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Infectious Diseases
Fellowship
Overview
The University of Colorado Denver (UCD) offers a three-year fellowship training program in the field of Pediatric Infectious Disease. The Program is run by the Section of Pediatric Infectious Disease at the University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine. Dr. Ann-Christine Nyquist is the director of the Fellowship Training Program. The Program has been fully accredited in Pediatric Infectious Disease by the Residency Review Committee of ACGME since 10/26/1998. Beginning in 2009, we will participate in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) program for fellowship applicants starting in 2011.
The goals of our fellowship program are to prepare the fellow for a career in academic medicine, with strong emphasis on excellence in clinical care, teaching and productive and independent research. The first year of the fellowship is devoted primarily to clinical training, education and experience, and the second and third years are devoted to research activities with continued training in the outpatient and continuity aspects of the field. Because of the strong academic and research activities of the Section of Pediatric Infectious Disease, the fellow will be exposed to a stimulating environment in one of the top Children's Hospitals in the U.S.
In general, one fellow is accepted into the Program each year. Fellows have more than ample opportunity to see a wide breadth of infectious diseases as described below.
Note: Please see our fellowship curriculum for further information.
Clinical Training
The first year of fellowship is dedicated to acquiring clinical proficiency in both inpatient and outpatient aspects of Pediatric Infectious Disease. The clinical activities of the first year are based primarily at The Children's Hospital, a 270 facility which is the major teaching hospital for the Department of Pediatrics of the University of Colorado Denver. The Children's Hospital is also home to an NIH-supported CCTSI (Colorado Clinical and Translational Science Institute) that is available to fellows and faculty to assist with performance of clinical investigations.
Infectious Disease consults on 400-450 inpatients per year. The first-year fellow covers approximately 9 months of the inpatient service sharing the year with the second and third year fellow. While on the admitting service, the fellow will see all in-hospital consultations under the supervision and mentorship of the Attending ID physician. Emphasis is placed on developing an accurate differential diagnosis, learning the methods of evaluating and treating the child and taking care of the family's needs. The fellow will be exposed to a full range of infectious disease issues such as upper respiratory tract infections, lower respiratory tract infections, central nervous system infections, urinary tract infections, cardiovascular infections, bone and joint infections, skin/soft tissue/muscle infections, gastrointestinal tract/intra-abdominal infections, hepatic/biliary infections, ocular infections, reproductive tract infections, sexually transmitted infections, foreign body and catheter-related infections, HIV infection, hospital associated infections, surgical and traumatic wound infections and congenital infections.
All fellows also share a rich outpatient experience with half day infectious disease and HIV clinics. The outpatient Infectious Disease clinic has over 400 visits per year. The University of Colorado Denver has an active HIV program for children, youth and women called the Children’s Hospital Immunodeficiency Program (CHIP) that sees over 30 new patients per year with regular continuity and follow-up.
During the first year the fellow will be relieved of both inpatient and outpatient clinical responsibilities for a duration of four consecutive weeks to rotate through the microbiology and virology laboratories at the University of Colorado Hospital. The winter of the first year the fellow will investigate research opportunities and in collaboration with the Fellowship Director and Section Head select a project and research mentor. In the spring of their first year, the fellow will present research interests to the Scholarly Oversight Committee for advice and approval. The Oversight committee will monitor the fellow's progress routinely over the next two years, and advise the program director of the fellow’s progress.
A two-week Infection Control rotation at The Children's Hospital is required in year two or three. An elective month may be proposed each of the last two years at the discretion of the Fellow and in conjunction with the Fellowship Director. Some possibilities include TB clinic or Infectious Diseases consulting at Denver Health Medical Center, Immunodeficiency clinic at National Jewish Center, and the Adult Infectious Diseases service at University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. Other choices include a month in Peru or Africa. Similar opportunities exist through the WHO program in conjunction with Dr. Simões,. These choices must be approved by the Program Director, who will also facilitate the elective month.
