The Pediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship Training Program at Phoenix Children's is a comprehensive 36-month ACGME-accredited program focused on equipping fellows with the skills and knowledge necessary to provide optimal care and consultation for pediatric patients with infectious diseases. The program offers a balanced mix of clinical training and research activities across the three years, ensuring sufficient exposure to both inpatient and outpatient settings to meet educational needs.
During the program, fellows acquire practical clinical experience through rotations in both inpatient and outpatient settings. The first year is more clinically intensive, allowing fellows to develop foundational skills in managing infectious diseases in pediatric patients. These include direct and frequent interactions with clinical microbiology laboratory personnel and access to laboratories capable of identifying infections caused by a wide range of pathogens.
Fellows are also immersed in an environment with an adequate number and variety of patients, ranging from newborns to young adults, providing a broad experience in the field of pediatric infectious diseases. In addition to clinical work, the program integrates research, with fellows having access to subspecialty-specific and other appropriate reference materials, including electronic medical literature databases with full-text capabilities.
The faculty members are committed to being role models of professionalism and delivering safe, equitable, high-quality, cost-effective, patient-centered care. They mentor fellows in applying scientific principles, epidemiology, biostatistics, and evidence-based medicine to clinical care. The faculty includes certified pediatric infectious diseases specialists or those with qualifications acceptable to the Review Committee.
Moreover, the program provides fellows with the opportunity to work with a diverse range of professionals, including child life therapists, dieticians, home health care liaisons, infection preventionists, mental health professionals, pharmacists, physical and occupational therapists, public health liaisons, respiratory therapists, school and special education contacts, and social workers. This multidisciplinary approach ensures a holistic training experience, preparing fellows for varied career paths in pediatric infectious diseases.