Tracks
Clinical Scholar Track
Our 2-year, ACGME-certified clinical program provides comprehensive training for seven fellows. The cornerstone is extensive inpatient consultation in general, immunocompromised and transplant infectious diseases, complemented by a weekly outpatient clinic fostering longitudinal patient relationships. Key core experiences include clinical microbiology, antimicrobial stewardship, hospital epidemiology and infection control, integrated public health and tuberculosis (TB) care, travel medicine, and HIV care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Our HIV program is supported by the Ryan White Part C grant and the Massachusetts Department of Health. Explore our infectious diseases website for further details.
The Clinical Scholar Track is designed to recognize and support the career goals of our fellows through specialized sub-tracks that facilitate in-depth engagement within their chosen areas of focus. These optional sub-tracks are available to all fellows seeking a more specialized learning experience. Complementing this focused training, our Clinical Scholar Track provides a balanced educational environment enriched by robust clinical rotations. This comprehensive approach ensures our fellows develop into competent and well-experienced infectious disease clinicians prepared for successful careers following graduation.
Transplant Infectious Diseases Track
The Transplant Infectious Diseases track offers a 2-year-long, well-rounded experience in managing infections in patients with Solid Organ transplant (Liver and Kidney), Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant, CAR-T cell therapy, and Ventricular Assist Device. Fellows engage in at least 24 weeks of inpatient rotations on the transplant service, an optional 3-4 week-long thoracic transplant rotation at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and electives tailored to transplant ID and fellows' interests. During the second year, the track also includes rotations in the outpatient transplant clinic and VAD clinic, providing exposure to the continuum of care for transplant recipients, from inpatient management to long-term follow-up. Fellows will also have at least 12 weeks of research training to present their work at national conferences and submit a manuscript. The fellows will be required to attend weekly multidisciplinary selection and QAPI meetings and will get exposure in creating and revising instructional protocols. Fellows will be required to present at the weekly case-based interactive teaching conferences and journal clubs, and will have established didactic sessions.
Antimicrobial Stewardship Track
Building upon a strong foundation in antimicrobial stewardship, fellows choosing this track will have a more intensive experience mentored by our antimicrobial stewardship team. They will engage in advanced training, including dedicated rotations focused on complex stewardship challenges, research opportunities, and mentorship. Ultimately, they will be equipped to implement and lead impactful programs, making them highly desirable candidates in the present demands of the infectious disease field.
Infection Control and Prevention Track
Our Infection Control and Prevention track offers specialized and in-depth training in the core principles and practical application of infection control. The curriculum includes dedicated rotations, collaborative engagements with infection prevention experts, and opportunities to spearhead surveillance and quality improvement endeavors, ensuring fellows develop the expertise to protect patients and healthcare workers. This track aims to cultivate leaders in the design and implementation of impactful infection prevention programs across various healthcare environments. A key component of this concentration is the expectation that fellows will develop and present their scholarly work at the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) conference.
HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Track
The HIV Track provides comprehensive training in the care of individuals living with HIV. Fellows rotate through an inpatient HIV service, gaining hands-on experience in managing complex HIV-related cases. Elective opportunities include addiction medicine, public health, and clinical experience at the AIDS Project Worcester (APW) community clinic, where fellows engage with populations with fewer opportunities to their healthcare. The program also emphasizes HIV research, allowing fellows to participate in clinical or population-based research projects.
Medical Education Track
The ID-Med Ed Track is a longitudinal program designed to develop skills in medical education and scholarship, preparing them for careers as educators in academic medicine. Through guided teaching experiences, participants will improve their teaching abilities, create a comprehensive medical education portfolio, and complete a scholarly project. This track equips fellows to excel as leaders and educators, and those who complete the program will be awarded a Certificate of Distinction in Medical Education. It is designed for fellows with a strong interest in pursuing a career in medical education within academic medicine.
Global Health Track
The Global Public Health Track offers a blend of clinical experience, research, and education, including the opportunity to pursue an MPH-Worcester Graduate Certificate. Clinical training includes rotations in travel medicine, tuberculosis care at the Getchell TB Clinic, and global health experiences in Bolivia, Brazil, and Peru, focusing on resource-limited settings. Fellows participate in research projects, program development, and implementation, and attend national and international conferences.
Academic Research Track
This 3-year ACGME-certified infectious diseases training program is open for one fellow per year and is designed to train physician-scientists. The program begins with the core rotations described in the clinical track for one year. Research Track fellows then join the group of any principal investigator on the UMass Chan Medical School campus for intensive research training. Many NIH-funded investigators work on a variety of infectious disease-related topics across the spectrum of basic, translational, and clinical sciences and in several different departments and programs. To meet requirements from the ACGME, Research Track fellows will have a weekly infectious diseases continuity clinic for the entirety of this 3-year fellowship. In addition, they will be responsible for sporadic weekend coverage of the inpatient ID consult service and back-up call in their second year. For more info, view our research website.
The expectation is that the successful candidate in either program will sit for the ABIM subspecialty examination in Infectious Diseases following completion of their fellowship. Case-based and didactic conferences are a regular feature of the curriculum throughout the training period.