Southern Colorado Family Medicine Residency
Located in Pueblo, CO since 1975, our program provides robust full-scope family medicine physician training. Our faculty prepares residents for many areas of medical care, including underserved outpatient clinic environments, inpatient adult medicine service, inpatient pediatric service, and OB service with deliveries and cesarian sections.
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Program Summary
Southern Colorado Family Medicine (SCFM) has been training resident physicians for over four decades and many of the primary care physicians in our town trained in our program. Our faculty team has a passion for comprehensive family medicine and seeks physicians who cherish learning underserved family medicine in an unopposed environment. Our program offers an individualized approach to training family medicine physicians with many tracks, procedures, and high-volume inpatient and obstetrics (OB) care that creates a unique training environment. We are a diverse team of professionals who thrive in a positive, educational, and fun environment providing high-quality patient care around the clock.
Program AIMS
- Produce competent full-scope family physicians.
- Train physicians to be experts in meeting their community healthcare needs.
- Produce physicians who will improve the quality of health care in their communities.
- Implement a curriculum that is flexible and sensitive to the needs of our residents and community.
- Train physicians to provide primary care in an underserved population with emphasis on social determinants of health.
- Mentor physicians on becoming members of a multidisciplinary team and caring for patients in the hospital, outpatient, continuity clinic, and nursing home settings.
- Promote the discovery and dissemination of knowledge important to clinical practice.
"We are a compassionate team providing quality family-centered health care to the Southern Colorado community. We seek to build relationships across the lifespan, partner with St. Mary-Corwin to serve those in need, and train well-rounded physicians. We will lead through excellence, collaboration, innovation, and scholarship."
Questions about our program and training opportunities
1008 Minnequa Avenue
Medical Arts, Suite #115
Pueblo, CO 81004
Program Coordinator/Nancy Hamilton: 719-557-5872
Administrative Fax: 719-557-4780
Southern Colorado Family Medicine Resident Application
Southern Colorado Family Medicine does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, sexual orientation or veteran status in admission and access to, and treatment and employment in, its educational program and activities.
Meeting the following recommendations does not guarantee an interview. Being interviewed does not guarantee being ranked for the match.
General Application Information
All applications (allopathic, osteopathic, international and SOAP must be made on ERAS. As a participant in NRMP, we do not offer positions outside the "match." Priority is given to applications completed by November 5.
1. Completed ERAS applications include the Dean's Letter (if available at time of application), Transcript, Personal Statement including reference to applicants desire to train in family medicine, and association with Colorado, 3 Letters of Reference including at least one from a Family Medicine Preceptor, and all USMLE/COMLEX scores. Passing USMLE/COMLEX 2 and CS/PE, scores are available in ERAS by February 1.
2. We look for physicians committed to practicing in the Southeast CommonSpirit Health system service area (southeast Colorado, southwest Kansas, northern New Mexico).
3. We look for physicians who can receive an unrestricted medical license by the state of Colorado and a DEA license at the beginning of the second year of residency.
4. We look for applicants with 3 years or less between medical school graduation and start of residency. Individual exception may be made in the case of US Military personnel honorably separating from military service, with active medical service as general medical officers or flight surgeons during their active duty.
5. Invitations for interviews will be sent electronically through ERAS. Interviews will be held through January.
6. If you have previous residency training, a letter of reference and/or an evaluation from the Program Director is also required.
International Applicants
SCFM is unable to sponsor or accept anyone requiring sponsorship for a visa. SCFM does not offer positions outside the match.
7. All of the information in the General Application Information section applies.
8. Applicants must have an ECFMG certificate prior to January 31 of the year in which they desire to start residency.
Southern Colorado Family Medicine (SCFM) provides learning opportunities for both osteopathic and allopathic medical students.
Third-Year Osteopathic Rotations
SCFM offers out-patient rotations to third-year osteopathic and allopathic students who are interested in family medicine. During this 4- to 6-week rotation students will rotate with faculty and resident physicians in the SCFM clinic. Students will also be able to experience specialty and procedure clinics. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact Nancy Hamilton.
