Curriculum

Conferences and clinics

Our fellows attend two regular weekly conference series: a clinical conference - the Tidewater Adult Pediatric Infectious Diseases Conference - and a core lecture, which can include clinical topics and basic science. They also participate in a monthly HIV CME conference. Monthly journal clubs are presented by the fellow.

Fellows have an opportunity to attend the annual Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) meeting. Second-year fellows attend the IDSA Fellows meeting. All fellows attend an Infectious Disease Board Review Course.

Fellows may have the opportunity to attend one or more of the following:

• the Society for Health Care Epidemiology of America/CDC Training Certificate Course in Healthcare Epidemiology
• the Tropical Medicine Course sponsored by the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene
• the Practice Management Course
• an optional Wound Management Course

Fellows can gain additional experience in clinics for HIV-Hepatitis C co-infected patients, pediatric infectious disease, geriatric and long-term care settings, and sexually transmitted diseases.

In addition, fellows have the opportunity to write review articles or book chapters for major national publications. Many of our fellows publish case reports, case series, and retrospective studies. The Research and Infrastructure Service Enterprise (RISE) offers our fellows data analysis services and supports research to move the healthcare community forward.

Research and writing

Infectious Diseases houses research programs that aim to improve infectious disease prevention and treatment. Specific research focuses include:

• HIV and AIDS care and treatment
• HIV co-infection with tuberculosis or hepatitis C
• transplant infectious diseases
• hospital epidemiology
• biofilms and microbial adherence
• medication adherence in HIV
• optimal testing in prevention for Clostridium difficult

Our research receives support from several sources, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Doris Duke Foundation.

Our Infectious Diseases division and our affiliation with Sentara Norfolk General Hospital give our trainees and faculty an advantage when conducting research. More than 2,000 patients receive care at our immune deficiency care center. Sentara Norfolk General Hospital performs 100 renal transplants, 10-25 heart transplants, and 50 new ventricular assist device implantations annually. Fellows and faculty can use these facilities' electronic medical records for retrospective studies.

We encourage collaboration with Microbiology and Molecular Cell Biology researchers on laboratory-based projects.

In addition, fellows have the opportunity to write review articles or book chapters for major national publications like Medical Clinics of North America and Infectious Disease Clinics of North America.

Internal Medicine Infectious Disease Curriculum

During the first year of the program, fellows participate in:

• one month of microbiology
• five months of inpatient consult service
• one month of transplant infectious disease at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

The other four months of the first year are devoted to research and quality improvement projects, outpatient continuity care, antimicrobial stewardship, pediatric infectious disease and infection control.

The second year incorporates:

• six months of inpatient consultative service at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital
• four weeks of transplant infectious disease
• one month at the Hampton Veterans Affairs Medical Center on infectious disease service

The other months are dedicated to the completion of research projects, QI projects, or electives.

Throughout each year, each resident will develop a continuity clinic, which they attend one day per week. Fellows will manage all aspects of HIV care, office-based infectious disease consultations, and hospital follow-ups in patients on IV therapy.