Cheers and applause abounded on September 19 as the University of Colorado School of Medicine awarded 52 health care professionals for their teaching of medical students through the school’s longitudinal integrated clerkship (LIC) programs.
From Colorado Springs to Fort Collins and rural locations all over the state, physicians who practice throughout Colorado gathered for the event, called the “Foothills Faculty Appreciation and Awards Dinner.” Foothills is the name of the clerkship phase of the curriculum, where second-year students are placed in an LIC to gain clinical care experience.
“Tonight is about a celebration of our LIC curriculum and about gratitude,” said Jennifer Adams, MD, assistant dean of medical education for the CU School of Medicine and a professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine.
“Each one of you is part of one of our 16 LICs, which are spread across the entire state of Colorado, supporting one of our 197 medical students,” she added. “We are so thankful to all of you for your contribution and your support of our students.”
The CU School of Medicine bestowed 15 LIC Teacher of the Year Awards on September 19, 2024.
‘The most exceptional training program in the country’
The CU School of Medicine is entering the third year of its new curriculum. Under this new curriculum, the LIC became the standard training model for all medical students, making CU among the first large medical institutions in the country to use this model for all students.
An LIC offers a unique approach to training future physicians. Students are placed with a specific preceptor — meaning a practicing physician who provides training to the student — in all their core specialties for an entire year. This results in students having interactions with the same preceptors throughout the year, rather than for just several weeks.
The students also select some of their preceptors’ patients to follow for the year, accompanying these patients to their medical appointments. Research has shown this training approach creates more empathetic, patient-centered physicians.
“I truly believe that this is the best model to educate the future physicians and to prepare them to be amazing doctors,” said Shanta Zimmer, MD, senior associate dean for education and professor of infectious diseases. “The whole purpose of the LIC is for the students to really feel like they are the doctor, and you all make that happen.”
To recognize the exceptional faculty who have helped make this model successful, students were asked for nominations of preceptors they felt deserved an award. Ultimately, more than 400 nominations were submitted, and 52 preceptors were selected as award winners for one of the following categories: LIC Teacher of the Year Awards, LIC Champion Awards, Specialty Teaching Awards, Bardsley Awards, and LIC Career Contribution Awards.
“There’s no possible way that the curriculum could work without the contributions of each and every one of you,” Adams said. “We are now entering the third year of what I think is the most exceptional training program in the country. What we are doing here is so innovative, and we're settling into what is — really, I think — the new normal here in Colorado.”
Sarah Faubel, MD, hugs Jennifer Adams, MD, as she accepts an award on September 19, 2024.
LIC Teacher of the Year Awards
Fifteen preceptors received LIC Teacher of the Year Awards. Those who received awards heard excerpts from the nominations, exemplifying why their students felt they deserved to be recognized.
One student, for example, said in their nomination for internal medicine physician and CU School of Medicine faculty member Michelle Cleeves, MD, that they “hope to be half the doctor she is,” adding that it is amazing to watch Cleeves interact with her patients because almost every day, at least one patient says they love her.
The names of all the awardees are listed below with CU School of Medicine faculty members listed at the top:
- Allison Costello, MD, assistant professor of family medicine, received the Community Health Advocacy LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Gregory Adams, DO, assistant professor of emergency medicine, received the Children’s Hospital Colorado LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Jason Aminsharifi, MD, assistant clinical professor of gastrointestinal, trauma, and endocrine surgery, received a Colorado Springs Branch LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Michelle Cleeves, MD, associate professor of clinical practice in internal medicine, received the Denver Health Advocacy LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Kyros Ipaktchi, MD, associate professor of orthopedics, received the Denver Health Equity LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Jeremy Long, MD, associate professor of internal medicine, received the Denver Health Public and Population Health LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Andrew Faber, MD, clinical instructor of hospital medicine, received the Kaiser Permanente LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Stephanie Mager, MD, clinical instructor of OB-GYN, received the Northern Colorado Public and Population Health LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Laura Macke, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine, received a University of Colorado Hospital (UCH) Inquiry LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Emma Hollars, MD, clinical instructor of pediatrics, received a UCH Inquiry LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- CT Lin, MD, professor of internal medicine, received the UCH Quality and Safety LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Connor McBryde, MD, associate professor of internal medicine, received the Veterans Affairs (VA) Equity LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Michael Heffler, MD, instructor of emergency medicine, received the VA Quality and Safety LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Jaina Murphy, MD, emergency medicine physician, received a Colorado Springs Branch LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
- Tony Gerk, MD, family medicine physician, received the Rural Public and Population Health LIC Teacher of the Year Award.
