Family Practice Physician, Lone Tree Family Practice
Dr. Marshall grew up in the Littleton area and completed her undergraduate degrees in physiology and environmental biology at the University of Colorado in Boulder. During this time she was also an F-16 avionics technician in the Colorado Air National Guard. After spending 6 years in the guard her medical training took her to Pennsylvania where she studied at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. Dr. Marshall returned to Fort Collins, Colorado to complete her residency in family medicine where she served as chief resident. She is board certified in family medicine and is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians and the Colorado Medical Society.
Dr. Marshall enjoys the full scope of practice that family practice has to offer — from babies to geriatrics and everyone in between. She has an interest in sports medicine and musculoskeletal problems as she continues to use the manipulation training that was taught in medical school. Women’s health is another area of focus and she is trained and certified to insert IUD’s and Nexplanon.
In her spare time you can find Dr. Marshall outside hiking, biking, snowboarding, and paddle boarding. She also enjoys adding stamps to her passport and finding new breweries to sample microbrews.
Starting at a young age, Dr. Chandra Marshall was exposed to medicine and the multiple aspects of healthcare. She spent a lot of time at Craig Hospital observing and helping as her uncle recovered from a car accident and visited with her mother at work as she sold medical home supplies. Dr. Marshall always had an interest in medicine and knew she would be involved in healthcare somehow. She just took the long way to get there.
Q: What attracted you to osteopathic medicine?
Dr. Marshall: The summer before my senior year of college, I went on a university-sponsored trip to China. I was among a group of students who visited three different provinces to learn more about traditional Chinese medicine. Their practices of using complementary or alternative therapies like acupuncture and herbal medicines have been around for thousands of years. I was intrigued by this holistic approach to health and well-being.
People in China have no problem combining traditional practices with Western medicine when appropriate. I, too, felt there was a place for both approaches. When I learned that osteopathic medicine embraced a holistic approach, I knew that was the medical degree for me.
As a doctor of osteopathic medicine, I’m trained in osteopathic manipulation, an approach that’s similar to physical therapy. Patients are often surprised at how a simple adjustment can alleviate an ache or solve another problem. While I don’t personally offer therapies like acupuncture, I fully support their use and have excellent referral connections for my patients.
Q: What do you enjoy most about being a family physician?
Dr. Marshall: I love providing care for all members of a family, from newborns to parents and grandparents. It allows me to really get to know my patients and be a partner in their care through all stages of life. It also means variety. In any given day I’m vaccinating children, doing well-woman exams, using osteopathic manipulation to ease muscle aches and pains, and helping patients make lifestyle changes to improve their health and manage chronic conditions.
Q: What can patients expect when they come to see you?
Dr. Marshall: I’m a pretty open and direct person. I have been exposed to various traumatic events at a young age, and I use those experiences to build trust with my patients. Many of us have dealt with some level of trauma in our lives like a divorce or financial hardship. I find that patients are more willing to open up to me when they know that I’ve overcome my own hardships.
I partner with patients who are at risk for chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, helping them make lifestyle changes to stay well. And if you’re like many Americans who already have one or more of these illnesses, I can help you find the right balance of medications, physical activity and diet to improve your health.
Q: What was your education and career path like?
Dr. Marshall: I like to think I am the “queen of odd jobs.” I started working when I was 16 and haven’t stopped. I served for six years as an F-16 avionics specialist with the Colorado Air National Guard while pursuing my college degree. People sometimes ask how that job relates to medicine. In both careers, there’s always a need to fix something, so a lot of problem-solving happens. Just prior to medical school, I was working for an aviation insurance brokerage and knew that insurance was not the career for me. I got my EMT basic license, took the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and started applying to medical schools.
Q: Why did you join Lone Tree Family Medicine?
Dr. Marshall: Although Dr. Chester Cedars is now retired from Lone Tree Family Medicine, he was my family’s primary care physician. He delivered my baby brother. When I was heading off to college, Dr. Cedars was one of my biggest supporters. He told me I would have a job waiting at Lone Tree Family Medicine when I got my medical degree. And here I am.
Q: What are your outside interests?
Dr. Marshall: Spending time with family and friends attending concerts, training for endurance events or just being outside biking, hiking or snowboarding. I also enjoy cooking, crocheting and painting. Like a lot of my patients, I’m still trying to master the art of juggling work and family as my son was born in late 2020. I try to enjoy the Colorado outdoors with my family, including our dog Stinger.
