Overview
Our training program in infectious diseases at Oregon Health & Science University is continuing to thrive. Between one and two fellowship positions are open yearly. We place a major emphasis on preparing highly motivated trainees for academic careers. In-depth experiences are available in two possible pathways: one in basic laboratory research and one in clinical investigation. In either pathway 12 months of the fellowship is devoted to clinical training, both on inpatient consultative services and in the ambulatory infectious disease clinics. The clinical program is integrated between the University Hospital and affiliated Veterans Administration Medical Center, providing a broad and varied patient base and superb clinical infectious diseases exposure.
How to Apply
Applications for fellowship in Infectious Diseases at OHSU are now only accepted through ERAS for Fellowships.
Clinical Activities
Varying patient populations are present at each hospital and ensure that a wide variety of pathology is available for broadening one's knowledge in infectious disease. The University Hospital and Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center have a combined total of greater than 700 beds. The Infectious Disease Consult Service follows approximately 15 to 20 patients on a daily basis, with one to three new consultations per day. The scope of the consultation experience is broad, with a mix of community-acquired and hospital-acquired infections. Immunocompromised hosts provide a wealth of clinical experience and include patients on the oncology wards, from the renal, liver, heart and bone marrow transplantation programs, the intensive care units and the University's trauma center. Both hospitals have comprehensive AIDS programs and are participants in the NIH/NIAID funded Community Program for Clinical Research in AIDS, a program that at any one time has from 10-15 active HIV clinical research protocols under investigation.
The inpatient activities are complemented by ambulatory infectious disease specialty clinics, which meet from one to three days per week. Clinics vary in workload; the number of patients seen ranged from 15 to 45 patients per day. Clinics are staffed by teams composed of attending infectious disease physicians, fellows, residents, interns, medical students, physician assistants, and clinical and research R.N. coordinators. Separate clinics for HIV infection are conducted at both institutions.
Educational Opportunities
The fellowship program in the Division of Infectious Diseases is designed to provide the fellow with a comprehensive experience in clinical care of infectious diseases. Teaching medical students and residents is an integral part of the fellowship, as is fellow participation in regular conferences. Fellows attend Medical Grand Rounds and other Department of Medicine major conferences. The Infectious Disease Division has a close relationship with the routine and special diagnostic microbiology laboratories at the VA Medical Center, resulting in opportunities for specialized training.
Several conferences and courses are held as a regular part of the training program:
City-Wide Infectious Disease Conference
A weekly conference attended by 15 to 20 adult and pediatric infectious disease specialists, which rotates between the University, VA, and four affiliated teaching hospitals. A case presentation discussion style of teaching is effectively used in a warm and spontaneous interchange.
Research Conference
Dinner or lunch conferences held throughout the academic year in which both local and nationally recognized infectious disease, microbiology and immunology investigators present focused research subjects for discussion.
Microbiology Graduate Research Seminar
Weekly conferences sponsored by the Department of Molecular Microbiology and Genetics where graduate students and visiting professors critically review research in focused areas
Infection Control Committees
Infection control and quality assurances are an essential aspect of the specialty of infectious diseases. Fellows participate in each hospital's infection control activities, receiving practical experience to supplement didactic sessions in infection control and hospital epidemiology.
Journal Club
A regular scheduled review of current literature that emphasizes critical reading skills.
Clinical training includes a one-month rotation in the clinical microbiology laboratory, outpatient experiences in a sexually transmitted diseases clinic, a tuberculosis clinic, and regular participation in the infectious disease clinics, including specialized clinics that provide care for large numbers of patients with HIV infection. During the first three months of training a one-on-one fellow/faculty tutorial on anti-infective therapy is held in 15-one hour sessions. Infectious disease fellows participate with other Department of Medicine fellows in a course in experimental design and research methodology during the first year.
A master's degree program in Preventive Medicine is open to fellows who desire formal training in epidemiology and biostatistics.