Jeremy Long, MD, received the Denver Health Public and Population Health LIC Teacher of the Year Award. Image courtesy of Angie Duet.
LIC Champion Awards
The LIC Champion Awards were selected by the LIC teams, honoring those who have greatly contributed to the success of the LIC programs. In total, 13 individuals were given a champion award, and the Colorado Springs LICs gave a champion award to the Children’s Hospital Colorado pediatric emergency room team.
One of the 13 individual awardees was CU School of Medicine faculty member Lindsey Romero, MD, who works in family medicine and addiction medicine. Romero is the medical director of Sandstone Care, which provides substance abuse, addiction, and mental health treatment for young adults and adolescents.
“Dr. Lindsey Romero is an LIC supporter through-and-through. She graduated from our program, an LIC alum, and has demonstrated her dedication to medicine through her time as an LIC student and is unwavering as a preceptor today,” Adams said.
The names of all the awardees are listed below with CU School of Medicine faculty members listed at the top:
- Jenny Soep, MD, professor of pediatric rheumatology, received a Children’s Hospital Colorado LIC Champion Award.
- Colin Fisher, MD, instructor of pediatric hospital medicine, received a Children’s Hospital Colorado LIC Champion Award.
- Lindsey Romero, MD, clinical instructor of family medicine and an addiction medicine physician, received a Colorado Springs Branch LIC Champion Award.
- Stephanie Augustine, MD, assistant professor of family medicine, received the Denver Health LIC Champion Award.
- Ashley Barash, DO, clinical instructor of emergency medicine, received the Northern Colorado Public and Population Health LIC Champion Award.
- Kerri Thurmon, MD, associate professor of urology, received a UCH Inquiry LIC Champion Award.
- Ashoke Khanwalkar, MD, assistant professor of otolaryngology — head and neck surgery, received a UCH Inquiry LIC Champion Award.
- Cara Rabin, DO, senior instructor of family medicine, received a UCH Quality and Safety LIC Champion Award.
- Jed Olson, MD, associate professor of internal medicine, received a VA Equity LIC Champion Award.
- Karen Christopher, MD, associate professor of ophthalmology, received a VA Quality and Safety LIC Champion Award.
- Peg Arnett, education director at Heart of the Rockies, received the Rural Public and Population Health LIC Champion Award.
- Jean Lu, MD, family medicine physician, received the Community Health Advocacy LIC Champion Award.
- James Willett, MD, hospice and palliative medicine physician, received the Kaiser Permanente LIC Champion Award.
Jed Olson, MD, received a VA Equity LIC Champion Award on September 19, 2024. Image courtesy of Angie Duet.
Specialty Teaching Awards
Fourteen preceptors earned the Specialty Teaching Awards. In their nominations, students thanked the preceptors for investing in their personal and professional development, whether it be taking the time to answer questions, offering hands-on learning opportunities, or demonstrating how to deliver exceptional patient care.
One student said in their nomination for surgeon Shelly Barker, MD, that they felt shy, anxious, and nervous about surgery, but thanks to Barker’s guidance, they gained more confidence. They added: “Dr. Barker is the most incredible teacher and mentor anyone could ever have as their surgery preceptor.”
The names of all the awardees are listed below with CU School of Medicine faculty members listed at the top:
- Benjamin Honig, MD, professor emeritus of emergency medicine, received an Emergency Teacher of the Year Award.
