FAQs
What is the typical duration of an Infectious Disease fellowship?
The TidalHealth Infectious Disease Fellowship is two years in duration.
What is the main focus of the first year of fellowship?
The first year typically focuses on inpatient and outpatient consultations, microbiology, and infection control. Fellows will often spend most of their time on clinical service, dealing with complex infections and patients with immunosuppression.
What kind of electives are available in an Infectious Disease fellowship?
Electives include rotations in critical care, orthopedics, wound care, sexually transmitted infection screenings at Wicomico County Public Health.
What is antimicrobial stewardship, and how is it incorporated into the fellowship?
Antimicrobial stewardship involves the careful management of antibiotic use to minimize resistance. Fellows will participate in stewardship programs by reviewing and recommending appropriate antimicrobial therapy while working closely with pharmacy and microbiology teams.
Will I have the opportunity to work in a microbiology lab?
Yes, fellows will have weekly lecture sessions in the clinical microbiology lab where fellows will learn about pathogen identification, antibiotic resistance testing, and other lab techniques crucial for diagnosing infections.
How is the fellowship structured between clinical work and research?
The first year will be more clinically focused with inpatient and outpatient consultations. In the second year, fellows often have more flexibility to pursue research and electives depending on their career interests.
What is the role of Infectious Disease fellows in outpatient care?
Infectious Disease fellows manage a range of outpatient infectious diseases, including long-term care for HIV patients, hepatitis C, and other chronic infections such as chronic osteomyelitis including follow-ups on patients treated at the hospital.
What type of cases will fellows treat and manage?
Fellows commonly see cases of sepsis, pneumonia, complicated urinary tract infections, endocarditis, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, fungal infections, and infections in immunocompromised patients, such as those undergoing organ transplants or cancer treatment.
What role do fellows play in teaching?
Fellows often have the opportunity to teach medical students and residents that includes providing bedside teaching and giving formal lectures on infectious disease topics.
