#6
In the Nation by U.S. News & World Report
Our program is dedicated to fostering the next generation of innovative leaders in pediatric pulmonary medicine. Serving a diverse population from a seven-state region, we are committed to providing fellows with unparalleled clinical exposure to a broad spectrum of pediatric pulmonary conditions. Through tailored mentorship, robust educational resources, training in research and a collaborative environment, we aim to foster the growth of compassionate, skilled and forward-thinking clinicians who will lead the advancement of our field through research, education and patient-centered care.
Aim 1: Provide outstanding clinical and procedural training experience on pulmonary inpatient, outpatient and consult services at Children's Hospital Colorado and related training sites to deliver the highest quality, patient-centered, safe and comprehensive care for pediatric patients and families.
Aim 2: Provide exceptional opportunities for fellows in clinical, translational, basic, outcomes, quality improvement or educational research to prepare for successful academic careers.
Aim 3: Establish a career development plan, including training and connection to leadership and advocacy opportunities, to guide fellows in establishing and reaching individual professional goals and objectives.
Aim 4: Equip trainees with strategies to maintain wellness, build resilience and promote population health and engagement.
#6
In the Nation by U.S. News & World Report
$15 M
In Research Funding
150+
Breathing Experts, Largest in the Region
Trained over 68 Pediatric Pulmonologists
Including 11 Cystic Fibrosis Center Directors, 12 Academic Program Directors, 11 Division Chiefs/Section Heads, and 2 Deans10+ Programs and Subspecialties
Aerodigestive program, cystic fibrosis, community outreach, diffuse lung disease, fontan clinic, pulmonary hypertension & vascular disease, neuromuscular clinic, sleep program, ventilator care programResearch
Unparalleled resources in choice of research mentors, potential projects, and patient populations
Meet Oren Kupfer, MD |
Meet Monica Federico, MD |
Meet Andrew Liu, MD | Meet Scott Sagel, MD, PhD |
Meet Heather Hoch De Keyser, MD, MSCS | Meet Stephen Hawkins, MD |
Meet Christopher Baker, MD | Meet Jordana Hoppe, MD, MSCS |
Meet Robin Deterding, MD |
1st Year |
Jorge Valencia Rico, MD Medical School: Universidad Ponticia Boliariana de Medicina Residency: Eastern Virgina Medical School
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Juhee Patel, DO Medical School: Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine Residency: Lehigh Valley Reilly Children's Hospital
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Alizay Paracha, MD Medical School: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Residency: University of Oklahoma College of Medicine
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2nd Year |
Angela Metcalf, MD Medical School: University of Oklahoma School of Medicine Residency: University of Colorado
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Molly McCoy, MD Medical School: Louisiana State University Residency: Oregon Health & Science University
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3rd Year |
Cristina Giles, MD Medical School: Louisiana State University School of Medicine Residency: University of Louisville
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Lilah Melzer, DO Medical School: A.T. Still University of Health Sciences Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine Residency: Children's Mercy Hospital
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Education is a cornerstone of our department. Our conferences are led by faculty and multi-disciplinary leaders.
Course Work
Clinical Scientist Master’s Program
The MSCS degree program is graduate level course work for individuals who will pursue clinical research such as translational clinical research, clinical trials, or outcomes research. This program is a unique opportunity to provide a comprehensive exposure to training required for a successful career in clinical research. Funding for this program is provided through grant support or directly by the Department of Pediatrics.
Subspecialty Excellence in Educational Leadership & Scholarship (SEELS) Program
The goal of SEELS is to equip pediatric subspecialty 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.
SEELS scholars will complete this 18-month program that will begin during the second year of fellowship for three-year fellowship programs. The curriculum will include in-person educational sessions for the first 12 months, along with self-directed independent study, a scholarly project, and mentorship throughout the entire 18 months. Educational content will be delivered through approximately once per month sessions including work-in-progress sessions as well as individual meetings with SEELS Program leaders and mentors.
Conferences
Our program provides regular environments for learning the latest in pulmonary science, innovation, and technology. Some of these meetings include:
Pediatric Pulmonary Grand Rounds (weekly)
This conference is built to teach on core topics of pulmonology, as well as the more rare cases that we see at our hospital. This conference includes case presentations, fellow "research in progress" updates, morbidity and mortality conferences, and lecture topics designed to complement your clinical experience.
Western States(monthly)
This regional conference is hosted by University of Arizona via Zoom. It provides a unique opportunity to learn about unusual cases from other centers as well as different centers’ approaches to diagnosis and management. Colorado has a strong presence here with at least one of our fellows presenting annually.
Academic Half Day (monthly)
Protected educational session with fellows and core education faculty for review of pulmonary physiology, pathophysiology, Board review, and Journal club.
Pulmonary/Radiology/Pathology Conference (monthly)
This multidisciplinary conference focuses on discussion of complex patient cases that required a lung biopsy, imaging, or that resulted in an autopsy. The conference involves a chalk talk review of the patient case and appropriate literature.
Research Council (monthly)
This conference focuses on fellow training in research, and how to help fellows progress towards the successful completion of their research project. Senior fellows present once a year with pearls/lessons learned about their current research.
Department of Pediatrics Fellowship Retreats
These seminars are training sessions provided for all fellows once or twice a year. They focus on topics like resiliency, personal finance, leadership training, employment contracts, grant writing, bioethics, and much more.
National Conferences
All fellows will be supported to attend either the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference (NACFC) or the American Thoracic Society Conference (ATS) each year, as long as they have submitted an abstract or poster. Additional conferences may be arranged at the discretion of the faculty research mentor and the fellowship director.
