Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program
Program Overview
The University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program provides robust clinical and research training in the practice and science of infectious diseases, all in a friendly and supportive working environment. We help fellows develop clinical excellence through immersion in patient care at our three dedicated teaching hospitals (University of Minnesota Medical Center, Hennepin County Medical Center, and Minneapolis VA Medical Center), with emphasis on the development of critical reasoning, scholarship, and professional responsibility. We provide an exceptionally supportive learning environment, strong faculty mentorship, and tremendous flexibility within the program to accommodate the diverse interests of our fellows.
Special features of the UMN ID Fellowship
- Diverse patient population located in an urban environment
- Tremendous flexibility in crafting your training beyond the core requirements
- The Division of Infectious Diseases and International Medicine is also home to world-renowned researchers (To learn more about research opportunities during fellowship, check out the research tab!)
- Minnesota has a long-standing reputation as a leader in global health:
- Global Health Course offered at UMN that meets criteria to sit for the CTropMed exam
- Connections to over 25 international sites for research and clinical training
- UMN is home to a regional Special Pathogens Unit
- Close, meaningful connections with the Minnesota Department of Health, the University of Minnesota Department of Microbiology, School of Public Health, and College of Veterinary Medicine
- The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) has honored the University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC) as an Antimicrobial Stewardship Center of Excellence
- T-32 training grant provides independent research funding
- Global Health Fellowship (Fogarty) training grant provides overseas clinical research funding
- Combination Adult/Pediatrics Infectious Diseases Fellowship training available in select years
- Option for Ortho ID Track
- Large transplant program - Also check out our Transplant ID Fellowship!
- Opportunity to apply after ID fellowship for a one year critical care fellowship designed for physicians who have completed an internal medicine fellowship in another subspecialty
Please click the Learn More About Us link to see the latest news about our people and projects. You can also follow us on the social media platforms linked below!
Tracks
Two Infectious Diseases Fellowship Training Tracks:
Academic Research Track
- For fellows who have demonstrated an interest and aptitude for research and who desire a research-focused academic career.
- One year of clinical training, followed by 2-3 years of research training
- Research supported by a T32 Training Grant or Global Health Fellowship (Fogarty) Training Grant
- Opportunities to take coursework towards a Masters of Public Health (MPH), Masters of Science (MS) in Clinical Research, and the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene Certification of Knowledge in Clinical Tropical Medicine and Travelers’ Health (CTropMed)
Clinician-Scholar Track
- For fellows who seek to become educators, scholars, and/or academically based
Clinicians. - One year of clinical training, followed by one year of clinical research training
- Guaranteed research support for VA projects
- Opportunities for up to an additional eight months of inpatient and outpatient clinical training in Year 2
Clinical Training
The overarching goal of the University of Minnesota Infectious Diseases Fellowship program is to provide our fellows comprehensive and world-class training in infectious diseases, that will set them up to become outstanding infectious disease physicians.
This is fostered by the following:
- Diverse inpatient and continuity clinic offerings
- Robust teaching by dedicated faculty
- 2-month infectious disease introduction experience
- Monthly academic half day
- Large weekly citywide case conference attended by 40-50 infectious disease colleagues from across the Twin Cities and beyond
- Biweekly journal clubs
- Ample clinical microbiology experience
- Individualized support and feedback while on clinical services
- Protected time and support to attend ID week, UMN/Mayo Fellows Forum, and Emerging Infections conferences
Fellows engage in clinical care at our three dedicated teaching hospitals:
M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center
Split between the East Bank and West Bank hospitals across the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, M Health Fairview University of Minnesota Medical Center (UMMC) is a premier teaching hospital with nationally and internationally recognized programs. It is a quaternary medical center, level III trauma center, the flagship location for M Health Fairview Health system, and the only university-level academic medical center in the region.
- 900 staffed hospital beds
- UMN consistently ranks in the Top 10 for research among the nation’s public universities
- Home to one of the oldest and most successful solid-organ transplant and blood and bone marrow transplant programs in the world, with >12000 organ transplants and >8000 bone marrow transplants performed in the last 50 years
- Performed many "world's first" transplants, including intestinal, allo-islet cell, and pancreas
- Eight ID services (4 General ID services, SOT and HSCT Transplant ID, West Bank ID and Pediatric ID)
Hennepin County Medical Center
Centered in downtown Minneapolis, Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) is a mission-driven, Level 1 Adult and Pediatric Trauma Center caring for a diverse and underserved patient population. Faculty at HCMC are pioneers of HIV management who have made monumental contributions towards advancements in HIV care since the 1980s. The regional sexually transmitted disease clinic (Red Door Clinic) and public health clinics serving tuberculosis patients and travelers/refugees are located near HCMC. The clinical infectious diseases fellowship rotations at HCMC will provide experience in all of these areas.
- 484 staffed hospital beds
- The HCMC Positive Care Center is the largest HIV clinic in the state of Minnesota (over 2,000 patients)
- Patients include a large immigrant population from a variety of Latin American, African, and Southeast Asian countries
- Two ID Services (ID-1 serving medical consults and ID-2 serving surgical consults)
Minneapolis VA Medical Center
The VAMC is an acute medical-surgical hospital which is also a tertiary referral center for the VA in a six-state area, active in areas of renal transplantation, hematology-oncology, and general medicine and surgery. Minneapolis VA Faculty are enthusiastic educators, and serve crucial roles in our program. Additionally, Infection Control and Antimicrobial Stewardship are integral components of the VA experience.
