Philosophy and Goals
The objective of the training program is to provide an educational opportunity in which the trainee is afforded a comprehensive background in Pediatric Infectious Disease (ID), including training in both research and diagnostic skills. This includes a thorough hands-on experience in management of infectious disease as it relates to inpatients and outpatients, and development of excellence in basic and clinical research skills for future growth.
Patient Care
Each fellow is expected to be responsible for attending up to two pediatric infectious disease clinics per week. In addition, they must attend weekly Pediatric ID team meetings when on service. While on service, they are to be available 24 hours a day for emergency evaluations of patients requiring infectious disease consultations in the inpatient and outpatient service. In addition, the fellow will help provide primary care for HIV infected children and adolescents living in Suffolk County. The fellow must also attend twice weekly afternoon conference.
Teaching and Preceptors
Each fellow is precepted by the attending on service, who is one of the division’s Board Certified/Eligible Pediatric ID faculty. This preceptor oversees the clinical progress of the fellow. In addition, the fellow may choose a research advisor and investigator in an area relevant to their individualized research project (see below for details). The pediatric infectious diseases fellows, in conjunction with the adult infectious diseases fellows, attend a structured weekly curriculum summer series of infectious disease lectures held by faculty. The topics cycle approximately every two years. Pediatric ID fellows are required to participate in weekly pediatric and adult ID case conferences. In addition, they are required to present at The Department of Pediatrics Research Day at the end of their fellowship. All fellows should attend three out of four of the joint pediatric and adult ID Journal Clubs per month. On a daily basis, the fellows are also responsible for educating the house staff and medical students on all inpatient admissions requiring ID input.
Research
The research activities of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Division embrace the broad area of HIV related and non-related issues. Specific areas of interest are:
- HIV activities: Evaluation of new therapies, opportunistic infection prophylaxis and therapy
- Pharmacokinetic evaluation of new antibiotics and antivirals
- Lyme disease and other tick borne infections
- New vaccines for pediatrics including COVID-19 vaccines
- Neglected tropical pathogens
- TB
The fellow is encouraged to develop a project plan in collaboration with a faculty member for either basic or clinical research by the middle of the first year. The Scholarly Oversite Committee for each fellow will review and guide the fellow on their research project. The SOC will be comprised of experts in the field relative to the fellows project. Fellows who submit abstracts to national meetings that are accepted for presentation will have their travel expenses underwritten by the Department of Pediatrics yearly stipend.
Seminar and Teaching Conferences
Participation in various teaching seminars is expected where appropriate. These include: Joint Pediatric and Adult Infectious Diseases Conference (weekly), Joint Pediatric and Adult Infectious Diseases Journal Club (weekly), Fellow's Education including Board Review (weekly), Joint Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Rheumatology Conference (monthly), Pediatric Grand Rounds (weekly), Pediatric Afternoon Case Conference (two times per week), and Medicine Grand Rounds (weekly).
