Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship
The University of Colorado at Anschutz School of Medicine offers a one-year, full-time fellowship training program in forensic psychiatry. This is a program of the University of Colorado at Anschutz School of Medicine in partnership with the Colorado Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health, which is responsible for all state forensic activities including the administration of the Forensic Institute in Pueblo, CO, and the Colorado Department of Corrections. The program also partners with Denver Health Medical Center through the Restoring Individuals Safely and Effectively (RISE) program, an in jail competency restoration program. Fellowship faculty include academic and clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry, in the Behavioral Health Program at Denver Health Medical Center, forensic experts in the Colorado Office of Civil and Forensic Mental Health, Department of Corrections, private forensic practitioners, and faculty from Denver University. The program is an interdisciplinary training program partnered with two forensic psychology post doctorate training programs from University of Denver and the Colorado Mental Health Hospital at Pueblo CO (CMHHP).
Dr. Martinez specializes in ethics in forensic psychiatry, issues in criminal forensic psychiatry including neonaticide and infanticide and is involved in setting standards for forensic report writing and testimony. Dr Adi, the associate director, specializes in evaluations of refugees and trauma victims seeking asylum. Dr. Jeff Metzner, associate director, is an international expert in correctional psychiatry.
The program is designed to familiarize fellows with all aspects of forensic psychiatry, and to prepare them for forensic practice in forensic and correctional settings, teaching, research and system consultation, and/or academic careers. Topics covered through didactic seminars and supervised practical experience include procedures for forensic evaluations, report writing, relevant research and phenomenological literature, landmark mental health cases, treatment of patients in correctional and forensic settings, system consultation around forensic issues, collaboration with other professionals (law enforcement, correctional, etc.), the evaluation of foreign victims of torture, fitness for duty examinations with the Denver Police Department, IMEs, and ethical issues involved in forensic practice. Didactic seminars are taught in interdisciplinary structure with forensic psychology fellows form Denver University and Colorado Mental Health Hospital at Pueblo (CMHHP). Didactics include legal expertise from various attorneys in the community as well as a law professor from Denver University.
Fellows are provided the opportunity to observe experienced forensic professionals performing evaluations, preparing reports, and testifying in civil and criminal cases. They then have direct, supervised experience in performing forensic evaluations in those areas, preparing reports, and testifying in court. Mock trial experiences are conducted in coordination with DU Sturm School of Law. Fellows are encouraged to conduct research in forensic areas and all fellows have an opportunity for analysis of case law for publication in the Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law. The program strives to organize the fellowship experience around each Fellows area of interest. We have trained numerous Fellows with backgrounds in child/adolescent psychiatry. For fellows interested in teaching, there are numerous opportunities to supervise PGYII and PGYIII general psychiatry residents and medical students.
Fellowships are funded at a PGY-5 level. 2025-26 Annual Stipend for PGY-5 $92,282.46 plus benefits.
Fringe benefits include a stipend for attendance at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law (including enrollment in the Forensic Psychiatry Review Course) and a second trip to the APA annual meeting or an alternative chosen by the fellow.
We accept application materials through Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) as early as July 2 of the year before the start of the forensic fellowship. Interviews begin July 16th the year before the start of the fellowship for applicants outside of the University of Colorado residency. We will be participating in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP). Match Day is currently scheduled for October 22, 2025. We comply with instructions found on the American Academy of Law and Psychiatry fellowship website at https://www.aapl.org/fellowship.
A Selection Committee for each training program evaluates all eligible applicants. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of their preparedness and experience; academic credentials; ability and aptitude; communication and interpersonal skills; and on personal qualities such as integrity, learning motivation, and work ethic, and the ability to function within parameters expected of a practitioner in the specialty.
Programs will review and select applicants in a manner consistent with provisions of equal opportunity employment and must not discriminate with regard to sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, disability or any other applicable legally protected status.
