Generally one to three new patients are seen by each fellow each day. Each patient's problems are an opportunity for exemplary consultative care and for the dissemination of information among the members of the consult team and to other services. Fellows have a continuity Outpatient Clinic with the same Attending Physician one half-day session per week at their home base hospital for two years. In addition, fellows have block rotations in the outpatient area, focused on STD and Travel-Related issues. Some of the inpatient rotations on Pediatrics or at the MEEI also involve outpatient care and teaching.
Clinical conferences are important learning and teaching experiences.
Weekly lectures at the beginning of the year provide a core of Infectious Disease knowledge and approaches. Weekly conferences at each institution are an opportunity to gain the views of the entire faculty about the previous week's cases. Each Hospital also has Medical Grand Rounds and Morbidity and Mortality Conferences, which are core activities of the Medical Services. Usually, after the clinical year, fellows pursue additional training as Clinician-Teachers, Clinical Investigators, or Laboratory Investigators. While a trainee-selected mentor is the most important teacher and advisor for these subsequent years, relationships with other faculty and trainees and participation in conferences provide ongoing education and support.