For Colorado College students who dream of becoming physicians, the path from a liberal arts education to medical school just became a little more direct.
Through a partnership with the University of Northern Colorado College of Osteopathic Medicine (UNC COM), qualified Colorado College students can receive a guaranteed interview for admission to UNC COM, subject to availability and the program’s eligibility requirements.
Only about 10 to 15% of osteopathic medicine (DO) school applicants get an interview, so the Plains to Peak Pathway creates a new opportunity for CC students to demonstrate their preparation for medical school while building connections with a medical school before they apply.
“The Plains to Peak Pathway is a game changer for CC pre-med students,” says Sarah KC ’29, a neuroscience major on the pre-med track. “Getting into medical school is incredibly competitive, and earning a guaranteed interview at UNC COM removes one of the biggest barriers students face.”
The partnership also comes at a time when Colorado and other communities across the region face a shortage of physicians, particularly in rural and underserved areas. UNC COM was established in part to help strengthen the physician workforce throughout the High Plains and Intermountain West.
For CC students, the pathway offers more than an interview.
“Through this partnership, CC students will have the exposure, the resources, and the guidance for their next step in their medical career,” says Grace Nguyen ‘26, a neuroscience major who is spending her gap year conducting clinical research on glaucoma patients, treatments and procedures. “It is more than just interview practice and a possibility to get into a DO school, but it is also building connections, gathering information, and creating an application for medical school that not only can guarantee acceptance but also highlights a person’s unique qualities that will make them an exceptional physician and healthcare provider.”
Nguyen plans to apply to both DO and MD programs, including UNC COM, next year.
A Liberal Arts Advantage
Students say the partnership also recognizes something distinctive about the Colorado College experience.
CC students often pursue interests across disciplines while developing a broad range of academic, professional and extracurricular experiences. For pre-med students, that can mean building an application that reflects more than traditional science coursework.
“CC students have the ability to pursue many different passions at the same time, ironically while completing one block at a time,” says Layla Haji ’25, who worked as a paraprofessional in the Psychology Department and plans to pursue an MD or Ph.D.
That breadth, Haji says, can sometimes be difficult to communicate through the standard medical school application process.
“This allows us to have many experiences that are not fully reflected in the objective metrics that dominate applications,” she says. “A partnership guaranteeing interviews for qualified students creates an opportunity for CC applicants to tell their stories, which often have far more depth than what can be captured on paper.”
The pathway could be particularly valuable for Colorado students, who face a competitive medical school admissions landscape.
“Traditionally, Colorado is one of, if not the hardest state to apply out of,” says Brayden Legette ’26, a molecular biology major and biochemistry minor who is working as a pediatric medical assistant while applying to medical school.
Legette explains that Colorado is one of the hardest states to apply from for several reasons, one being that there are only three in-state schools, whereas states like Texas or California each have 16 in-state medical schools.
“Because there are relatively few schools that don’t have in-state bias, it makes it harder for kids applying from Colorado because they have to navigate which schools they have a chance of getting into,” he says.
The Plains to Peak Pathway gives qualified CC students another option.
Building Colorado’s Physician Workforce
The partnership also connects Colorado College’s pre-health education to a larger regional need.
According to the Health Resources and Services Administration, Colorado has significant unmet demand for physicians, particularly in rural and underserved communities. UNC COM says its mission includes helping address that shortage by preparing physicians to serve the High Plains and Intermountain region.
“This partnership is definitely a great opportunity for CC students,” says Trey Penna ’27, a chemistry major who plans to attend medical school. “It is not easy to break into the medical field in any capacity, so having the chance to be interviewed for something that could further your career in medicine is a fantastic option to have.”
Penna also sees an opportunity for future physicians to look beyond the country’s largest medical hubs.
“Many individuals entering the medical field aim to work in hubs such as Boston or New York that have greater opportunities for exposure, but this can leave communities which are in desperate need of medical professionals out to dry,” says Penna, who plans to attend medical school. “It's amazing to see CC taking part in such a great initiative.”
Linnea Lindell ’26 says the Plains to Peak Pathway is an exciting opportunity because it creates a more direct connection between undergraduate education and medical school.
“Many larger universities have long benefited from formal connections between their undergraduate and medical programs,” says Lindell, who majored in Molecular Biology and minored in English. “The Plains to Peak Pathway gives qualified CC students access to a similar kind of opportunity while complementing the rigorous preparation they already receive at CC.”
UNC COM offers between 500 and 1,100 interviews for each entering class, and qualified students from the 11 Plains to Peak Pathway Partners are guaranteed an interview, subject to availability.
To be eligible for the Plains to Peak Pathway, students must earn a score of 502 or higher on the MCAT and have a science GPA of at least 3.5, as well as pass the program’s initial admissions screening.
Students from Colorado, Wyoming, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Montana, Utah, Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas, South Dakota, and North Dakota are also eligible to apply through the Plains to Peak Pathway.
Colorado College offers numerous academic advising, professional development, academic, and networking opportunities for students interested in a career in medicine, including the Pre-Health Professions Peer Mentor program and the Pre-Health Professions Club.
The Plains to Peak Pathway adds another piece to that support, giving qualified CC students a clearer connection between the education they receive on campus and the medical careers they hope to pursue.
For students preparing to become physicians, that connection could make a meaningful difference.
