People of CU Anschutz is an occasional series featuring students, faculty and staff who make our campus such a special place to study, work, research and dream. Read more profiles here.
Third-year School of Medicine student Ariel Davydov has always embraced a life in motion – first on the ice rinks of Los Angeles, and now in the clinics, classrooms and community spaces surrounding CU Anschutz.
Raised in California, Davydov came to Colorado by way of competitive figure skating, performing theatrical showcase skating and team-based intercollegiate skating while studying at UCLA.
Though she once worked as an after‑school teacher, Davydov knew her love of science and problem‑solving would eventually lead her toward medicine. What drew her to CU Anschutz was not just the city she had grown to love while competing in Colorado – it was the School of Medicine’s Longitudinal Integrated Curriculum (LIC).
Instead of rotating month‑to‑month through specialties, LIC students work with the same preceptors throughout their clinical year. “It emphasizes mentorship,” she says. “You build relationships, you see the same patients over time, and you have the space to explore your interests.”
Today, Davydov plans to pursue internal medicine, with dreams of becoming a medical oncologist and staying involved in medical education.
Davydov’s passion for teaching didn’t fade when she entered medical school, it expanded. After connecting with Aimee Bernard, PhD, associate professor of immunology and microbiology, and founder of the Think Like a Scientist (TLaS) program, she proposed a new idea: a program that would introduce elementary‑ and middle‑school students – especially those from under‑resourced communities – to healthcare careers early in life.
| Ariel with ECHO volunteers |
The result was ECHO (Exploring Careers in Healthcare & Onward), a hands‑on, activity‑based career fair run by medical students and trainees. Students rotate through stations where they build stethoscopes, construct lung models, practice surgical knots and test reflexes – experiences that mirror real clinical skills in a fun, accessible way.
“There is so much joy,” Davydov says. “You walk into a room full of kids running, jumping, learning – and our volunteers love it just as much.” ECHO events are held quarterly and have expanded into libraries, schools and Boys & Girls Clubs throughout Aurora. The curriculum is now published on open‑access platforms so other institutions can replicate the program, and videos are available on YouTube for students anywhere. For Davydov, the mission is simple: “We want kids to know having a career in healthcare is an option – that they can do this, and that it’s fun.”
| Ariel presented about ECHO at the 2025 Silver and Gold Alumni Awards Banquet. |
Davydov’s three words to describe CU Anschutz? Inspiring, collaborative and innovative.
“It really feels like a school that supports students and makes things happen,” she says.
As she looks toward residency – possibly in Colorado, possibly back home in Los Angeles – Davydov is grateful for the community she found at CU Anschutz. And thanks to ECHO, she’s helping build a pathway for the next generation of healthcare students, one stethoscope and one spark of curiosity at a time.
If you are a CU Anschutz student and would like to volunteer with ECHO, please email ariel.davydov@cuanschutz.edu.