Our fellowship curriculum is designed to customize the learning experience to each fellow’s interests and career goals. For fellows who are interested in furthering their education through coursework, some pulmonary-specific resources are listed below. There are numerous resources also available through the University of Colorado.
Cotton Conference 2024 Program
PAST SPEAKERS
2025
Erick Forno, MD
Indiana University
2024
Paul Moore, MD
Vanderbilt University
2023
Terri Laguna, MD
Seattle Children's Hospital
2022
Carol Rosen, MD
Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine
2021
John P. Clancy, MD
Vice President of Clinical Research, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation
2020
Theresa Guilbert, MD, MS
Cincinnati Children's Hospital
As one of the biggest Pediatric Pulmonary Sections in the country, we can offer the best clinical & research opportunities. Learn more about the diverse areas of practice we have.
![]() Aerodigestive Clinic One of the most complete aerodigestive multidisciplinary programs in the U.S. Find out more here! | ![]() Asthma Clinic Offering the latest in diagnostic testing and treats more children with asthma than any other hospital in Colorado. Find out more here! | ![]() Fontan Clinic The only program in a seven-state region dedicated to complex cardiac care. Find out more here! |
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![]() Cystic Fibrosis Research & Care Center The largest CF clinical care center in the U.S. Find out more here! | ![]() chILD Program One of the leading referral centers in the world for children with rare lung conditions. Find out more here! | ![]() Neuromuscular Clinic Patient-based care & support with individualized patient treatment plans. Find out more here! |
![]() Pulmonary Hypertension Program First multidisciplinary program for children in the U.S. One of only three programs accredited by the Pulmonary Hypertension Association. Find out more here! | ![]() Sleep Center Multidisciplinary team performing over 4,000 sleep studies a year with a complementary inpatient sleep consult service. Find out more here! | ![]() Ventilator Care Program Multicenter collaboration with referrals/consults from 11+ states providing complex care consisting of three overlapping clinical units. Find out more here! |
Rotation Schedule:
FIRST YEAR | TIME PERIOD |
Orientation in Pulmonary | 6 weeks |
Pulmonary Consult Service | 10 weeks |
Pulmonary Hospitalist Consult Service | 5 Weeks |
Pulmonary NICU Consult Service | 5 Weeks |
Subspecialty Outpatient Clinics | 11 weeks |
Research | 11 weeks |
Vacation & Conferences | 4 weeks |
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SECOND/ THIRD YEAR | TIME PERIOD |
Pulmonary Consult Service | 4-6 weeks |
Pulmonary Hospitalist Consult Service | 2 weeks |
Pulmonary NICU Service | 2 weeks |
Research | 40 weeks |
Vacation & Conferences | 4 weeks |
Research is a core pillar of the Pediatric Pulmonary Department. You are joining renowned pulmonary faculty who are leaders in their respective fields and have a passion for education
Innovation
We have been busy changing the world of medicine. Here are just a few examples of what we've been up to.
Fellow Research Resources
You will be successful. And here is how.
Recently Published Fellow Research:
“Outcomes of prenatal use of elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor in carrier mothers to treat meconium ileus in fetuses with cystic fibrosis.”
“Case report: Cystic fibrosis with kwashiorkor: A rare presentation in the era of universal newborn screening.”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36683818/
“Acute vaping in a golden Syrian hamster causes inflammatory response transcriptomic changes. “
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36041220/
“Social Determinants of Health in Asthma Through the Life Course”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35033702/
“Airwave oscillometry to measure lung function in children with Down syndrome”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34326475/
"When in Doubt, Change it out: A Case-Based Simulation for Pediatric Residents Caring for Hospitalized Tracheostomy-Dependent Children”
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33473377/
Our program has a long and successful history of training pediatric pulmonologists that now practice in academic centers around the country and are nationally and internationally recognized.
To be considered for admission to our program, applicants must have successfully completed training in an ACGME-accredited residency program in Pediatrics.
Required Application Materials
All application materials should be submitted through the ERAS website. We participate in the NRMP Fall Match and typically do not offer any positions outside of the match.
Required application materials through ERAS include:
Date | Activity |
Monday, May 31, 2025 | ERAS 2024 season ends at 5 p.m. ET. |
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 | ERAS 2025 season begins at 9 a.m. ET. |
Thursday, June 5, 2025 | EFDO will release tokens to fellowship applicants. |
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 | July cycle fellowship applicants may begin submitting applications to programs at 9 a.m. ET. |
Wednesday July 16, 2025 | July cycle fellowship programs may begin reviewing applications at 9 a.m. ET. |
May 31, 2026 | ERAS 2026 season ends at 5 p.m. ET. |
Dates | Activity |
Wednesday, August 20, 2025 | Match Opens |
Wednesday, October 1, 2025 | Ranking Opens |
Wednesday, October 31, 2025 | Quota Change Deadline |
Wednesday, November 19, 2025 | Rank Order List Certification Deadline |
Wednesday, December 3, 2025 | MATCH DAY |
Interview Day
The interview day can last anywhere between 8 am to 5 pm MST and will occur via video conference.
Salary and Benefits
The University of Colorado offers salary and benefits packages that are competitive with other fellowship programs across the country. Current salary levels can be found at the CU School of Medicine - Graduate Medical Education website.
Joseph DiPaolo, MS Fellowship Program Coordinator joseph.dipaolo@childrenscolorado.org
Stacey Martiniano, MD, MSCS Fellowship Program Director stacey.martiniano@childrenscolorado.org
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