Infectious Diseases Program Tracks

UNM ID Fellowship Public Health Track

Infectious Diseases - Epidemic Intelligence Service Joint Fellowship

We are proud to be one of only 11 programs across the nation selected to participate in the Infectious Diseases - Epidemic Intelligence Service Joint Fellowship! Nearly half of our faculty have a Master in Public Health and 3 of our recent alumni are EIS trained. We have a longstanding relationship with the New Mexico Department of Health and endless opportunities for fellows to be meaningfully involved in the public health of the state.

Clinical Experiences:

New Mexico is unique in that there is only one Department of Health that oversees the entire state. This means that you will be involved in impacting the entire state, not just a county. We are also privileged to work closely with Indian Health Service and the Navajo Nations, and as a fellow in the Public Health Track you will have the opportunity to work with Epidemiology on the Navajo Nations. Fellows will have access to clinical experience, research opportunities and mentorship from both the Department of Health, the Navajo Nations and our UNM faculty.

Educational Resources:

In addition to 5 hours per week of protected educational time, by completing this track you will have program sponsored access to:

• SHEA/CDC Training Certificate Course in Healthcare Epidemiology

I’m interested in the Public Health Track but do not plan to do EIS Training. Is this still an option?

Yes! You can complete the track as a standalone experience or pursue your Masters of Public Health through the University of New Mexico during your training. You are eligible for up to 8 hours of tuition remission per semester (email Rene Forsythe, rforsythe@salud.unm.edu, for additional information on tuition remission). Given the in-person class needs of MPH courses, you would begin pursuing your MPH in your second year of training. Most people will need an additional research year to complete their MPH.

We are very excited to offer this unique training opportunity as serving the public health needs of the community of New Mexico is one of our primary goals!

UNM ID Fellowship – ID/Critical Care Track

Interested in ID/Critical Care? We have successfully trained graduates to do combined ID/Critical Care. Below are the details our ID/Critical Care Track:

Description of Track:

Fellows will complete 2 years (24 rotations) of ID training, followed by 1 year of Critical Care training.

This will include:

• 14 (calendar months) rotations of inpatient consultations
  • 7 at UNM Hospital
  • 7 at the VA Hospital
• 4 (calendar months) rotations of research
  • Primary Research (manuscript to published/presented at an academic conference)
  • 1 Case Report
  • 1 QI project
• 8 (calendar months) elective rotations from the following
  • Microbiology
  • General Antimicrobial Stewardship x2
  • Transplant ID Elective (MD Anderson)
  • Outpatient ID Clinics (TB/STI/Travel/HIV Specialty Clinics/OPAT)
  • Hospital Epidemiology x1
  • UNM Medical ICU month x2
• Continuity Clinic:
  • Year 1 HIV
  • Year 2 OPAT (option to continue HIV if desired)

If their performance meets the expectations of both ID and Critical Care, this will be followed by 1 year of Critical Care. Click here for more information on the UNM Critical Care Fellowship.

Educational Requirements:
Fellows must attend 75% of ID Educational Conferences. They are encouraged to participate in the CC/ US educational programs as their ID schedules allow. In addition to the ID Orientation Program, ID/CC fellows will attend the CC fellows’ orientation boot camp.
 

To enter this track, fellows must:

1. Be Internal Medicine Board Eligible/Board Certified (must have passed all USMLEs/ECFMG certified, and completed US Internal Medicine residency) on admission
2. Have 4 letter recommendations including 1-2 from an ID specialist, 1-2 from a CC specialist and 1 from their residency program director
3. Completed the interview process by both the ID and CC faculty and are approved for recruitment by both divisions.

UNM ID Fellowship - Cultural Humility, Health Equity and Working Alliance

Ther term “DEI curriculum” is really a misnomer; in reality the principles of culture humility, health equity, and patient mutuality are embedded in every aspect of our 2-year experience. During orientation you will undergo cultural understanding trainings such as “Knowing the Native American Populations of New Mexico” and “Transgender Care 101”. We have a quarterly “Health Equity Case Conference” which is presented by both faculty and fellows during which we review a case through the lens of systemic oppression. The discussion involves determining how inequity impacted the outcome of the case and how we can modify systems to support patient justice. The Fellows-Only Educational Hour includes didactics on Trauma Informed Care, Social Determinants of Health, and Evaluating Healthcare Systems for Inequity. Every didactic presented in our department is evaluated for the use of person-first language, addressing healthcare disparities, presence or absence of stigmatizing language and racial equity in images and content.

The guiding principle of our program is patient-centered care. By the end of the two years, our goal is for you to be confident in managing any patient population. To support you in this, you will have the opportunity to work 1:1 with a psychologist who will observe your motivational interviewing skills and help you refine your technique in helping patients realize their own health goals. We will assess your skills in having difficult conversations with patients over the course of your fellowship and give you comprehensive feedback. We also have simulation training in such areas as taking an inclusive sexual history and breaking a new HIV diagnosis. You will enter independent practice ready to care for any population in any situation.