Fourth-Year Rotations
Fourth-year rotations are available for both allopathic and osteopathic students. Interested fourth-year students are required to:
- Provide a letter from the dean of the medical school stating that the applicant is a student in good standing.
- Provide proof of medical insurance.
- Provide proof of medical malpractice liability insurance.
- Download the clerkship application and email it to the program coordinator, Nancy Hamilton.
Family Medicine Inpatient Service
Students work with interns and upper-level residents on the internal medicine team, caring for medical patients in the hospital setting. Students can also participate in an outpatient experience, plus any of the specialty and procedure clinics. This rotation provides students with the broadest exposure to the residents, faculty and staff.
Once a week, resident physicians rotate in our Migrant Clinic in Avondale, CO and provide care to a predominantly Spanish-speaking farming community. Our resident physicians also rotate in our weekly outreach clinic at the Colorado Health Networks needle access in Pueblo and work with an underserved high-risk population. All these clinics are part of the continuity experience. SCFM also does a once weekly outreach clinic to Pueblo’s un-housed community.
- Injections, including joint and trigger point injections
- Women’s health to include family planning, endometrial biopsies, colposcopy and LEEP procedures
- Ultrasound skills (AAA screening, obstetrics and musculoskeletal point of care ultrasounds)
- Skin biopsies, including punch biopsies and excisions
- Osteopathic manipulative medicine
- Acupuncture
- Suturing skills
- EKG reading
- Cryotherapy
- Colonoscopies
- Circumcisions
Over half of our graduates stay in Colorado and serve in rural areas after their residency. We have graduates each year who choose fellowships in many areas of family medicine. Some graduates also pursue hospitalist work, private practice, and full-scope family medicine. With an individualized education and diverse skill set developed during training, our graduates are prepared to practice anywhere in the world.
- PGY-1 residents will spend 1-2 half days/week
- PGY-2 residents will spend 2-4 half days/week
- PGY-3 residents will spend 3-5 half days/week
Our program offers tracks in osteopathic manipulation therapy, surgical or nonsurgical OB, and colonoscopy. In addition, many residents have taken part in a sports medicine track during training.
In collaboration with Valley-Wide Health and with San Luis Valley Hospital, residents spend their first year in Pueblo and second and third year in Alamosa, CO.
Faculty
Location Information
Our program is located on campus at St Mary-Corwin Hospital and offers complete family care. A safety net clinic in the Pueblo community, we offer care to patients with all insurance types and provide full-scope care for OB, pediatrics, and many onsite medical procedures. Onsite behavioral health and case management services are also available to our patients.
Residents rotate with specialist in a 1:1 setting at St. Mary-Corwin Hospital as well as Parkview Medical Center in Pueblo, CO.
Pueblo, CO information
Pueblo, CO is a 40-minute drive south of Colorado Springs. It has an arid climate, few snowy days, and over 350 beautiful days of sunshine a year. It is a town of 150,000 people with affordable homes and family activities, and many outdoor opportunities, including 100 miles of paved bike paths, water sports like kayaking and fishing, and mountain adventures.
Pueblo is also home to small local theaters, a symphony, fine restaurants, and shopping.
About Johnathan M. Emahiser
Johnathan is a father to two young sons who keep him young. He spends his evenings skateboarding with his family, studying, or hiking when he has the time.
Why he chose this program
Johnathan’s biggest priority when selecting a residency was opportunities for involvement in the community. His passion is homeless outreach, and he is very eager to work with SCFM to care for his new neighbors, regardless of status.
Special interests
Osteopathic manual treatment, behavioral medicine and counseling, obstetrics
About Julie Funfrock
During Julie’s undergraduate, she worked as a home health aide and spent time learning and researching in various countries. These experiences had an enormous impact on her and led her to pursue medicine. In her free time, she loves spending time with her family as well as hosting potlucks, game nights, and endless card games.
