Year One: Clinical Training
Inpatient Consultative Service
Fellows spend the majority of their first year (9-10 months), on the inpatient consultative service across 4 different sites, where they are exposed to cases ranging from community-acquired and nosocomial infections to HIV/AIDS and complications of transplantation and cancer, as well as illnesses from the environment, pediatric infectious diseases, and diseases imported from around the world.
The consultative service time is divided between general infectious diseases and our immunocompromised patient and transplant (ICT) services. On the ICT service, fellows see a high volume of patients with hematologic malignancies, recipients of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs), and recipients of kidney, heart, liver and lung transplants, giving fellows the opportunity to learn how to diagnose and treat their complex infectious issues. A dedicated Immunocompromised Host and Transplant Infectious Diseases track is available in the second year of fellowship for fellows seeking more in depth training.
Ambulatory Care
- Continuity clinic: All first- and second-year fellows attend a year-round once-weekly HIV continuity clinic at either Montefiore’s Center for Positive Living or The Montefiore Oval Center. Under the supervision of our HIV faculty, fellows follow their own HIV patients as well as provide follow up care for patients seen during their inpatient rotations. For first-year fellows, the clinic session is preceded by a didactic lecture by the preceptor. The clinic experience is optional for third-year fellows, but most elect to continue it.
- Ambulatory I.D. electives: Fellows have the option of rotating at additional ambulatory sites during their second year including, general ID, OPAT, and transplant/oncology clinics.
Microbiology
Four weeks of the first year are spent in the diagnostic Microbiology Laboratory and Virology Laboratory at Montefiore. Bacteriology, mycobacteriology, mycology, serology, special drug testing, and virology are reviewed. During this rotation, fellows also participate in the preparation of and lead microbiology plate rounds under the guidance of our microbiology and ID faculty.
Antibiotic Stewardship
Fellows work closely with the physicians and pharmacists as part of the multidisciplinary antibiotic stewardship program covering Moses, Einstein and Wakefield campuses. Fellows receive hands on stewardship training both in first and second years of training. The antimicrobial stewardship academic track is available to senior fellows. By their involvement in day-to-day policies of antibiotic restriction, tailored antibiotic prescribing, critical pathways, etc. fellows are well-prepared to implement and build stewardship programs post fellowship.