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FELLOWSHIP TRAINING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

The goal of the Fellowship Program is to provide well-rounded training in infectious diseases by meeting the following objectives of fellow education at the subspecialist level of expertise:

1. To develop knowledge and understanding of the principles of anti-infective therapy including use of antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal, antimycobacterial, and anti-parasitic agents, with regard to:
   1. Mechanisms of action
   2. Spectra of activity
   3. Doses and regimens
   4. Drug interactions
   5. Mechanisms of resistance
   6. Appropriate clinical applications including principles of antimicrobial prophylaxis
   7. Adverse effects/toxicities
   
   
2. To develop knowledge, recognition, and understanding of specific infectious diseases including their epidemiology, etiologic pathogens, pathogenesis, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, appropriate application and interpretation of diagnostic tests, treatment, and prophylaxis for:
   1. Central nervous system infections
   2. Ocular infections
   3. Ear, nose and throat infections
   4. Upper respiratory tract infections
   5. Lower respiratory, pleuropulmonary and tracheobronchial infections
   6. Cardiovascular infections including endocardial, valvular, pericardial, and endovascular infections
   7. Intra-abdominal infections
   8. Gastrointestinal tract infections
   9. Hepatic and biliary infections
   10. Foodborne and waterborne infections
   11. Bone and joint infections
   12. Sexually transmitted infections
   13. Urinary and genitourinary infections
   14. Skin and soft tissue infections
   15. Viral exanthems and enanthems
   16. Infections of indwelling venous and arterial catheters and prosthetic devices
   17. HIV infection, the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome and its associated opportunistic infections, malignancies and organ system complications
   18. Nosocomial infections
   19. Post-operative infections and pre-operative antimicrobial prophylaxis
   20. Infections in bone marrow and solid organ transplant recipients and other immunocompromised hosts
   
   
3. To develop knowledge and understanding of specific infectious pathogens including their environmental reservoir, epidemiology, pathophysiology, associated disease processes, methods of detection and identification, application of appropriate treatment principles, and methods of prevention for:
   1. Viruses
   2. Chlamydiae
   3. Mycoplasmas
   4. Rickettsiae
   5. Gram-positive, gram-negative, intracellular, and unusual bacteria (including aerobic, anaerobic and facultative bacteria)
   6. Spirochetes
   7. Mycobacteria
   8. Fungi
   9. Protozoa and parasites
   10. Helminths
   11. Ectoparasites
   12. Microbial toxins
   
   
4. To develop knowledge and understanding of clinical microbiology laboratory procedures to enable:
   1. Discussion of overall diagnostic microbiology laboratory approaches to generating diagnostic laboratory data and reports
   2. Interpretation, clinical correlation, diagnostic consultation, and communication of microbiologic procedures used for evaluation of infectious diseases
   3. Assessment of the value of new tests in the diagnostic clinical microbiology laboratory
   
   
5. To develop knowledge, understanding and appropriate clinical application of immunization and preventive practices for infectious diseases including:
   1. Types of immunogens available and how they are derived
   2. Appropriate timing and administration of immunization
   3. Indications for and efficacy of immunization procedures
   4. Use of adjuncts to immunization
   5. Antimicrobial pre-exposure and post-exposure prophylaxis
   
   
6. To develop knowledge and understanding of infection control practices as they relate to:
   1. Principles of employee health and staff screening for communicable diseases
   2. Principles involved in infectious disease outbreak identification and investigation
   3. Surveillance and improvement of infection control practices to reduce transmission of hospital-acquired organisms
   4. Appropriate application and implementation of procedures for universal precautions and body fluid and bloodborne pathogen prevention
   5. Disease-specific isolation procedures and body substance isolation
   6. Sterilization, disinfection, and disposal of infectious waste
   7. Principles of improving antibiotic utilization