University of Colorado School of Medicine


The University of Colorado School of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Colorado system. It is located at the Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora, Colorado, one of the four University of Colorado campuses, six miles east of downtown Denver at the junction of Interstate 225 and Colfax Avenue.

History

The school was founded in 1883 in Boulder. In 1924, the school relocated to a new campus at Ninth Avenue and Colorado Boulevard in Denver on land donated by Frederick G. Bonfils. This campus also contained a new Colorado General Hospital. By the 1990s, the school was outgrowing its aging facilities. In 1999, the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in Aurora closed and between 1999 and 2008 the school of medicine moved to the site, which was renamed the Anschutz Medical Campus for the Anschutz Foundation. The Ninth Avenue campus is currently being redeveloped. The new Anschutz Medical Campus also contains the University of Colorado School of Dental Medicine, the University of Colorado College of Nursing, the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy, and the Colorado School of Public Health, as well as University of Colorado, Denver graduate school programs. The University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado have relocated to the campus, along with the Rocky Mountain Regional VA Medical Center.

Achievements

The school and its affiliates have a distinguished record of clinical and research achievements. The University of Colorado Cancer Center is designated a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute and is ranked 15th in the country by U.S. News and World Report; Overall, the University of Colorado Hospital is ranked as the 15th best hospital in the country. Children's Hospital Colorado is routinely ranked in the top 10 in the country by the same publication. The school receives approximately $500 million in research awards annually and is ranked 8th among public medical schools in NIH funding. Major accomplishments include developing the international standard for classifying and numbering human chromosomes by Theodore Puck, the first successful human liver transplant by Thomas Starzl, the first description of toxic shock syndrome by James K. Todd, the first description of ARDS, and the discovery of the T-cell receptor.

Affiliations

The school's major teaching affiliates are the University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, and the Denver VA Medical Center. With the opening of the new $1.7 billion Denver VA Medical Center in 2018, all of these institutions except for Denver Health are adjacent on the Anschutz Medical Campus. Other significant affiliates include National Jewish Health, Saint Joseph Hospital, and Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center.

Students

The school has admitted men and women on an equal basis since its founding. The school received about 7,500 applications for the MD program for the 2017-18 academic year. There are 184 students accepted each year, including 24 assigned to new Colorado Springs branch. There is a Medical Scientist Training Program. The school also operates physical therapy, physician assistant, and other degree programs which enroll several hundred more students.

Notable People