Clinical Training

Fellows provide patient care and consultation for hospitalized and ambulatory patients with infections caused by a wide array of pathogens. Fellows develop expertise in the care of patients with infections related to surgery or trauma, immunosuppression due to transplantation, malignancy, or HIV, and sexually transmitted infections. During the fellowship, fellows spend about half of their inpatient clinical time at each of the two major UMKC teaching hospitals in adult medicine:  University Health Truman Medical Center and Saint Luke’s Hospital.  A month of inpatient pediatric infectious diseases is provided at Children’s Mercy Hospital. On all inpatient services, attending rounds are made daily by a member of the faculty with the fellow, residents and students. Under the supervision of faculty members, the fellow serves as a consultant to the medical service as well as to other services within the medical centers. The fellow also supervises and teaches medical residents and medical students assigned to the infectious diseases service. Outpatient experience is obtained in the infectious diseases clinic at University Health Truman Medical Center. Here the fellow will evaluate patients referred for outpatient consultation. Continuity of care for HIV-infected patients is also provided at this clinic. To enhance a fellow’s understanding of clinical microbiology, the first month of the fellowship is spent in the clinical microbiology laboratory learning diagnostic laboratory procedures. The fellow is instructed in currently used diagnostic techniques in bacteriology, virology, mycology, serology, and parasitology and has opportunities to perform such procedures.

Typical first year schedule includes:

• 8 months adult infectious diseases consult service
• 1 month microbiology laboratories
• 2 months research
• 3 weeks vacation
• 1 week meetings/CME

Typical second year schedule includes:

• 8 months adult infectious diseases service
• 1 month pediatric infectious diseases service
• 2 months research
• 3 weeks vacation
• 1 week meetings/CME

Conferences

Clinical Conference: Monthly conference organized by the ID fellows. Fellows present an in depth review of an infectious diseases topic.

Citywide Infectious Diseases Conference: Monthly clinical conference at which outstanding cases seen by ID physicians throughout the Kansas City area are discussed.

Clinical Microbiology Conference: Monthly review of clinically applicable microbiology topics.

Journal Club: Monthly review of clinically relevant articles in infectious diseases. Both faculty and fellows participate.

Immunocompromised Host Conference: Monthly conference focusing on infections in transplant patients, AIDS and other forms of immunosuppression.

Infectious Diseases Curriculum Conference: Weekly review of assigned topics

RESEARCH CONFERENCE: Monthly review of ongoing research by fellows and faculty.

Committees & Courses

Hospital Epidemiology / Infection Control: Fellows are active participants of the hospital epidemiology/infection control committee

Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee: Fellows are active members of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Committee at Truman Medical Center. Through their participation, fellows are involved in guideline development and education of residents and attending staff.

Formal Courses: A medical decision making course that emphasizes evidence-based principles and biostatistics is offered to fellows.
Fellows are required to complete the IDSA/SHEA Infection Control Fellows Course.

 

Research

During the first year, fellows become familiar with the research activities of the Infectious Diseases Section through attendance at research seminars and conferences. Fellows select a faculty preceptor and an area of research; the trainee and preceptor develop a research project the trainee can pursue during their fellowship. Trainees generally have four months of research time divided over the two-year fellowship. The process proceeds with the advice and oversight of the Program Director. The major research interests of the faculty are in the areas of HIV, antimicrobial activity, and health resource utilization. Additional basic and clinical research opportunities are available to fellows through collaboration with other departments within the university.