- Eytan Shtull-Leber, MD, clinical instructor of emergency medicine, received an Emergency Teacher of the Year Award.
- Ariana Nestler, MD, instructor of family medicine, received a Family Medicine Teacher of the Year Award.
- Carly Hurley, MD, assistant professor of internal medicine, received an Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year Award.
- Alan Roberts, MD, assistant professor of hospital medicine, received an Internal Medicine Teacher of the Year Award.
- Kathryn McKenney, MD, assistant professor of OB-GYN, received an OB-GYN Teacher of the Year Award.
- Mollie Miller, DO, clinical instructor of OB-GYN, received an OB-GYN Teacher of the Year Award.
- Yosuke Nomura, MD, instructor of pediatrics, received a Pediatrics Teacher of the Year Award.
- Caroline Rowlands, MD, assistant clinical professor of pediatrics, received a Pediatrics Teacher of the Year Award.
- Alice Major, DO, instructor of psychiatry, received a Psychiatry Teacher of the Year Award.
- Erin O'Flaherty, MD, clinical instructor of psychiatry, received a Psychiatry Teacher of the Year Award.
- Shelly Barker, MD, assistant clinical professor of gastrointestinal, trauma, and endocrine surgery, received a Surgery Teacher of the Year Award.
- William Lechuga, MD, assistant clinical professor of gastrointestinal, trauma, and endocrine surgery, received a Surgery Teacher of the Year Award.
- Tyler Jones, MD, received a Family Medicine Teacher of the Year Award.
Lauren Harrington, MD, received a Bardsley Award on September 19, 2024. Image courtesy of Angie Duet.
Bardsley Awards
The Bardsley Awards recognize those who demonstrated exceptional humanism and commitment to role modeling compassion, collaboration, personal growth, and responsibility to the patient as a whole person.
These awards, supported by the Bardsley Foundation, were selected by a committee from student nominations.
The eight selected winners, all of whom are CU School of Medicine faculty members, were:
- Marisa Echaniz, MD, associate professor of hospital medicine.
- Lauren Harrington, MD, assistant professor of OB-GYN.
- Brett Hesse, MD, clinical instructor of hospital medicine.
- Vanna Irving, MD, senior clinical instructor of family medicine.
- Vishnu Kulasekaran, MD, associate professor of internal medicine.
- Ashley Takahashi, MD, assistant professor of hospital medicine.
- Amelia Virostko, MD, clinical instructor of family medicine.
- Peter Zimmer, MD, assistant clinical professor of gastrointestinal, trauma, and endocrine surgery.
Sarah Faubel, MD, received an LIC Career Contribution Award on September 19, 2024. Image courtesy of Angie Duet.
LIC Career Contribution Awards
Two LIC Career Contribution Awards were given to recognize faculty who are stepping away from their current roles but have made exceptional contributions to the LIC programs.
The first awardee was Jena Reichelt, MD, senior instructor of family medicine, who was honored for her work with the Colorado Springs LICs as a founding family medicine liaison.
“Dr. Jena Reichelt has been with the Colorado Springs branch since its very first year. She worked hard to create our very successful family medicine rotation and goes above and beyond,” Adams said. “She is passionate about her field, which shines through in her direct teaching and mentoring of students.
The second awardee was Sarah Faubel, MD, professor of renal diseases and hypertension, who was the founding UCH Inquiry LIC director and inquiry content director. Adams said Faubel designed “what we now know to be the inquiry LICs and the inquiry curriculum for all Foothills students.”
“Under Sarah’s vision and leadership, students interested in research careers, the application of evidence-based medicine, and curiosity benefit from really special curricula,” Adams said. “Sarah has also provided tremendous advocacy, mentorship, and guidance to her assistant directors, who are now carrying her vision forward.”
SPECIAL NOTE: In addition to honoring preceptors, Adams gave special recognition to Angie Duet, the clerkship curriculum manager, and Kirsten Proskey, the clerkship curriculum coordinator, for their invaluable contributions to make the school’s curriculum successful.
