Forensic Psychiatry Fellowship
The University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine offers a one-year, full-time fellowship training program in psychiatry and the law. This is a joint program between the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine and the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health, which is responsible for all state forensic activities including the administration of the Forensic Institute in Pueblo, CO. In addition the program works closely with the Colorado Department of Corrections and Denver Health Medical Center. 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 Behavioral Health, Department of Corrections, private forensic practitioners, and faculty from Denver University. 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 Institute-Pueblo (CMHI-P).
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. 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. 2024-25 Annual Stipend for PGY-5 $91,623.00 plus benefits.
Fringe benefits include a fully paid trip to 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 as early as June 1 of the year before the start of the forensic fellowship. Interviews begin September 1st the year before the start of the fellowship for applicants outside of the University of Colorado residency. 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 Denver 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.
Download and complete the Psychiatry Fellowships Application Or you can go to the American Academy of Psychiatry and Law fellowship website and utilize the common application forms and instructions as provided at https://www.aapl.org/fellowship. Please submit the completed application via email to the program coordinator. The form must be typed, not hand written.
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 2025-2026 academic year:
- Applications can be received as early as May 1, 2024 for internal and external candidates.
- Interview dates will be held August 1, 2024 through October 31, 2024.
- Program can start offering positions to candidates on September 16, 2024.
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 |
| Sarah Butler, MD | 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 Institute Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Julie Meeker, MD | Chief of Psychiatry, CMHI-P, Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Institute Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Richard Pounds, MD | Clinical Director CMHI-P, Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Institute Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Al Singleton, MD | Medical Director, CMHI-P, Senior Instructor | Colorado Mental Health Institute Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Loandra Torres, PhD | Clinical Director, OBH Court Services | Colorado Mental Health Institute Pueblo/Ft. Logan |
| Hal Wortzel, MD | Associate Professor | VA |
Casey Wolf, MD | Children's Hospital Colorado | |
| Patrick Fox, MD | Private Practice | |
| Darren Lish, MD | Senior Instructor | University of Colorado at Anschutz Medical Center |
| Teresa Mayer, MD | Senior Instructor | University of Colorado at Anschutz Medical Center |
Fellows for the 2022-2023 academic year:
| Fellow | Residency Program | Interests |
| Martin Ahern, MD | Presbyterian/ Weill Cornell for Residency | |
| Hareesh Pillai, MD | Tufts Medical Center | |
| Jennifer Rosenthal, MD | UT Health San Antonio | |
| Gregory Singleton, MD | Indiana University department of psychiatry |
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