Completion of an ACGME accredited psychiatry residency program that qualifies an applicant to sit for the ABPN Psychiatry Board and completion of all USMLE Steps or COMLEX Parts are the basic requirements for application. Additionally, residents are required to hold an active Colorado physician license and DEA license. Upon formal acceptance to the program, application for licensure must be initiated so that residents are licensed before they begin the program.
To ensure that the process for selecting residents is consistent with guidelines established by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and the University of Colorado Denver Graduate Medical Education Committee (GME), and to be compliant with University policies, appropriate Federal and State statutes and regulations, this program has the following eligibility requirements.
1. Applicants must provide documentation of the following:
- Graduation from a medical school in the United States or Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME); or
- Graduation from any college of College of Osteopathic Medicine accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA); or
- Graduation from medical school outside of the United States or Canada and possessing a currently valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) prior to appointment; or, have an active and unrestricted license to practice medicine in Colorado; or
- Graduation from medical schools outside the United States and completion of a Fifth Pathway Program provided by an LCME - accredited medical school.
2. Individuals applying for psychiatry fellowship programs must document completion of an appropriate psychiatry residency program, including an ACGME-accredited residency, or meet requirements as outlined in ACGME program requirements.
3. Individuals applying for psychiatry fellowship programs must have successfully completed the USMLE Step 3 examination or COMLEX Part 3, as evidenced by obtaining a passing grade for that examination, prior to applying for a fellowship. Passing scores must be obtained for all USMLE or COMLEX scores in no more than two attempts.
4. Applicants must be eligible for an active and unrestricted physician medical license as granted by the Colorado Board of Medical Examiners (CBME) and a DEA license.
5. Applicants must successfully pass a criminal background investigation (criteria specified in UC and GMEC background investigation policies) and any affiliated training facility investigation as necessary.
6. The University of Colorado at Anschutz School of Medicine recognizes that residents enrolled in its programs are trainees, not employees. As such, applicants must be able to meet conditions of the institutional house officer (resident) training agreement. Specifically, residents in our program must be U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, refugees, asylees, or possess the appropriate documentation to allow residents to legally train at the UC School of Medicine.
ACGME Program Number: 4060721004
For the 2026-2027 recruitment season:
- From July through October, we will only accept applications submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). You will be able to submit your application to ERAS starting July 2nd. Please do not send application documents to the program coordinator until after the match as they will not be reviewed. https://students-residents.aamc.org/applying-fellowships-eras/applying-fellowships-eras
- Our virtual interview dates occur between mid July and beginning of October
- We will initially attempt to fill all available positions via the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) with the Psychiatry Fellowship Match (under Forensic Psychiatry). This match occurs at the beginning of October.
All applications must include the following:
- Original graduate transcript(s), when applicable
- Original medical school transcript(s)
- Original Dean's Letter (MSPE)
- Copy of medical school diploma
- Copy of psychiatry residency completion certificate, when applicable/available
- Documentation of post-graduate residency completed elsewhere
- Copies of state medical license(s), DEA license, ABPN certification, when applicable
- Documentation of ECFMG certification, when applicable
- Documentation of status, for international applicants
- Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement
- A sample of a forensic report completed during residency and/or any publications relevant to psychiatry or forensic psychiatry
- Three professional letters of recommendation including one from your residency training director.
- Documentation of successful passing scores on USMLE parts 1, 2 and 3 (within no more than two attempts) or COMLEX
Applicants are responsible for requesting all supporting documentation above.
All fellowship positions are funded and paid at a PGY-5 level.
Interviews:
Virtual interviews with program faculty and current fellows are scheduled after applicants have been selected to interview. Because there are differences in fellowship programs, and the individual applicant’s personal goals for training, it is essential that each applicant interview.
Due to the large number of applications we receive, we are unable to interview everyone. The Selection Committee will review your application file, and we will notify you if you have been selected to interview.
Deadlines:
The dates by which we must receive your completed application and for scheduling your interview vary slightly from year to year.
