Fellowship Program - Goals and Objectives

Fellows must be able to provide patient care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of disease and promotion of health.

• Fellows will demonstrate the ability to elicit an orderly, thorough history and physical examination pertinent to the HIV infected individual and together with laboratory and radiographic data be able to provide a list of the major HIV-associated complications of a given organ system 
• Provide regular longitudinal follow-up of HIV infected patients with attention to adherence, drug toxicities and status of immune competence.
• Provide appropriate routine immunizations, and health maintenance of HIV infected patients.
• Learn about anti-retroviral drug resistance, newer anti-retroviral drugs and appropriate use of such drugs alone or in combination.
• Function independently as a capable and competent primary care provider for HIV infected patients.
• Function independently as a capable and competent ID consultant for patients with non-HIV related infectious diseases.

• Appreciate the variation in depth of immunosuppression among transplant recipients and cancer patients.
• Gain knowledge of drugs used for prevention of graft rejection and graft versus host disease in stem cell transplant recipients.
• Acquire knowledge of risk factors, differential diagnoses, and complex management aspects of common and opportunistic infections in patients undergoing stem cell transplantation or in patient with hematological or oncological diseases.
• Render comprehensive infectious diseases consultations on infection related issues among stem cell transplant recipients and patients with underlying hematological or oncological disorders.

• Appreciate the technical aspects of transplant procedures.
• Gain knowledge of drugs used for immunosuppression in transplant recipients.
• Appreciate variation in the depth of underlying immunosuppression among transplant recipients and consequent risk for infection.
• Acquire knowledge of risk factors, differential diagnoses, and complex management aspects of common and opportunistic infections.
• Render comprehensive infectious diseases consultations 
• Establish a good rapport between ID consult team and the consulting transplant team.

• Expand the fund of knowledge in infectious disease including epidemiology and microbiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, laboratory studies and treatment of common and uncommon infections.
• Gain the ability to provide a thorough and comprehensive written consultation with precise recommendations to the consulting service.
• Understand the appropriate and cost effective use of antimicrobial therapy.
• Supervise the ID team (consisting of the medical residents, medical students, and Pharm D's) to ensure each member fully understands and carries out his or her responsibilities.
• Understand the appropriate and cost effective utilization of the clinical microbiology laboratory.

• Appreciate the differences between adults and children regarding infection-related issues.
• Familiarize with common and uncommon infections seen at a larger tertiary care, university based Children's Hospital.
• Render effective management plan for pediatric ID consultations.
• Work as an effective team member in the Children's Hospital ID consultation team.

• Appreciate the spectrum of sexually transmitted diseases encountered in an inner city STD clinic, and become competent in the successful management of such infections.
• Learn the varied clinical manifestations and differential diagnoses of sexually transmitted diseases, recent diagnostic/screening methods and effective treatment strategies in the outpatient setting.
• Learn the significance of treatment of patient's partner(s) and preventive aspects of sexually transmitted diseases.

• Obtain familiarity with the methods by which all clinical specimens are handled and processed in the microbiology laboratory.
• Observe and understand laboratory procedures pertaining to clinical specimens in areas of bacteriology, virology, mycobacteriology, mycology and serology.
• Understand the principles and methods involved in culture as well as non-culture, molecular diagnostic techniques

• Choose a mentor with special expertise in a specific field in Infectious Diseases; formulate questions of clinical relevance in that field, then construct experiment to answer such questions.
• Ability to understand and perform laboratory experiments using up-to-date techniques.
• Ability to analyze and interpret scientific data and apply statistical knowledge to evaluate significance of data obtained.
• Ability to construct abstracts to be submitted for regional/national conferences.
• Ability to present data at meetings and to write manuscripts for publication and peer-reviewed journals.
• Ability to collaborate with other members of the laboratory team.

• Choose a mentor with special expertise in a specific field in Infectious Diseases; formulate questions of clinical relevance in that field, and design approaches to answer the questions.  
• Ability to develop appropriate methods/hypotheses to gather data and then document/gather data in a systematic manner.
• Ability to analyze and interpret the data and apply statistical knowledge to evaluate significance of data applied.
• Ability to construct abstract to be submitted for regional/national conferences.
• Ability to present data at meetings and to prepare manuscripts for publication and peer-review journals.

Fellows must demonstrate the ability to investigate and evaluate their care of patients, to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence, and to continuously improve patient care based on constant self-evaluation and lifelong learning.  

Fellows must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skills that result in the effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals.  

Fellows must demonstrate a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities and adherence to ethical principles. 

Fellows must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care.