Training & Experience
The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship Training Program is an ACGME approved 3-year program, which is composed of at least 12 months of clinical training and 21 months of supervised research training (3 months vacation). At UCLA, we are dedicated to training fellows that excel clinically, are fully able to conduct successful independent research, and act as outstanding medical educators.
Clinical Medicine Training
Inpatient care
Our fellows are exposed to an incredible variety of patients, allowing them to flourish in any academic and clinical setting. Our main training site is at the UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital located in Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, a highly-ranked Children's Hospital that serves as a referral center for the western US as well as many international sites. In addition to seeing general pediatric infectious disease conditions including Kawasaki disease, complicated pneumonia, and sepsis, fellows are trained to care of highly complicated patients including those in our pediatric intensive care unit, the cardiothoracic intensive care unit, and the neonatal intensive care unit. They also develop expertise in the care of immunocompromised patients as we collaborate closely with the various transplant services to care for the pediatric recipients of stem cell, renal, heart, liver, small bowel and multi-visceral transplants.
Fellows also evaluate patients at Santa Monica Hospital, where we work closely with the Orthopedic Institute for Children, evaluating and treating patients with bone and joint infections, our Cystic Fibrosis program evaluating patients with cystic fibrosis, and individuals receiving treatment for other malignancies including those at the UCLA Sarcoma Center.
We also offer Pediatric Infectious Diseases rotations at Miller Children's Hospital, a 350 bed Children's Hospital that provides inpatient care for over 8,000 children each with active neonatal intensive care unit, pediatric intensive care unit, hematology/oncology ward as well as pediatric ward patients. Under the guidance of dedicated Pediatric Infectious Disease attendings there, fellows will evaluate and provide treatment for a wide variety non-transplant pediatric patients with infectious diseases. For more information click here.
Fellows will also have an opportunity to join preventative medicine fellows on a month long rotation at the Department of Public Health Acute Communicable Disease Control unit. The goal of this rotation is to learn more about preventing and controlling infectious disease (excluding TB, STD, and HIV) in Los Angeles County by implementing tools for surveillance, outbreak response, education, and preparedness activities. For more information click here.
These sites offer a comprehensive and unparalleled clinical training program, resulting in fellows that excel in any clinical settings.
Outpatient Care
The majority of the training in an ambulatory setting occurs in the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinic where fellows evaluate and treat patients from a wide spectrum of economic and social backgrounds. From hospital follows ups, pre-transplantation evaluations to the care of acute issues including fever of unknown origin, TB, recurrent infections, our fellows learn about navigating our health system to provide up to date, cost-effective, and family centered patient care. Fellows also rotate through the International Travel and Adoption Clinic and the Care-4-Families HIV/AIDS Program to enhance their training.
Didactics and Conferences: Please click here to see a list of educational activities specifically focused on advancing fellow's clinical knowledge.
Research Training
Diverse research opportunities are available in basic and clinical sciences both at UCLA and at our global sites, and are chosen and tailored to meet the particular needs and interests of the individual fellow. Opportunities not only exist within the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, but also throughout the entire UCLA Medical Campus. For a list of potential research opportunities and mentors, please click here. By the end of training, fellows will be conversant with the scientific method of approach to clinical and fundamental biological problems. Formal lectures, mentoring, and guidance prepare trainees for the preparation of grant proposals, abstracts, and manuscripts. Our fellows are fortunate to have the full resources and training modules of the UCLA Children's Discover and Innovation Institute and the UCLA Clinical and Translation Sciences Institute including statistical support and grant writing workshops at their disposal during their training.
Basic Science Opportunities
Trainees in our program have many opportunities for basic research due to linkages with the Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. Recent trainees have been involved in research projects involving immunology and virology of a variety of pathogens in laboratories of the infectious diseases faculty, or faculty in these departments. Current areas of basic science investigation include pertussis, enteroviruses, and HIV.
Clinical Research
UCLA's large and diverse clinical volume lends itself to a variety of research opportunities, including both prospective studies and retrospective analysis of clinical experience. Furthermore, many of our trainees have taken advantage of our close relationships with the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, and the Los Angeles Department of Public Health to receive additional training to perform research through partnerships with these organizations.
Global Health
The Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases has a long-term collaborations with various institutes in Brazil, South Africa, Peru, Italy, Ireland and Thailand for training, clinical trials and laboratory studies. The division also has ongoing collaborations with the UCLA Global Health Institute and the UCLA Center for World Health.
Finally, given that our Pediatric Infectious Disease faculty has a strong track record of excellent international collaborations and well-published research in Global Health, many of our fellows have performed research projects collaborating with research partners in other countries, including Brazil, Peru and South Africa.
Medical Education
Our fellowship aims to create excellent medical educators. Fellows will often have medical students, residents, hospitalist fellows, microbiology fellows and pharmacy residents rotating with them during inpatient service. They are encouraged to participate and present at the residency noon conferences as well as the dedicated fellows conferences. Formal training in becoming excellent educators is ongoing as an important part of the UCLA Pediatric Fellows College, where fellows will receive didactics on topics ranging from "How to Give a Presentation" to "Developing Leadership Skills," "The Importance of Emotional Quotient" and "Fostering Resilience in Doctors."
Other
We offer a few, select fellows the opportunity to complete a Medicine-Pediatric Infectious Disease Training. There is also an opportunity to get a Masters of Clinical Science during your fellowship. Please let us know if you are interested in either of these opportunities and of any questions, click here.