clinical scholar tracks
Fellows have the option of choosing from the following specialized Clinical Scholar Tracks at the start of their Infectious Disease fellowship: Transplant Infectious Diseases, HIV/AIDS Care, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Hospital Epidemiology, QI/Research and Medical Education. Schedules will be tailored based on the clinical track chosen to provide not only a robust clinical experience, but also to focus on a specific academic and clinical interest to prepare trainees for a career in specialized Infectious Diseases.
Core Lecture
The Infectious Disease Core Lecture Series is a vital component of the didactic portion of the ID fellowship curriculum and provides a comprehensive overview of all key Infectious Disease topics over a two-year cycle. Annually updated lectures are given primarily by faculty in the Division of Infectious Disease, but also by expert guest lecturers from departments such as Allergy & Immunology, Dermatology, Microbiology, and Pharmacy. ID fellows are also expected to deliver one to two lectures annually.
Case Conference
The weekly Infectious Disease Case Conference features two 30-minute case presentations of patients from the various inpatient consult services or outpatient clinics at Los Angeles General and Keck, with periodic cases presented by the Pediatric Infectious Disease service at Los Angeles General. Faculty and fellows unfamiliar with the case discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic approach to each case, providing an ample opportunity for case-based discussion and teaching. Clinical, pharmacy, and laboratory faculty members provide insight into the case, followed by a five-minute didactic session by the presenting fellow that highlights important or unique aspects of the cases presented. This lively conference is the centerpiece of our didactic set and is usually attended by 20-30 participants including faculty, fellows, residents, students, Rand Schrader Clinic providers, and community Infectious Disease practitioners.
Grand Rounds/Clinicopathologic Conference
Infectious Disease Grand Rounds are hosted monthly and feature outside guest speakers selected and invited by the USC Infectious Disease faculty members, including visiting faculty of local and national stature in their respective areas of expertise.
Clinicopathology Conference is a monthly, hour-long, multidisciplinary conference that includes faculty from other specialties and departments who discuss diagnostic and management issues for a single, complex or unique case. Most often this involves in-depth review and discussion of histopathology, microbiology slides, imaging, and other diagnostics by expert faculty. In recent years, faculty and experts from divisions as varied as Public Health, Neurology, Hepatology, Pathology, Cardiology, Surgery, and Radiology have all attended this engaging and highly educational conference.
Journal Club
During monthly ID Journal Club, two articles are selected by an ID faculty facilitator. One fellow is assigned as the primary presenter and discussant for each article and presents a critical analysis of the study’s hypothesis, design, methods, results, and appropriateness of the authors’ conclusions leading to group discussion of the applicability of the study results to our daily patient care.
Combined Pulmonary ID conference
A Combined Pulmonary-Infectious Disease Conference is held throughout the academic year and consists of case presentations of two unknowns, one each by the Los Angeles General ID Division and the USC Pulmonary Division. Faculty, fellows, residents, and students from both divisions attend the conference and participate in the interpretation of relevant chest imaging and discussion of instructive cases. A short review of the relevant literature follows each case presentation.
Infectious Disease Intercity Rounds
Intercity Infectious Disease Case Conference is a long-standing, two-hour, monthly meeting among academic ID specialists, trainees and allied health professionals across Southern California. Hosting institutions rotate between the participating medical centers: Los Angeles General, Harbor-UCLA, Kaiser-Harbor City, Providence St. Mary’s Medical Center, UC Irvine/Long Beach VA, and Torrance Memorial. Three to four cases are presented to faculty and trainees as unknowns by the host institution facilitator. At the end of each presentation, fellows from the sponsoring institution give a brief didactic overview of the salient features of the case.
HIV Resistance Conference
HIV Resistance Conference is a monthly workshop held jointly by the USC Department of Medicine’s Division of Infectious Disease, HIV-trained faculty members and HIV clinicians and trainees from the Department of Family Medicine, and invited HIV experts from across the country. Patients with complex HIV resistance profiles and multiclass drug resistance are presented. Using ART treatment histories along with HIV phenotypes and genotypes, conference attendees work with expert faculty facilitators to arrive at treatment recommendations. This unique, case-based approach to HIV resistance provides a core component of fellows’ training in HIV Medicine.