Overview
The Infectious Disease Fellowship program at Cleveland Clinic in Florida has outstanding staff and resources to train fellows to build a solid foundation to diagnose and treat infectious diseases. The well-rounded, dedicated staff physicians from diverse backgrounds are committed to providing a comprehensive educational experience and mentorship to the new generation of physician scientists from diverse backgrounds to not only practice the art and science of infectious disease, but to contribute to its continuous improvement and development for years to come.
The fellows will demonstrate competence in investigating and evaluating their patient care through a variety of methods. These include regular case discussions in Infection Prevention and Quality and Safety meetings, morbidity and mortality (M&M) rounds, and peer-reviewed clinical assessments. Fellows will critically assess their management decisions by reviewing patient outcomes, identifying areas for improvement such working in collaboration with pharmacy colleagues whilst rounding as to improve care and practice appropriate antibiotic stewardship. Fellows will be encouraged to seek feedback from attending physicians and colleagues to foster reflective learning and enhance their clinical decision-making.
In addition, fellows will engage in scholarly activities like journal clubs, microbiology rounds, systematic reviews, case conferences and research projects. This allows them to integrate current scientific evidence into their clinical practice, ensuring that they are providing the most up-to-date care possible. By appraising and synthesizing the latest research findings, fellows will develop the ability to apply evidence-based medicine to complex infectious disease cases.
A key component of practice-based learning will involve continuous self-assessment which is vital to remaining proficient in the rapidly evolving field of infectious diseases, not only in South Florida but in the global space. The program’s goal is to help fellows refine their clinical reasoning, research skills, and overall approach to patient care.
Program
The Infectious Disease Fellowship program aims to utilize the expertise and experience of Infectious Disease faculty and the resources to achieve the mission in preparing high-quality physicians. This will be achieved through the following goals:
- Clinical Excellence and proficiency: Program aims to provide clinical excellence and proficiency in broad discipline of infectious disease, so fellows are prepared to provide best care for the patients. During their 2-year training, fellows will be working in various scopes of infectious disease.
- Scholarly Activities: Scholarly activities are achieved by requiring fellows to develop research projects that contribute evidence-based medicine in infectious disease. The rotation schedule is modeled in such way to dedicate research rotation months throughout their 2-year training. The teaching faculty in the program is well-equipped to provide superior mentorship in scholarly activity.
- Professional Integrity: This aim is achieved by emphasizing professionalism, ethical behavior, and adherence to high standards of medical practice as modelled by our clinical faculty
- Inclusivity: Inclusivity is achieved by creating an environment of compassionate belonging where all are valued and respected.
- Well-being: Program aims to promote fellow’s well-being and resilience, recognizing the importance of maintaining physical and mental health throughout training. The Sponsoring Institution has numerous resources available via online resources, on site assistance, and external resources.
- Leadership: Program aims to prepare fellows to assume leadership roles within the field of infectious disease, demonstrating dedication to improving patient health and well-being. Fellows are also granted opportunities to join various hospital committees’ roles throughout their 2-year training as a method of developing professional opportunities.
Clinical Rotation: General Infectious Disease
The educational purpose of this rotation is to learn the identification, evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with ambulatory infectious disease complaints, HIV infection, and granulomatous infections. Emphasis on inpatient consultative practice and second opinions will be made.
Fellows will see a mix of diseases and patient characteristics, including upper respiratory tract infections, Otitis media, pharyngitis, community acquired pneumonia, influenza, skin infections, urinary tract infections, conjunctivitis, STD, vaginitis, acute diarrhea, positive QuantiFERON, treatment of latent TB, TB, NTM infections, Fungal infections, Endemic mycoses, HIV diagnosis and screening, HIV treatment in naive and experienced patients, HIV resistance, opportunistic infections, anal cancer screening for patients with HIV, primary care needs of HIV patients, care of LQBTQ patients, drug interactions of both HIV medications and anti- mycobacterial agents.
Clinical Rotation: Transplant Infectious Disease
This rotation involves exposure to a busy clinical Infectious Disease inpatient consultation service involving a) Bone Marrow Transplant recipients and oncology patients and/or b) Solid Organ Transplant recipients. The resident would perform consultations and inpatient follow-up visits under the supervision of an Infectious Disease staff physician. The resident would also be expected to attend Infectious Disease Department teaching conferences.
The goals are to attain a breadth and depth of knowledge regarding the major infections to which the transplant recipient is susceptible; a familiarity with the different factors affecting the patient’s “net state of immunosuppression’”; an understanding of the classic timetable of infections after transplant; the mechanisms of action and effects of immunosuppressive medications administered to transplant recipients; an understanding of drug interactions between immunosuppressive agents and antimicrobial agents, and a fundamental understanding of infection control issues affecting the transplant recipient. There are ID Guidelines in existence from the American Society of Transplantation1, co- edited by a Cleveland Clinic Infectious Disease staff physician. These will be used to discuss the evidence-based aspects of the field as well as the areas in which further work is needed.
On the Transplant service, the patients would be primarily allogeneic and autologous bone marrow and stem cell transplant recipients and leukemic patients with some solid tumor patients as well. The disease mix would include viral infections (such as CMV, EBV, HHV-6, BK virus, respiratory viruses, parvovirus); fungal infections (such as histoplasmosis, candidiasis, aspergillosis, cryptococcosis, and sometimes more unusual fungi); bacterial infections (including multidrug resistant organisms, and sometimes nocardiosis, listeriosis, nontuberculous mycobacteria); and occasionally parasitic infections (toxoplasmosis, strongyloidiasis). Patients would also include those undergoing evaluation for fever of unknown origin, pancytopenia, or other suspected infectious syndromes. Evaluation of patients would include examination of their pre-transplant serologies, immunosuppressive agents, prophylaxis, environmental exposures, and prior culture results including those from outside hospitals.
Application
How to Apply
The Infectious Disease Program participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) for all positions. You must complete all components of the ERAS Application for your application to be considered complete and to be reviewed by the Selection Committee. Our application requirements are the same as the standard ERAS application:
- Complete Application.
- CV.
- Personal Statement.
- Medical Student Performance Evaluation (MSPE).
- Medical School Transcript.
- USMLE Step 1 Transcript & Score > 220 is suggested with one (1) attempt/ COMLEX Level equivalent.
- USMLE Step 2 Transcript & Score >220 is suggested with one (1) attempt / COMLEX Level 2 equivalent.
- Must have USMLE /COMLEX Step 2 Score Report uploaded into ERAS prior to the deadline of the Rank List submission. If you do not have a Step 2 Score Report uploaded, you will not be ranked (assuming you were invited for an interview).
- Three Letters of Recommendation.
International Medical Graduates
Here are some frequently asked questions by graduates of international medical schools regarding the application process:
- U.S. clinical experience is strongly preferred
- USMLE Step I Transcript & Score > 220 is suggested with one (1) attempt
- USMLE Step 2 Transcript & Score >220 is suggested with one (1) attempt
- Must have USMLE Step 2 Score Report uploaded into ERAS prior the deadline of the Rank List submission. If you do not have a Step 2 Score Report uploaded, you will not be ranked (assuming you were invited for an interview).
- ECFMG certification at the time of application is required. Please review the ECFMG requirements for additional information.
- Must have graduated medical school within the last 5 years. Anything greater than 5 years does not meet the minimum requirements.
- Visa information – We sponsor J-1 and H-1B visas.
Benefits
Benefits information including salaries, insurance information and more, can be found by visiting the Graduate Medical Education Benefits page.
