Before she dreamed of becoming a doctor, Kimberly Christnacht’s eyes were set on the stage.
Originally planning to be a musical theater actress, it was a summer job at a respite care facility for children with disabilities that inspired a new career path. Now, Christnacht is preparing for a different kind of spotlight on May 18 when she graduates from the University of Colorado Anschutz School of Medicine, a monumental step in her journey of becoming a future health care leader and advocate.
“It’s intimidating and exciting to be graduating,” she says. “I’ll be the first physician in my family.”
After graduation, she will join the anesthesiology residency program at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Becoming an anesthesiologist was not initially on her radar, but it was her training at CU Anschutz that led her to discover a passion for the field.
“Advocacy has been a big part of my life and is something I want to continue. It’s been interesting to find it in spaces I didn’t expect — like anesthesiology,” she says. “As an anesthesiologist, I want to be the patient’s voice when they can’t speak for themselves and help protect them and their best interests when they are vulnerable.”
Kimberly Christnacht, far left, spent much of her childhood in the performing arts. Images courtesy of Christnacht.
From musicals to medicine
Growing up in Lakewood, Colorado, Christnacht was involved in the arts from a young age, performing in musical theater and practicing ballet. After graduating high school, she decided to major in theater at Millikin University, a liberal arts school in Illinois.
The summer before college began, she worked at a local center that offered daytime and overnight respite care for children with developmental disabilities such as cerebral palsy, autism, and Down syndrome.
“A lot of the children had medical conditions, so we would need to help administer medications or provide other assistance,” she says. “I really started to see the ways that medical interventions helped those children’s lives.”
‘Dream come true’
Working at the respite care center not only sparked Christnacht’s interest in medicine — it also gave her a new understanding of her own family’s experience with health care.
“My older sister has Down syndrome, and I feel like I didn’t quite understand all the ways that medicine impacted her and my family’s life until I saw it through this different lens,” she says. “My mom had to advocate for my sister, always looking for therapies and clinicians who could help her live a healthy and enriched life.”
By the end of Christnacht’s first year of college, she decided to pursue becoming a doctor who similarly advocates for the best care for her patients.
After graduating college in 2021, Christnacht returned to Colorado, submitted her applications for medical school that summer, and continued working at the respite care facility. She also began working at an outpatient pediatrics office as a medical assistant, as she initially was interested in becoming a pediatrician.
The CU Anschutz School of Medicine was a top choice for Christnacht for several reasons, she explains. She wanted to stay close to family, she loved the outdoor activities that Colorado offers, and she was excited about the opportunity to learn at multiple medical sites, including Children’s Hospital Colorado — a top-tier pediatric hospital that many children at the respite care facility would go to for care.
“When I was accepted at CU Anschutz, it was a dream come true,” she says.
Kimberly Christnacht, left, smiles with her older sister while wearing her CU Anschutz School of Medicine white coat.
A patient case that changed everything
One of Christnacht’s favorite aspects of learning at CU Anschutz was the school’s Trek Curriculum, which offers a unique method of clinical training and a breadth of learning opportunities. Through training at multiple medical sites with various patient populations, Christnacht became more interested in helping people of all ages.
Her unexpected interest in anesthesiology arose from an emergency she encountered while working on the OB-GYN hospital service. A pregnant patient needed a crash caesarean section, meaning the patient needed to go into the operation room immediately to have the infant delivered.
“I saw the anesthesiologists come in and center with the patient to explain what was going on and communicate with the team,” she says. “I’d never realized the role of an anesthesiologist as an advocate for patients until that point, and I was drawn to the idea of patient protection.”
A few months later, Christnacht began working on a clinical anesthesia rotation, which solidified that it was the medical specialty she wanted to pursue.
“I think a lot of people view anesthesiology as not having interactions with others, but there is a lot more team and patient interaction than people realize,” she says. “Most patients experience anxiety with the uncertainty and vulnerability of being under anesthesia for surgeries, and I really value the role of reassuring patients and helping them feel at ease. People remember how you make them feel, and I try to be intentional with how I treat people and approach situations.”
Kimberly Christnacht's training at CU Anschutz has helped her grow both leadership and advocacy skills that she plans to carry into her future career.
Advocating for others
Throughout her training at CU Anschutz, Christnacht has worked to develop her skills as both a medical professional and an advocate for others.
She developed advocacy skills early on by volunteering with CU Street Medicine, a student interest group that connects students at CU Anschutz with community partners who offer services to people experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity.
“It can be really intimidating to seek health care, especially if you are in a vulnerable position and do not have a stable home, so bringing resources and offering pop-up clinics is really powerful,” she says.
Over the last year, Christnacht has also led the student life advisory committee. Under this leadership role, she meets with the Dean’s Office and Office of Student Life to communicate any concerns being raised.
“It was a challenge because I’d never considered myself to be the most outgoing person, but I am passionate about trying to voice people’s needs and bridge that gap in communication,” she says.
These are skills that are useful both within and outside the clinical space, she explains.
“I’ve grown interpersonally a lot during medical school. As someone who struggles with social anxiety, having to meet new people, interview patients, and give presentations was definitely a challenge,” she says. “I’ve gotten a lot better at approaching situations with a growth mindset and being more comfortable with being vulnerable with others.”
This newfound confidence inspired Christnacht to challenge herself by becoming a barre fitness instructor during medical school, allowing her to use her love of fitness and ballet and further support others’ health in a new way.
Kimberly Christnacht smiles with her boyfriend, Ethan Moore, a fellow CU Anschutz School of Medicine student. They both matched into residency programs at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
‘Still so much to learn’
Christnacht has several goals for her future career.
“I definitely want to work with underserved populations in some capacity, as that has been a large part of my training and what got me interested in medicine,” she says. “I think it’s my duty to give back to the community.”
In particular, she hopes to work with urban underserved populations, inspired by the training she received at Denver Health.
“Spending my clinical year at Denver Health was a full-circle moment, because years ago, my mom was a nurse at Denver Health,” Christnacht says. “It was cool to give back to a community that I grew up in.”
As a future anesthesiologist, Christnacht also hopes to find ways to reduce the environmental impact of the field.
“In our work, we need to use a lot of materials that are sterile and single use, but that means there is so much waste that comes from anesthesia. Being an advocate to reduce that and create a sustainable future in health care is important to me,” she says.
Reflecting on her growth over the past four years, Christnacht advises people who are interested in a medical career to not compare themselves to others and follow what interests them.
“There are so many different paths to becoming a physician or medical provider, and it’s OK if you discover a passion for medicine later in life,” she says. “With residency, I’m excited to move to a new area and begin training that challenges me and develops my independence. There’s still so much to learn.”
