University of Colorado
Aurora, CO
Mark W. Geraci, MD
The University of Colorado School of Medicine Pulmonary and Critical Care Fellowship Training Program encompass a broad array of affiliate institutions, including: University of Colorado Hospital, National Jewish Health, Denver Health, Denver Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Rose Hospital and Saint Anthony’s Hospital. The Fellowship has a long and productive history of training leaders in academic Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine. In many regards, the training program has been extraordinarily successful in promoting the careers of the next generations of leaders. Indeed, in the more recent era of training since the time of Dr. Thomas l. Petty as the Director in 1970, the division has trained nineteen individuals who have gone on became Division heads, and six individuals who have become Chairs of Departments. Moreover, the division has a long history of supporting the efforts of the American Thoracic Society. The division has twelve individuals who have been Trudeau Medal awardees: including Henry Sewall, Gerald B. Webb, Florence R. Sabin, James J. Waring, Roger S. Mitchell, Robert F. Grover, Reuben M. Cherniak, Michael D. Iseman, Talmadge E. King, Jr., Marvin I. Schwarz, Leonard D. Hudson, and Steven A. Sahn. Moreover, many trainees and faculty have gone on to prominent positions within the American Thoracic Society, including service as President of the American Thoracic Society: Roger S. Mitchell, James D. Crapo, Leonard D. Hudson, Talmadge E. King, Jr., Sharon I.S. Rounds, John E. Heffner, and Monica Kraft.
Undoubtedly, one of single most important “best practice” efforts of the University of Colorado has been its central focus on the Fellows and their career development. The cornerstone of fellow career development has permeated the culture of the Pulmonary Division for nearly fifty years. Importantly, during the past twenty years the Pulmonary Division has elected to create an endowment, the lung research endowment Fund, specifically designed to support the early career development and career transitions of academic pulmonary and critical care trainees. This endowment is currently valued at nearly $12 million. In addition to the usual “best practices”, the division has invested heavily in its young investigators at crucial career developmental periods to assure their successful transition into leaders in the field. While investigative infrastructure and mentoring teams remain of utmost importance, the culture of financial support for promising trainees through this unique endowment mechanism remains a hallmark of success for our program.