Why she chose this program
Julie chose SCFM because she wants to train with a program that has many opportunities in full-spectrum family medicine and works with an underserved patient population. While looking for a residency, it was important to her to be a part of a medical community that values teamwork in a supportive environment where everyone is encouraged to become the best physician possible. Julie is grateful to learn from such an amazing group of physicians and to serve the community of Pueblo to the best of her abilities.
Special interests
Obstetrics, fertility awareness, pediatrics, osteopathic manipulation treatment
About Spencer Hegerhorst
Spencer grew up in a small town in Oregon where he learned to love the outdoors. When he is not learning medicine, he can be found hunting, fishing, camping, or hiking.
Why he chose this program
Spencer chose SCFM because of the emphasis the program places on rural, underserved populations. Coming from a small town, he has always known he wanted to practice rural medicine and SCFM has all the tools to help him achieve that goal.
Special interests
Rural medicine, emergency medicine, wilderness medicine
About Naman Jain
Naman enjoys singing and songwriting, cooking, and traveling in his free time. He speaks five languages, has been to nine countries, and dreams of getting his pilot’s license.
Why he chose this program
Naman is looking forward to offering his osteopathic and clinical skills to an area where there is great need. Also, he wants to become certified to do colonoscopies and c-sections as part of providing holistic care to his patients.
Special interests
Holistic and preventative care, osteopathic medicine, pharmacologic management, biotechnology
About Kamal Lazar
Kamal was born in Sri Lanka and migrated with his parents to the United States when he was 18. Oregon has been his second home since 2007 and is where he completed his higher education and medical school. During his undergraduate years, he had the opportunity to volunteer on a medical mission to Arusha, Tanzania, which was pivotal in pushing him to pursue a life in medicine.
Why he chose this program
SCFM was Kamal’s first choice when ranking residency programs. He wanted to serve in a diverse community where socioeconomic hardships are prominent. The faculty, residents, and administrative staff are amazing, and they are another huge reason he wanted to train with SCFM. He hopes to draw from his life experiences to serve and connect with his patients to provide the best care he can offer.
Special interests
Osteopathic manipulation treatment, global health, pediatrics, adult neurology
About Blake Reichert
Blake grew up in Minnesota, but once he moved to Colorado for his undergraduate education, he never left. Blake likes to participate in the many activities that beautiful Colorado offers.
Why he chose this program
Blake is excited about the broad, full-scope training at SCFM. Through this program he will be able to learn more about rural medicine, women’s health, and a multitude of other areas to prepare him to give the best treatments possible.
Special interests
Rural medicine, substance use treatment, geriatrics, women’s health
About Hunter Ries
Hunter was born and raised in northeast Ohio. She is excited to be in Pueblo as he loves being outdoors and staying active. A lot of her free time is spent playing volleyball, reading, and trying new recipes in the kitchen.
Why she chose this program
Hunter has taken a few trips to Colorado in her life, and they were always over too fast. She knew she could see herself living there long-term. SCFM had everything that he was looking for in a program; with options to continue her osteopathic manipulative therapy training and work closely with many high-risk pregnancy patients as well as bond with the close-knit group in the program.
Special interests
High-risk obstetrics, outpatient procedures, osteopathic treatment, inpatient pediatrics
About Lexie Skelton
Lexi spent her early childhood in Colorado Springs, and while she loved growing up in Indiana and the Midwest, she knew she had to return to the Rockies. She loves hiking, skiing, DIY projects, global missions, investing in her faith, and snuggling with her fur babies.
Why she chose this program
Lexi chose to further her medical education at SCFM for the full-spectrum practice opportunities, comradery between attendings and fellow residents, and of course all the natural beauty and community to be found in Pueblo.
Special interests
Obstetrics, pediatrics, adult medicine, surgical and procedural, outpatient medicine
