Medicine in the making

By Elean Gersack; courtesy photos

Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland will welcome one of Castle Pines’ own come June. Austin Kimsey is headed to the distinguished school’s premed post-baccalaureate program.

Kimsey has called Castle Pines home since he was a toddler. He attended Timber Trail Elementary (TTE), American Academy (AA) and Rock Canyon High School (RCHS) before heading to the University of Alabama (Alabama) in 2019. While growing up, outside of school, he volunteered at Sky Ridge Medial Center (Sky Ridge) during his sophomore, junior and senior years, manning the front desk as well as supporting both the spine and joint and trauma and neuro units. “My favorite thing ever was when I volunteered at the hospital,” said Kimsey.

Academically, Kimsey has soared. He graduated from RCHS with enough AP and concurrent enrollment classes to start as a sophomore at Alabama where he maintains a hefty academic scholarship. Now, with one semester and 21 credit hours left before graduating in May – as a junior with a double major in economics and finance and a minor in history – he sits with a 4.0 GPA. He attributes his early years at AA for really pushing and preparing him. Not only has Kimsey kept his grades in check, but he is also active in many leadership roles and is immersed in the roll-tide community at Alabama.

Leaning into his business curriculum, Kimsey returned to Colorado last summer to join Lockheed Martin as a contract negotiation intern and ultimately a paid employee, but by the end of the summer, Kimsey realized he wasn’t overly excited about the prospect of a desk job. Rather, it was his time volunteering at Sky Ridge and the medical profession that truly resonated with him. With this realization, he revved up his determination to graduate early and apply to the top premed programs so he could get back to his calling.

Johns Hopkins University was top on his list, and in November 2021, he received a formal acceptance letter into the program that only admits about 35 students. It’s a solid year of rigor. He will follow what’s called the linkage path whereby he will be connected directly to medical school admissions, including those directly affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. The acceptance rate into medical school following this program is more than 99%. “It feels amazing. I’ve worked really hard over the years and this program is very well recognized and difficult to get into, so it’s like all of my hard work has really paid off,” said Kimsey.

Thinking back to his growing-up years in Castle Pines, Kimsey is quick to acknowledge all that it afforded him. He found his people here. “It’s a really special place. My favorite part now is that I realize how safe, small and comfortable it is. When I graduated from high school, I wanted to leave, but now I miss it so much,” said Kimsey. He remembers a birthday party at Coyote Ridge Park, the firework shows, Trick-or-Treat Street and all the fun community events. “Castle Pines definitely gives a unique opportunity to grow up in a place where everyone really cares about you,” he shared.

Kimsey is most appreciative for Castle Pines connecting him with his closest friends. One of whom is Malia Baudo – their friendship has stretched from TTE to AA and now Alabama. Both are only children, so they bonded early and have stuck by each others’ sides ever since. The two fly and drive home together from Alabama, ski together in the Colorado mountains and simply hang out together all of the time.

Kimsey has many years of schooling ahead, and he imagines the possibilities down the road. He thinks about joining Doctors Without Borders as well as working in a big city for a few years after completing his residency. Ultimately, Kimsey would love to come back to Colorado to practice. He simply cannot imagine a future without being close to the mountains.