Research Training
The Program Director meets initially with new fellows within the first few months of their training program to explain the process of choosing a research mentor and project. This selection process is to be completed within the first 6 months of fellowship training. The Program Director and Section Head provide guidance on potential research mentors based on the fellows developing interests and help facilitate connections with the prospective mentors. The fellow begins to interview potential mentors including meeting with every faculty member of our Section. Section faculty members not only provide information on their own research projects and potential opportunities for the fellow but also expand information on potential external mentors. Ideally by mid-winter the fellow has chosen a project and mentor, and has discussed this decision with the Program Director, who will in turn verify this with the mentor and clarify the responsibilities of the research mentor with the selected faculty member. The Program Director holds twice-yearly individual meetings with the fellow to discuss all aspects of the fellowship training program with special emphasis on the research project and the mentorship provided by the research mentor. Additionally, the Program Director is present for all the fellow research presentations including the annual presentation to the full Scholarship Oversight Committee.
The second and third years of training are devoted to research training (either clinical investigation or laboratory research) which will be carried out primarily in the laboratories and facilities of the University of Colorado Denver and The Children's Hospital. The Department of Pediatrics at UCD has a formal educational program in clinical investigation and outcomes research, in conjunction with the Clinical Sciences Program (see website for details: http://www.uchsc.edu/clinicalscience/). Fellows will complete the Department-sponsored program as a requirement of the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) and the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
Teaching Activities
The Section has designed the following series of teaching conferences to assist in the training of fellows and housestaff:
Conference |
Frequency |
Role of the Fellow |
| Citywide Pediatric ID Conf |
Weekly |
Present cases and discuss |
| Department of Pediatrics Fellowship Curriculum Series |
12 times per year |
Interactive Seminars Facilitated by Pediatric Faculty |
| Combined Adult/Ped ID Conf |
Monthly |
Attend weekly with formal pediatric case presentation with discussion once a month |
| Micro/Virology/Epi daily rounds |
5 days per week, 30 minutes per day |
Informs lab personnel of any important clinical issues, requests special testing, reviews “unknowns” prepared by the lab, is informed of all positive blood cultures, positive viral tests on patients |
| HIV Patient Management Rounds |
Monthly |
Attend and participate in discussion of patients |
| Pediatric ID Research Conference |
Monthly |
Present once to twice yearly to scholarship oversight committee/ Attend all other research conferences by faculty |
| Infectious Diseases Journal Club |
Formal journal club 3-4 times per year but articles reviewed frequently in weekly ID case conference |
Organize and present 1-2 articles to faculty and fellows |
| ID Core Lecture |
Weekly |
Attend – presentations are done by faculty |
| Adult/Peds Fellow’s Didactic Conference |
Weekly |
Attend - presentations done by faculty |
| Morning Conference |
Daily |
Attend and participate in case discussion |
| Noon Conference |
Daily |
Attend, participate in discussion |
| Weekly Section Meeting |
Weekly |
Attend, participate in discussion |
| Molecular Biology Course |
Yearly |
Attend and participate in lab and lecture course |
| Adult Research Conference |
Weekly |
Attend |
Support Staff
Support Staff in the Section include a Business Administrative Coordinator and a Program Assistant.
Salary
Salaries are guaranteed by the University of Colorado Denver and paid at the PL-IV level with standard dental and medical insurance benefits for the fellow and family, and disability and life insurance. Funds are available for travel, books/journals and other authorized academic expenses.
Night Call
Weekend call for fellows is divided among the fellows and averages every third weekend. Weeknight call is covered by the inpatient fellow. Fellows are supervised by a designated Infectious Disease attending.
Fellowship Application
Beginning in 2009, we will participate in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) program for fellowship applicants starting in 2011.
Please complete in ERAS the fellowship application and provide:
- Current CV
- Personal Statement outlining the reasons for choosing this specialty, and applicant’s career plans
- At least two (2) but no more than four (4) Letters of Recommendation from physicians familiar with the applicant, one of which should be from the applicant’s Residency Program Director
Individual recruitment interviews tentatively occur between late January and mid-April, although this is subject to change. Applicants selected for a personal interview will be contacted by the Fellowship Program Coordinator:
Jennifer Sabell
Program Assistant - Fellowship Program Coordinator
Pediatric Infectious Diseases
The Children's Hospital
13123 East 16th Avenue, B055
Aurora, Colorado 80045
Tel: 720-777-2838
Fax: 720-777-7295
E-mail: sabell.jennifer@tchden.org
For additional questions, please contact:
Ann-Christine Nyquist, MD, MSPH
Director of Fellowship Training Program
Pediatric Infectious Disease
The Children's Hospital
13123 East 16th Avenue, B-055
Aurora, Colorado 80045
Tel: 720-777-6025
E-mail: nyquist.ann-christine@tchden.org
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