a member of the national neonatology curriculum committee and is working on the development of a national, implicit bias and health disparities curriculum for neonatal-perinatal medicine clinicians. Additionally, she is the co-director of the School of Medicine’s Future Leaders in Medical Education Trail and the director of the GME-wide Residents and Fellows as Educators Elective. She is a Senior Fellow in Educational Leadership through the Academy of Medical Educators. In 2026, she was awarded the M. Douglas Jones Junior Faculty Educator Award.

Karena Lawrence MD

NICU

Dr. Lawrence is the director of our Point of Care Ultrasound (POCUS) curriculum and program. She has a national presence in POCUS and is working on the development of a national, flipped classroom curriculum for neonatal-perinatal medicine physicians.

Laura Marrs MD

Dr. Marrs studies simulation and neonatal resuscitation. She contributes to our section’s outreach program, providing NRP teaching to our community partners and bordering states. She also serves as a DOCS coach through the school of medicine.

Thomas Parker MD

NICU

Dr. Parker studies the development and use of neonatal specific Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) as a source of more structured, formative feedback. Dr. Parker was formerly the Program Director of the NPM Fellowship Program. He now serves as the Vice Chair of Education for the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and leads the Pediatric Education Group (PEG) through the Department of Pediatrics. He is a Senior Fellow in Educational Leadership through the Academy of Medical Educators.

Jeanne Zenge MD

Dr. Zenge is the program director of the fellowship program and has a vested interest in medical education. She holds the title of senior editor for the National Neonatal Curriculum Cardiology section. She is also a fellow member in the Teaching track of the Academy of Medical Educators.

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.

RFEE is a graduate medical education-wide 3-week elective offered twice a year (April and December) which provides residents and fellows with a solid foundation for their careers as medical educators.

NICU Intern Bootcamp:

On the first day of each intern NICU rotation, we host a NICU intern bootcamp, a half-day orientation to the world of neonatology encompassing 1) NRP review and skills practice, 2) fluid and nutrition management in the NICU, and 3) ventilator management 101.

As fellows, you will have the opportunity to sign up to teach these sessions, if interested. Teaching in these sessions can count towards your fellowship elective time requirement.

NRP Instructor:

As a fellow, you have the ability to become an NRP instructor. This is a great way to keep up your NRP skills, develop stronger bonds with ancillary NICU staff needing their re/certification, and make some extra money.

The Pediatric Educational Excellence Community (PEEC) is a community of education scholars in the Department of Pediatrics. They meet on the third Thursday of each month to share updates and receive feedback on their education scholarship and to build skills and expertise for doing education scholarship.

ScEI Club is a monthly lunchtime “brown bag” group session to learn about different educational topics, network, and present educational scholarship. It is open to educators from any discipline, across the University of Colorado campus and partner sites, and at any stage of career. The club meets on the first Thursday of every month.

Education and Innovation Symposium is an annual symposium dedicated to the latest developments in medical education from the University of Colorado School of Medicine campus. It’s a wonderful venue for future and current education scholars to showcase their work, network, and learn new approaches.

The Academy of Medical Educators provides a home base for teachers and a visible mechanism to support and enhance all educational programs and teachers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. It provides a wonderful community and web of mentors for future and current clinician-educators and education scholars.

Additionally, there are plenty of teaching opportunities through the school of medicine and pediatric residency to lead small group sessions with trainees throughout the year.

Tools & Resources

CU Campuses

CU Anschutz

Department of Pediatrics

School of Medicine

Medical Education at the University of Colorado

Faculty Scholarly Interest in Medical Education

Department of Pediatrics

Medical Education at the University of Colorado

Faculty Scholarly Interest in Medical Education

Subspecialty Excellence in Educational Leadership & Scholarship (SEELS) Program:

Residents and Fellows as Educators Elective (RFEE):

Pediatric Educational Excellence Community (PEEC):

Scholarship in Education and Innovation (ScEI) Club:

Education Grand Rounds:

Education and Innovation Symposium:

Academy of Medical Educators:

Department of Pediatrics