Application Process and Information

Applicants for the Pulmonary and Critical Care fellowship program must have completed a three-year residency training program in Internal Medicine or a four-year residency in Medicine/Pediatrics.

• All applicants MUST be US citizens or permanent residents (green card) to apply. (This requirement is required due to the NIH National Heart Lung and Blood Institute training grant that funds a portion of the fellowship training program). Exceptions will be considered for highly competitive J1 and H1B candidates.  
• Completion of three years of internal medicine residency training prior to the start of the fellowship.
• Successful completion of USMLE Steps 1, 2, and 3 (or equivalent).

The University of Colorado participates in the ABIM Research Pathway program and encourages applicants to apply. All applicants applying via the research pathway must satisfactorily complete 24 months of accredited categorical internal medicine training as required by the ABIM. Clinical training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and research training follows the ABIM requirements.

The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) will conduct a matching program for Fellowship positions in Pulmonary Disease and Critical Care Medicine in the fall. In order to participate in this program, you must submit your "Resident Agreement Form" to:

National Resident Matching Program

(Medical Specialties Matching Program)
2501 M Street, NW, Suite 1
Washington, DC 20037-1307

Telephone: (202) 828-0566

All applications must be submitted via the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS). This ensures consistency of documentation and makes review even and fair. Applications will not be accepted via email. Earlier applications are encouraged and help the selection committee in preparing the preliminary rankings. All portions of your ERAS application must be complete to be considered for an interview. Completed applications returned after September 1st will not be considered. Invitations to interview will be sent beginning in mid-August.

Applicants must meet these minimum requirements:

• Common Application Form
• Three letters of recommendation from physicians who have served in a direct supervisory capacity must also be received prior to your interview date. At least one of these letters should be from a division head or department chairman.
• USMLE scores of 220 and above, or COMLEX scores of 500 and above are preferred
• Personal statement

Our program participates in the National Residency Match Program (NRMP) and the applicants’ rank list must be submitted by the date specified by the NRMP to be match-eligible.

Program signaling is new for medical subspecialties for the 2026 application cycle. Our program will participate in the program. We expect that program signaling will be used primarily as a tie-breaker for candidates of similar strength to determine interview invitations. Program signals will be one element of our holistic review and do not guarantee an interview. 

Interviews are required. Once the application, personal statement, and letters of recommendation are on file, applications are reviewed. Please note that our holistic review process takes several weeks to complete. The first round of interview invitations will go out in mid-August. All interviews will be held virtually in accordance with recommendations by the APCCMPD and AAIM. Interviews are conducted on selected Thursdays during the interview season; for applicants who cannot make one of these dates, individual interview days will be arranged whenever possible.

The interview days begin at 7:30 AM and last until 3:00 PM MST. The day consists of attendance at our divisional pulmonary grand rounds conference, an introduction to the division and fellowship presentation with the division leadership, 2 panel interviews, 2 individual interviews with division faculty, and a Q&A session with current fellows. Additional interviews can be arranged for interested applicants. In addition, we strongly encourage you to engage in our virtual fellow forums the evening before your interview, where you will have a chance to meet current fellows and ask questions in an informal setting. For those applicants who wish to meet and/or interview with specific faculty members, we strongly encourage early requests and all efforts will be made to accommodate such requests.

Interview days will be scheduled on selected Thursdays in September and October.​ 

Notification of your match with a training program to which you have applied and ranked will reach you in early December via the NRMP. This indication of a "match" is a firm commitment that will be immediately confirmed in writing.

For information regarding the application and interview process, please contact Kelly Rico, Fellowship & Education Coordinator, at [email protected] or 303-724-6043.