For the 2026-2027 academic year:
- Applications can be received through ERAS as early as July 2, 2025 for internal and external candidates.
- Interview dates will begin July 16, 2025 through October 3, 2025.
- Match Day will be on October 22, 2025.
Forensic Fellowship Leadership Team:
| Name | Title | Site |
Richard Martinez, MD, MH | Forensic Psychiatry Services and Fellowship Director, Professor | Colorado Mental Health Institute Pueblo/Ft. Logan / University of Colorado at Anschutz Medical Center |
Jeffrey Metzner, MD | Associate Program Director, Clinical Professor | University of Colorado |
Ahmad Adi, MD | Associate Program Director, Senior Instructor | University of Colorado |
Forensic Fellowship Faculty:
| Faculty | Title | Site |
| Kipton G. Freer, DO | Chief of Psychiatry DOC, Senior Instructor | Department of Corrections |
| Jill Spice, MD | Senior Instructor | Department of Corrections |
| Matthew DeLiere, MD | Assistant Professor | Denver Health Hospital/ RISE |
| Thomas Gray, PhD | Training Director Forensic Psychiatry OBHS | Colorado Mental Health Hospital Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
Neil Gowensmith, PhD | Director of Denver FIRST (Forensic Institute for Research, Services, and Training) | University of Denver |
| Julie Meeker, MD | Chief of Psychiatry, CMHI-P, Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Hospital Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Richard Pounds, MD | Clinical Director CMHI-P, Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Hospital Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Al Singleton, MD | Medical Director, CMHI-P, Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Hospital Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Loandra Torres, PhD | Clinical Director, OBH Court Services | Colorado Mental Health Hospital Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Hal Wortzel, MD | Associate Professor | VA |
Casey Wolf, MD | Medical Director for Forensic Services | WellPower |
| Hareesh Pillai, MD | Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Hospital Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Darren Lish, MD | Clinical Associate Professor | University of Colorado at Anschutz Medical Center |
| Teresa Mayer, MD | Senior Instructor | University of Colorado at Anschutz Medical Center |
| Caitlin Vigil, MD | Senior Instructor | Department of Corrections |
| Jennifer Bundrick, MD | Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Hospital Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Greg Singleton, MD | Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Hospital Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Alyssa Tran, DO | Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Hospital Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Rashmi Goel, JSD | Volunteer Faculty | Professor of Law, University of Denver, Sturm Collage of Law |
| Alexandra Lynch, MD | Senior Instructor | University of Colorado at Anschutz Medical Center |
Soyna Gulhati, MD | Senior Instructor | University of Colorado at Anschutz Medical Center |
| Joseph Sochet, DO, JD | Senior Instructor | University of Colorado at Anschutz Medical Center |
Fellows for the 2024-2025 academic year:
| Fellow | Residency Program | Interests |
| Jaclyn Bala, MD | Allegheny Health Network Medical Education Consortium | |
| Bella Acosta Arias, MD | Rutgers New Jersey Medical School | |
| Parvaneh Nouri, MD | University of Colorado, School of Medicine | |
| Zachary Wickline, DO | University of Cincinnati Medical Center |
Fellows for the 2025-2026 academic year:
| Fellow | Residency Program | Interests |
| Anton Makhiboroda, MD | Tulane University School of Medicine | |
| Joseph Rattenni, DO | University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics | |
| Anthony Scott, MD | University of Colorado, School of Medicine | |
| Lucia Wang, MD | University of Cincinnati Medical Center |
Contact Us
Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship
1890 N Revere Ct, F546
AHSB, Suite 4100, Rm 4102
Aurora, CO 80045
Phone: (303) 724-6021
Fax: (720) 724-4963
Angela Webb
Fellowship Residency Coordinator
Phone: (303) 724-8788
Email: Angela Webb
Richard Martinez, MD
Program Director
Office of Behavioral Health
Phone: (303) 217-3846
Email: Richard Martinez