About

The largest organization of physicians in Colorado, CMS champions health care issues that improve patient care, promote physician professional satisfaction and create healthier communities in Colorado.

CMS Education Foundation

The Colorado Medical Society Education Foundation, a 501(c)(3) private foundation, was founded in 1982 to support educational activities in Colorado.

We currently have two scholarships:

  • The Alfred D. Gilchrist Student Leader Scholarship was established in 2020 to honor the namesake's 40-year career of physician advocacy. Mr. Gilchrist is the former CMS CEO. Third- and fourth-year medical students who have demonstrated a significant leadership contribution to organized medicine are eligible for a scholarship award. Preference will be given to students who are active with CMS or a component medical society. Applications will be accepted starting in January and awarded in May. 

  • The Rural Track Scholarship awards medical school scholarships to students who are in good academic standing finishing their first year of a rural medicine track or program at the University of Colorado School of Medicine or the Rocky Vista University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Applications will be accepted starting in January and awarded in May. 

In past years, funding has been used to:

  • Provide financial support to the Colorado Science and Engineering Fair through a donation of $1,000 yearly
  • Support the educational portions of the CMS Annual Meeting, and
  • Identify deserving first-year students entering the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Rocky Vista University by awarding each scholarship recipient approximately $5,000 to be used for their tuition. To receive a scholarship a student must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement during his/her undergraduate years, have significant financial need, and express a desire to enter one of the primary care specialties and practice in an underserved urban or rural area.

Our success is dependent on donations from the membership of CMS. Donations are tax-deductible, and 99.9 percent of donations we receive go directly to these educational initiatives. Donate at cms.org/contribute.

Additionally:

  • You can donate through your annual Colorado Medical Society dues renewal,
  • You or your organization may sponsor a scholarship, or
  • Ask your financial advisor if you might be able to support CMS EF as part of your estate planning.

Leave a legacy. Please join your fellow physicians in investing in the future of our profession.

For more information, contact Kate Alfano at kate_alfano@cms.org.