Program Overview

The goal of the Fellowship Training Program in Pediatric Infectious Diseases is to train clinician-investigators for careers in academic infectious diseases, with expertise in clinical infectious diseases, microbial pathogenesis, infection control, and epidemiology. Opportunities are available within the medical center for fellows interested in basic, translational, clinical or public health research.

Mount Sinai is a major tertiary care center with virtually all pediatric subspecialties represented. The hospital has a large pediatric solid organ transplant program, a busy pediatric hematology-oncology and stem cell transplant service, a state designated AIDS center, and a Global Health Center, among many other programs. Hospital based clinics and private practices in the area provide primary pediatric care to a large population of children in the Upper East Side and the East Harlem sections of Manhattan. Fellows also rotate through Elmhurst Medical Center in Queens, NY, which serves a large, very diverse recent immigrant population. As a result, fellows are exposed to patients with a wide variety of underlying conditions and infectious complications, as well as to healthy children with more traditional, community acquired infections. The division also participates in an antibiotic monitoring program and an infection control program.

The Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases has a close working relationship with the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Samuel Bronfman Department of Medicine, the clinical microbiology laboratory, and the Department of Microbiology. There are several combined activities including joint conferences and journal clubs and the opportunity for pediatric fellows to rotate through the adult service and in the microbiology laboratory.

Typically, the first year is spent primarily on the clinical service with some time dedicated to a rotation in the microbiology lab. During the first year, fellows also participate in a course covering major topics in infectious diseases, biostatistics, and clinical epidemiology. Towards the end of their first year, fellows will have the opportunity to meet with research mentors from our division or from other divisions or departments, and to choose a topic of research. At least one month during the first year is dedicated to research/reading and will facilitate selection of clinical or basic science research for the subsequent years. The second and third years are mostly dedicated to research activities, which are expected to result in publication of the fellow's work in a peer-reviewed journal.

Regularly scheduled conferences include:

Weekly Pediatric Infectious Diseases Case Conference/Journal Club/Topic Review

Weekly combined Adult/Pediatric ID Research Seminar (invited speaker)

Weekly combined Adult/Pediatric ID Case Presentation

Biweekly Microbiology rounds

Weekly Pediatric Grand Rounds

Weekly Microbiology Department Speaker Series

Additional seminars, journal clubs, and courses are available in the Hospital, the School of Medicine, and the Graduate School for fellows with specific interests.

Although all of the applicant's prior work will be considered when evaluating candidates for admission into the fellowship program, no prior research experience is required. Applicants must hold a New York State license or permit by the date the fellowship begins. The Medical Center sponsors J-1 or H-1 visas.