UCI/CHOC Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program

Clinical Experience

Our fellowship offers comprehensive clinical training through a diverse network of sites, including CHOC Hospital, UCI Medical Center and the Orange County Health Care Agency. This multi-institutional approach ensures that fellows provide infectious disease consultation to a broad patient population, ranging from medically complex cases to underserved communities with diverse social and economic backgrounds.

• Inpatient & Outpatient Rotations: Fellows rotate primarily at CHOC through high-volume services that provide a foundation in both acute inpatient consultation and longitudinal outpatient care gaining a nuanced understanding of how infectious diseases impact children across the entire community.
• Cross-Disciplinary Training: To bridge the gap between pediatric and adult medicine, first-year fellows complete a four-week adult infectious disease rotation at UCI Medical Center. This invaluable experience highlights the intricacies, differences, and overlaps in disease pathology and management across the lifespan, preparing fellows for the transition of care in adolescent populations.
• Call Responsibilities: Clinical autonomy is developed through a structured call schedule. Fellows are scheduled for eight weeks of call per year (including weekends) throughout the three-year program, providing ample opportunity to manage acute consultations and emerge as leaders in clinical decision-making.

Inpatient Clinical Rotations

Fellows serve as primary consultants across a variety of high-acuity services at CHOC, managing a wide spectrum of infectious complications in:

• Critical Care & Neonatology: Managing infections in the PICU and NICU.
• Hematology & Oncology: Addressing opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts and bone marrow transplant recipients.
• General Pediatrics & Surgery: Consulting on community-acquired infections, post-operative complications, and musculoskeletal infections.

Adult Infectious Disease (UCI Medical Center): A dedicated one-month rotation during the first year to understand the transition of care and the biological differences in adult host responses.

Outpatient & Specialized Longitudinal Care

To ensure proficiency in long-term management and preventative medicine, fellows rotate through several specialized clinics:

• Pediatric Infectious Diseases Clinic: General ID referrals and post-discharge follow-up.
• Primary Immunodeficiency Clinic: A unique multidisciplinary environment collaborating with Hematology and Immunology faculty.
• HIV/KIDS Clinics: Comprehensive care for pediatric and adolescent patients living with HIV.

Public Health & Epidemiology

A highlight of the program is a two-week rotation at the Orange County Health Care Agency. This experience bridges the gap between clinical medicine and public health, offering hands-on training in:

• Disease Surveillance: Tracking tuberculosis (TB), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and other reportable conditions.
• Public Health Diagnostics: Exposure to specialized laboratory techniques and diagnostic tests unique to state and local health departments.
• Outbreak Management: Learning the fundamentals of outbreak investigation, contact tracing, and community mitigation strategies.

Research & Scholarly Activity

Research is a cornerstone of our fellowship. We provide a structured environment that empowers fellows to design and conduct high-impact scholarly projects under the guidance of world-class faculty mentors.

Protected Research Time

To ensure academic success, fellows receive 20 months of protected research time over the course of the three-year program.

• Year 1: Foundation building and project selection.
• Years 2 & 3: Intensive focus on data collection, analysis, and manuscript preparation.

Mentorship & Facilities

Fellows have the flexibility to pursue either basic science or clinical research, tailored to their specific career interests. Our partnership with UC Irvine (UCI) provides access to top-tier laboratory facilities and a community of researchers known for excellence in infectious disease science. Mentorship is available across both the CHOC and UCI campuses, offering a rich multidisciplinary pool of expertise.

Core Research Curriculum

Beyond the bench and the bedside, our comprehensive core curriculum equips fellows with the formal tools necessary for a career in academic medicine:

• Methodology: Training in biostatistics, study design, and clinical research methods.
• Regulatory Skills: Deep dives into Research Ethics and Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes.
• Professional Development: Grant preparation, scientific writing, and evidence-based medicine.
• Systems Improvement: Practical training in Quality Improvement (QI) and patient safety.

Conferences & Academic Leadership

Education at our fellowship extends far beyond the bedside. Fellows engage in a robust schedule of didactic sessions and multidisciplinary conferences, while also serving as key educators for the next generation of physicians.

Teaching & Leadership

Fellows are integral members of the academic community at CHOC and UCI. You will have frequent opportunities to refine your teaching skills through:

• Morning Reports & Noon Conferences: Leading case-based discussions for pediatric residents.
• Grand Rounds: Presenting cutting-edge infectious disease topics to the broader medical community.
• Clinical Mentorship: Teaching medical students and residents during inpatient consultation services.
• M&M Conferences: Participating in multidisciplinary Morbidity & Mortality reviews alongside the NICU, PICU, and Hospitalist teams.

Conference Schedule

Our structured curriculum ensures comprehensive coverage of the ABP Subspecialty Board content while fostering real-time clinical problem-solving.

Weekly	ID Case Discussions: In-depth review of active, complex clinical cases.
Twice Monthly	ID Fellows Core Teaching: Focused sessions on pediatric ID board topics. Microbiology/Pathology Rounds: Dedicated time in lab to review cultures and slides.
Monthly	Journal Club: Critical appraisal of the latest peds ID literature. All Fellows Core Curriculum: Career development and research methodology. Infection Prevention: Education and participation in hospital-wide infection prevention.
Quarterly	Antibiotic Stewardship: Strategic meetings focused on antimicrobial optimization and policy.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease fellowship program offers a robust set of opportunities to further enhance your experience with core clinical training, and more focused offering to create specialized tracks if so desired by the fellow.