The close integration of the Division of Infectious Diseases with the Basic Science Departments of Microbiology and Immunology and Molecular and Cell Biology provide the opportunity for specific didactic course work at the graduate student level. Examples include: Advanced Virology 508; Molecular Basis of Cell Biology 507; Microbial Genetics 510; Pathogenesis 511; Seminar, Molecular Cell Biology Techniques 507; Biochemical Mechanisms of Disease 519. In addition, a weekly departmental seminar series is offered by the Department of Microbiology and Immunology.
Research
Through required research with one of the faculty of the Division of Infectious Diseases, the Department of Microbiology and Immunology or with the Epidemiology Division of the State Health Department, fellows become familiar with problems of host defense mechanisms, epidemiology and pathogenesis, statistics, experimental design, modern research techniques, critical analysis of data, and organization of data for presentation and publication. The investigators use state of the art techniques in virology, molecular biology, genetics, cell biology, and immunology. All fellows are required to attend the annual national meetings of the Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) where they are expected to present the results of their research.
Research projects may be clinical, epidemiological or laboratory investigations. They are expected to be of sufficient quality to be presented at national meetings and submitted for publication in a peer reviewed medical journal. Mentor-fellow arrangements are made shortly after the fellow arrives and has had sufficient time to become acquainted with the faculty and on-going research opportunities. The total time in research activities will depend on the fellow's long-term career objectives.
Current research interests of the faculty are broad, and include molecular pathogenesis of various viral and bacterial infections; basic science and clinical based research with HIV; research in our CDC/NIH "Emerging Pathogens" program; several aspects of clinical hospital epidemiology, epidemiology and mechanisms of antiviral and antibiotic resistance; pharmacokinetics and toxicity of antimicrobial agents; and clinical evaluation of new antimicrobial agents.
The University
Oregon Health & Science University is a dynamic institution located within close proximity of the downtown business area of Portland. The University hospital and VA Medical Center are physically linked by a footbridge and share a common housestaff and faculty. The Department of Medicine Training Program has approximately 110 interns, residents and fellows. Approximately two-thirds of Internal Medicine residency graduates choose to go on to fellowship subspecialty training. The housestaff and faculty in the Department of Medicine are noted for their high level of scholarly activity and achievement, as well as for their collegial interaction, providing for both an intellectually stimulating and pleasant educational environment.
Portland and Oregon
With a population of more than 1.7 million in the greater metropolitan area, Portland is a major cultural center in the Pacific Northwest . Portlanders enjoy the Oregon Symphony, Portland Opera, Portland Ballet, Portland Art Museum , numerous art galleries and live theater. Famous for its addiction to books, Portland has numerous excellent bookstores, including the legendary Powell's Bookstore. Portland 's culinary scene is exceptional, not only for its quality and diversity but also for its affordability. The Northwest was home to the rebirth of the microbrew industry and Portland was the epicenter. And Oregon has a world-class wine industry, with many of the major vineyards located close to Portland . In addition, Portland features its own professional basketball, baseball, soccer and ice hockey teams.
Portland contains 7,500 acres of parkland in 160 locations, including Forest Park , the largest urban wilderness area within any U.S. city. The Pacific Ocean is 80 miles to the west and the Columbia Gorge, Mount Hood, the Cascade Mountains and millions of acres of national forest are within one to two hours drive from the city. Recreational opportunities are limitless year-round.
The Portland metropolitan area enjoys a strong diversified economy. Due to model land use laws, growth in Portland and Oregon has been rational and controlled, without much of the sprawl that has impacted other urban areas. Portland has excellent public transportation (Tri-Met ), including modern light rail and trolley systems. As an added benefit, the OHSU offers all employees a substantially subsidized yearly transportation pass that can be used at any time on the bus and light rail and trolley systems. OHSU also offers reduced parking rates for those residents who choose to drive to campus. Portland is also recognized nationally as bicycle friendly city and many faculty and housestaff bike to work on a regular basis.
Portland Weather
Portland is situated about 80 miles inland from the Pacific Coast and midway between the lower coastal mountain range on the west and the higher Cascade mountain range on the east. Portland weather has a very definite winter-wet, summer dry climate. Summers are warm and dry while 80 percent of the annual total rainfall occurs from November through May.
