Curriculum

In addition to the laboratory research training that each fellow will receive, the program has an organized series of graduate level courses, seminars, guest lecture series, and regularly scheduled conferences.


i. Graduate Level Courses

Fellows are expected to enroll in a graduate level course during each year of training. Fellows select courses with the aid of the program director and the laboratory mentor. All graduate level courses in the university are open to our fellows, but generally they choose courses in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, additional course work will be encouraged but not required for those fellows holding a Ph.D. degree. All fellows, including those already holding an advanced degree, are required to take the Ethics in Research course.

ii. Introduction to Clinical Microbiology

This is a 2-week session held each July to orient our fellows to the various aspects of clinical microbiology. More extensive training is offered to those fellows who require it because of the nature of their research project.

iii. Joint Medicine-Pediatrics Research-in-Progress Seminars

These seminars are presented two times each month by infectious disease fellows and Infectious Disease faculty in the two departments. They provide an excellent forum for constructive criticism and discussion of ongoing research projects.

iv. Journal Club

A journal club, in which articles relevant to clinical infectious diseases are discussed, is held each week. Both faculty and fellows review papers from assigned journals. Fellows are required to participate in this exercise. This allows faculty and fellows to remain current with all major medical journals. This conference is also a joint conference held with members of the Department of Medicine's Infectious Disease Unit.

v. Clinical Conferences

Each week there is a joint internal medicine-pediatric case conference during which interesting cases are presented for discussion, followed by a didactic presentation on a relevant aspect of the case. This conference is organized and presented by fellows or residents rotating on the Division's clinical service.

vi. Lab Rounds

Three times a week the Department of Clinical Microbiology faculty and clinical microbiology postdoctoral fellows meet to discuss microbiologic aspects of current infectious diseases cases. Pediatric and Adult Infectious Diseases fellows and faculty attend this conference as their time and interest permit. In contrast to the other aspects of the curriculum, attendance at this conference is optional.