Recommendations for ID Training Program Curricula
Evaluating infectious disease fellowship programs can be a daunting task. IDSA offers the following guide to prospective ID fellows in the process of selecting a fellowship program.
These guidelines were developed by division chiefs and program directors from adult infectious disease training programs. The recommendations are not binding upon individual programs, nor do they emanate directly from requirements specified by the American College of Graduate Medical Education or the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).
Please recognize that individual training programs will vary in the organization of their curricula and their program strengths.
The three tracks for fellowship training in adult infectious disease training are:
- Clinician Track
- Clinical Investigator Track
- Basic Investigator Track
Duration
All tracks should consist of a 12-month core curriculum. The Clinician track should have another 12 months' fellowship training. The Clinical Investigator and Basic Investigator tracks should have another 24-26 months' duration to complete fellowship training.
Board Eligibility
Prospective ID fellows are required to have 2 years of fellowship training before they are eligible to take the ABIM certification exam in infectious diseases.
The additional training time required for the Clinical Investigator and Basic Investigator tracks is not required for board certification. The additional time in the Investigator tracks is intended to give the fellow adequate research experience to become an independent investigator.
The core clinical curriculum offered by any program should be 12 months in duration. Required content includes:
| Required | Ideal | |
| ID Consults | 250 consults with fellow participation over the entire training period | 250 consults with fellow participation over the entire training period |
| Epidemiology | Infection control committee, or formal 24-hour course, or SHEA course or equivalent, or 1-month rotation | 28-hour course, didactic and practical (equivalent to SHEA course), or 1-month rotation |
| Microbiology | Practical experience in clinical microbiology | Clinical Microbiology (bacteriology, mycology, virology, parasitology, antibiotic susceptibility testing), 1 month or 120 hours |
| Sexually Transmitted Diseases | Expertise required | 2 1/2 to 3-day course (equivalent to CDC course or clinical training) |
| Transplant/Immunocompromised hosts | Trainees should have solid organ and bone marrow transplant experience |
Transplant (bone marrow and solid organ): 20 patients Immunocompromised hosts: 20 new patients |
| Continuity Clinic | 18 months; must have HIV patients | 10% time (average 1/2 day per week) for 24 months. Follow 20 new HIV patients |
| Didactic | Bioethics course; lecture series desirable | Ethics, biostatistics |
| Conferences | 2 hours of conferences per week, including ID case conference | 2 hours of conference per week, including ID case conference with 60% documented attendance over 24 months |
| HIV inpatient experience | Required | Required |
In addition, the following core competancies are recommended:
- Travelers medicine
- Antibiotic utilization/restriction
- Outpatient IV therapy
- Risk management
- Medical economics
The Clinical Investigator Track requires a minimum of 2 years in addition to the 12-month training in the core curriculum. A training committee must oversee the progress of the fellow. The fellow must present a formal report or manuscript submission to the training committee and the university/training community at the completion of training.
Didactic training is an essential part of the training plan for the Clinical Investigator Pathway. Suggested coursework areas include:
- Experimental design
- Analytical methods
- Statistics
- Grant & manuscript writing
The ultimate test of success for fellows in both the Clinical Investigator Track and the Basic Investigator Track is the ability of the trainee to write and publish papers and to submit and secure independent fellowship/grant support.
Training Committee
The training committee should meet with the fellow prior to initiating the research project and on a yearly basis (at least) throughout the course of the additional training. The committee should provide a written report to the fellow after each meeting summarizing the recommendations and conclusions of the committee
The Basic Investigator Track requires a minimum of 2 years in addition to the 12-month training in the core curriculum. A training committee must oversee the progress of the fellow. The fellow must present a formal report or manuscript submission to the training committee and the university/training community at the completion of training.
Didactic training is an essential part of the training plan for the Clinical Investigator Pathway. Suggested coursework areas include:
- Molecular biology
- Genetics
- Cell biology
- Grant & manuscript writing
The ultimate test of success for fellows in both the Clinical Investigator Track and the Basic Investigator Track is the ability of the trainee to write and publish papers and to submit and secure independent fellowship/grant support.
Training Committee
The training committee should meet with the fellow prior to initiating the research project and on a yearly basis (at least) throughout the course of the additional training. The committee should provide a written report to the fellow after each meeting summarizing the recommendations and conclusions of the committee members.