How to Choose an Infectious Diseases Fellowship

Are you looking for a fellowship designed to meet your unique goals? Do you seek a program that undertakes innovative laboratory and clinical research and offers intensive training?

If you are searching for a fellowship that provides you with the support, opportunities and resources you need to develop as a physician-scientist, we recommend looking for a program with these five specific attributes:

You can identify a high quality fellowship by investigating the standing of its:

• Mentors: The faculty should be internationally renowned and engaged in patient care, scholarly activity and teaching. Confirm that faculty research is supported by extramural funding.
• Potential peers: Current fellows should actively publish and present their work.
• School of medicine: Ensure the medical school in which the program is situated observes the highest standards of ethics, integrity and professionalism. The school should have excellent clinical programs, cultivate diversity and commit itself to advances in education, science and medicine.

Respectable fellowships give you plenty of clinical exposure during rotations. Your program should prepare you for practice by providing a variety of experiences in clinical settings.

Select a fellowship with a low student-to-faculty ratio. Although being accepted to smaller programs is often difficult and competitive, enrolling in a program that has fewer fellows can mean you’ll receive more personal attention from attending physicians. Structured, individualized mentorship is a key element of a valuable fellowship.

A major component of a strong fellowship program is research experience. Choose a program that allows you to pursue independent research interests and get involved in designing and performing studies. Your fellowship should expose you to research conferences, teach you about the publication process and encourage you to present your research at national meetings. You’ll benefit from a larger selection of research opportunities if your program’s teaching faculty is sizeable and comprised of physicians with disparate areas of expertise.

It’s important you feel at home both in and outside of your training program. Avoid applying for fellowships in cities that fail to meet your living needs. Your fellowship should be located in a place that boasts:

• Affordability
• Four-season charm
• Culture, entertainment, recreation and diversified cuisine
• Family-friendly living
• Easy commuting