Curriculum

The goal of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship program is to provide excellent training in the practice and science of Infectious Diseases through mentored relationships involving progressive independence for the fellow.

Rotations

During the first year of training, fellows spend the majority of their time on the consultative services (inpatient and critical care units), with additional rotations in HIV medicine, microbiology and antibiotic stewardship. Two and a half blocks in the first year are dedicated to developing a research project to be completed by the end of training, with the intent to present the results at a national meeting and to submit an abstract to a peer-reviewed publication. Fellows attend ambulatory HIV care clinic for one half day per week throughout their training.

On the consultative services fellows become familiar with the epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Fellows also become proficient in the idiosyncrasies of diagnosing and treating community- and hospital-acquired infections in solid organ transplant recipients, HIV/AIDS, and iatrogenically immunosuppressed patients as well as in immunocompetent hosts. Each fellow has a one-month ambulatory care rotation in HIV medicine at the Immunodeficiency Center, a Ryan White-funded comprehensive HIV care center. On this rotation, fellows are supported by a nurse practitioner and supervised by a Board certified physician focusing on the outpatient management of HIV disease, including, but not limited to, the preservation and/or recovery of cell-mediated immunity, prevention and treatment of opportunistic infections, and prevention of transmission. Fellows are supported by a strong social work staff to optimize compliance with both appointments and medication adherence and to aid patients in navigating the healthcare system when their needs extend beyond the clinic's capabilities.

One month is spent in the clinical microbiology lab learning the basics of the evaluation of bacterial disease (blood cultures, sputum, fluids, urine, wounds), mycology, and parasitiology. Experience in the mycobacteriology laboratory is obtained at the city's mycobacterial lab.

During the second year of training, the inpatient clinical experience expands to include off-site electives in stem cell transplantation, sexually-transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis. Similarly, the outpatient clinical experience broadens to include training to our travel medicine and general infectious disease clinics, while maintaining a roster of continuity care patients in the Immunodeficiency Clinic. The second year is rounded out with rotations in infection control and dedicated time devoted to completing and presenting the research project initiated in the prior year of training.

Didactics

Weekly/Monthly: See calendar below
Quarterly: Transplant/Infectious Disease Conference (in collaboration with Transplant Hepatology and Transplant Nephrology fellowships)
Annually: Fellows are encouraged to attend national conferences (e.g. ICAAC, SHEA, ID Week) and are supported financially when funds are available.