- 279 staffed hospital beds
- The Research Service located in the medical center is among the largest and most active in the VA System; there are currently over 150 investigators conducting more than 500 research projects, with funding from the NIH, VA, foundations, and industry
For further information on outpatient experiences and microbiology training click the Learn More About Us link.
Research
Our fellows have access to experienced and dedicated world class mentors across a range of specialties within ID including transplant ID, global health, HIV, microbiology, public health, ortho ID, and many others. Our broad university system also provides opportunities for mentorship in other departments or schools including the Department of Microbiology, Veterinary School, Dental School, School of Public Health as well as the Minnesota Department of Public Health. We provide fellows with a structured, yet flexible approach to research that allows them to pursue their goals. Whether fellows are interested in QI projects or preparing for a research career, we provide the training and support needed for them to become future leaders in the infectious diseases community.
Please see the following resources to learn more about research at UMN:
Research | University of Minnesota
Department of Medicine Research | Medical School
Infectious Disease and International Medicine - Experts@Minnesota
University of Minnesota Institute on Infectious Diseases
Research Mentorship
- July and August of the first year of fellowship are designed for fellows to interact with as many different faculty as possible so they can identify additional possible mentors
- Fellows have a Scholarship Oversight Committee meeting every 6 months with primary and secondary mentors to discuss progress, goals, and provide career mentoring
- Fellows have the option to meet with program leadership to discuss research interests prior to the start of fellowship
Opportunities to Present Research
Infection and Immunity Research Conference
- ID faculty, fellows, and allied faculty present their latest research findings
Infectious Diseases Society of America Meeting (IDWeek)
- All fellows are provided with funds and time away from service to attend IDWeek during all years of fellowship
UMN/Mayo Infectious Diseases Fellows Forum
- Fellow-focused symposium hosted by ID Divisions from UMN and Mayo Clinic annually
- Provides 1.5 days of research presentations by fellows, lectures/discussions focused on a different topic each year, professional development, and networking events
University of Minnesota Research Day
VA Medical Center Research Day
Additional Conferences
- Some funds are available for fellows to attend additional conferences if they have work accepted for presentation
Research Funding
- All fellows have research funding available for VA-based research projects; most of our clinical fellows take advantage of this funding route
- Research-track fellows are supported by:
- NIH-supported T32 Training Program Grant (most common)
- Northern/Pacific Global Health Research Fellows Training Consortium (Fogarty) grant
- Individual F32 grant or LEAP fellowship
- We also support fellows on research and clinical tracks who want to to find alternative funding opportunities, such as working with faculty who can supply funds or applying for individual grants to fund the research of their choice
Additional information on current research and funding opportunities can be found by clicking the Learn More About Us link
To be eligible for consideration, applicants must:
- Have completed or anticipate completion of an ACGME-accredited (U.S.) Internal Medicine or Med-Peds residency program prior to starting fellowship
- Possess U.S. citizenship, permanent resident status, or a J-1 visa (see program-specific Visa policies below)
- Complete ERAS application (see Application tab)
Eligible applicants are assessed according to the following criteria and information sources:
- Desire for research-focused academic ID career (involving laboratory, clinical, epidemiological, or public health research), or an academic ID career with a scholarly focus on activities such as education, quality improvement, infection control, and antimicrobial stewardship
- Prior research experience, ideally leading to publications or presentations
- Other evidence of academic interest, productivity, and potential
- Excellent letters of recommendation, including from ID specialists and residency program director
- Excellent academic and clinical performance
- Quality of personal statement
- Impressions of any local faculty members who know the applicant
Applicants are invited to interview each year, and we will fill 3 positions. Interviewees are assessed for their:
- Maturity, demeanor, and character
- Interpersonal and communication skills
- Insight and level of sophistication regarding career plans
- Depth of commitment to an academic ID career
- Desired mix of clinical, teaching, and research in future career position
- Research background and interest area(s)
- Preference for laboratory, clinical, epidemiological, or public health research
- Likelihood of success in ID (overall, and specifically in academic ID)
Invitations to interview and rankings for the match are decided by the Fellowship Director, in conjunction with the Fellowship Committee.
Program-Specific Visa Policies:
- J-1 visas: We accept J-1 visas, but only limited funding support options are available ("Clinician-Scholar" track required)
- The J-1 physician visa sponsored by ECFMG is the preferred visa status for foreign national trainees in all UMN graduate medical education programs; therefore, the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program sponsors only J-1 visas. H-1B visas are not sponsored. The program follows the Medical School's Visa Policy.
We will accept applications through ERAS. Please refer to the ERAS website for application instructions.
- Required supporting documents submitted through ERAS:
- Current Curriculum Vitae
- Personal Statement
- Medical School Transcripts (copies)
- Three (3) Letters of Recommendation
- Medical School Dean’s Letter (copy)
- A valid ECFMG Certificate (if you Graduated from a Medical School outside the United States or Canada)
- Results of Part I, II, and III of the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE)
- A Recent Photo
RESEARCH
We are committed to providing our fellows with the training and support needed for them to become future leaders in the academic infectious disease community and to stay abreast of rapid advances in medicine and research.
