Program Director: Jeffrey M. Jacobson, M.D.

Infectious Diseases Fellowship Overview

The Infectious Diseases Fellowship training is provided at two principal teaching hospitals of the University - Hahnemann University Hospital (618 beds) and Abington Memorial Hospital (650 beds). The two hospitals serve both as community hospitals for their respective areas and regional tertiary care centers. Both hospitals have medical and surgical ICUs, neurosurgical ICUs, coronary care units, step-down units, general medical and surgical services, medical subspecialty services, surgical subspecialty services (neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, plastic surgery, urology and oral maxillofacial surgery), dermatology, ophthalmology, otolaryngology, neurology, psychiatry, radiation oncology, and chronic hemodialysis programs. Hahnemann University Hospital is also a Level I Regional Resource Trama Center, while Abington Memorial Hospital is a Level II Trauma Center. In addition, Hahnemann has very active bone marrow, heart and renal transplant services, a 12-bed Controlled-Environment Oncology Unit, and obstetrics and gynecology service. These units provide care for diverse patient populations with a wide variety of infections, both community-acquired and nosocomial, for which consultation is requested.

The fellowship program provides the fellow with a comprehensive experience in clinical care and research in infectious diseases. It provides a broad, well-balanced and diverse program of activities, including clinical experience in both the inpatient and outpatient settings, extensive experience in HIV dieases, sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and travel medicine as well as clinical and basic science research. In addition, the fellow receives training in clinical microbiology (bacteriology, virology, mycology, and parasitology), hospital epidemiology, infection control, and pharmacy and therapeutics (antimicrobic quality assurance).

The fellowship is a two-year program. Year one includes seven months on inpatient consultative services, a one-month "ambulatory block" composed of two to three weeks on STD Clinic, a one-month microbiology block, one month of HIV service, and two months of research. Year two includes seven months of inpatient consultative services, two months of research, one month of ambulatory and one month of microbiology, the aforementioned blocks, and an additional one-month elective in either pediatric infectious diseases, HIV, or research. Fellows also have a half day per week of HIV Continuity Clinic throughout the entire 24 months. Two or three applicants per year (alternating) are accepted through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).