First class graduates from CU School of Medicine at CSU

Media contact: Jennifer Dimas
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The first class of physicians is graduating this month from the CU School of Medicine at CSU – a branch of one of the nation’s best medical schools that, in a groundbreaking partnership, is embedded in one of the country’s top veterinary programs.

The collaboration between Colorado’s two largest universities is designed to train University of Colorado medical students by tapping foundational science expertise within Colorado State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences – simultaneously offering CU medical students new clinical opportunities in Northern Colorado’s thriving medical ecosystem.

“We are proud to honor the first graduates of the CU at CSU medical education program, which reflects our commitment to creating better health outcomes for people, animals and the environment, while preparing the next generation of leaders in the health sciences,” said Dr. Sue VandeWoude, dean of CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “This innovative and unique partnership has further strengthened our relationship with human health colleagues at Anschutz Medical Campus.”

Capping four years of study on the CSU campus and in the Northern Colorado medical community, the first class from the Fort Collins branch includes seven students who will earn the Doctor of Medicine during a hooding and oath ceremony on May 19 at CU’s Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora. They are going on to residencies in psychiatry, emergency medicine, family medicine, anesthesia and pediatrics.

“Our inaugural class has a pioneering spirit,” said graduate Andy Steiner, who will complete his residency in anesthesiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and pursue a career as a pediatric anesthesiologist. “We wanted to be part of building something meaningful and to have a lasting legacy — and I think we did that.”

All students at the Fort Collins branch take courses in the medical school’s core curriculum. Yet, in a unique aspect of the collaborative program, students studying at the medical school branch in Fort Collins may take electives and conduct research in the field of One Health – a philosophy recognizing ties among human, animal and environmental wellbeing. Critical aspects of medicine, such as infectious disease, are often examined through the One Health lens because tackling such challenges requires an understanding of multiple species and ecosystem impacts. CSU’s veterinary program is a leader in One Health.

Program benefits

“This generation of students thinks and engages more broadly around issues affecting humans, animals and the environment,” said Dr. Suzanne Brandenburg, professor and associate dean for medical education with the CU School of Medicine. She leads the Fort Collins branch.

“I am so proud of everyone who has been involved with this program and of this first class of students graduating with MDs behind their names,” she said. “I cannot wait to see where their careers take them.”

In addition to other benefits gained through the CU School of Medicine at CSU, students enjoy smaller class sizes and take classes in CSU’s state-of-the-art human anatomy lab in the University’s Health Education Outreach Center, a $23.3-million facility opened in 2019 and designed to teach students aspiring to careers in human health and medicine.

Each student studying at the Fort Collins branch is paired with mentors to help guide them through medical school and into careers that are good fits personally and professionally.

Offers are being finalized for an incoming class of 14 students to begin the program this summer. The CU School of Medicine at CSU may grow to 20 students per class, Brandenburg said.

“It brings me great hope to know that these are the MD’s taking the baton,” said Dr. Shanta Zimmer, a professor and executive vice dean of education at the CU School of Medicine. “They are true leaders and exactly who we need for the future of medicine.”