Life as a Duke Fellow

• Overview
• Research Project Selection
• Scholarship Oversight Committee (SOC)
• Guidance and Oversight During the Research Project
• Other Unique Program Aspects
• How to Apply
• Duke in Durham
• Living in the Triangle

I've been extremely happy with my choice to stay at Duke for fellowship in large part due to the training and mentorship I've received from the faculty.  They have helped me grow as a physician-scientist and educator, introduced me to key stakeholders for my future, and have treated me as a friend and colleague at every point along the way. – Adam Blatt, MD, PhD

Overview

Because each trainee is different, we tailor our fellowship training plans, including the identification of potential research areas, for each fellow. Our goal is to understand our trainees’ unique interests and aspirations and guide them forward on their chosen path within Pediatric ID, allowing for flexibility based on their goals. 

Due to the breadth and depth of resources at Duke, fellows can learn about multiple aspects of pediatric infectious diseases, including:

• clinical care - both general ID and infections in immunocompromised hosts
• antimicrobial stewardship
• infection prevention
• global health
• vaccinology
• transplant ID
• clinical research trials
• basic science research
• pharmacology and pharmacodynamics
• the microbiome
• clinical microbiology, among others

We then help them individualize their training based on their goals and future aspirations.

About our Conferences

There are several divisional conferences that contribute to fellow education. On Wednesday mornings, the fellows and faculty participate early in the year in a Core lecture series followed by a series dedicated to enhancing the fellows’ overall knowledge and preparing them for the American Board of Pediatrics ID certification exam. On Friday mornings, the division has an administrative and educational conference for the fellows, faculty, learners and other providers. The purpose of these conferences is to discuss any new ID-related and divisional updates and review interesting and informative cases from the inpatient services and outpatient clinic. These conferences provide an exciting, interactive forum where clinical diagnostic and management decisions are discussed. Didactic sessions follow each case conference and rotate between fellow and faculty research updates, guideline reviews, journal clubs, invited speakers (often nationally renowned), etc.

Other conferences that we strongly encourage our fellows to attend include Pediatric Grand Rounds (Tuesday morning) and Adult Infectious Diseases Grand Rounds (Monday afternoon). In addition, the Department of Pediatrics has several forums in place for the education of all subspecialty fellows, including the monthly Pediatric Fellows Research Conference  and the Pediatric Fellows Core Curriculum (covers biostatistics, clinical and basic science research design, manuscript & grant writing, ethics of research, teaching competency, leadership skills, how to find a job, professionalism, among other topics). Faculty cover the fellows’ pagers during these sessions so they can participate without distraction.

Research Project Selection

The selection, organization, and cultivation of a fellow’s research project follows a very detailed and established timeline that begins well before the second year of fellowship. During the first six months of the first year, the fellow will formally meet with the program director and associate program director every month to help with the transition to being a fellow. To assist with research mentor selection, fellowship program leadership assists fellows with arranging meetings with various faculty to explore options for scholarly activities and identify potential research and global mentors. A successful training experience is dependent on extensive involvement by theresearch mentor, and our participating faculty members inside and outside the division understand the significance of this commitment. Following the selection process, the fellow meets regularly with the program director, associate program director, and the mentor to further develop a project that is creative, challenging, and feasible. In addition, any specific training needs beyond the required curricula are identified and incorporated into the schedule for the second and third years of fellowship.

Scholarship Oversight Committee (SOC)

All fellows have a Scholarship Oversight Committee, or SOC, assigned to assist with career development and research progress, and meets the American Board of Pediatrics SOC requirements. The SOC is composed of a minimum of 3 members of the university faculty who provide mentorship and career development advice; faculty are selected based on the fellow’s research interest(s). The SOC includes pediatric ID mentors and at least one faculty member who is not in the Pediatric ID Division, and often is outside the Department of Pediatrics. The SOC is assembled by the program director and associate program director with input from the fellow.

SOC’s convene at least once in Year 1 every six months in Years 2 & 3. During these meetings, the fellow gives a formal 30-minute presentation of their research progress and plans for the future. The SOC members critically evaluate the fellow’s progress, determine if the work is appropriate to meet the American Board of Pediatrics subspecialty program requirements and the department’s expectations for future physician-scientists, complete a final evaluation, and also offer career development advice to the fellow. These sessions begin in the spring of the first year of fellowship and culminate at the end of the fellowship when the fellow presents a summary of his/her scholarly work.

Guidance and Oversight During the Research Project

Once the second year of fellowship begins, fellows present their results at laboratory or clinical research group meetings, usually twice per year at Pediatric ID division meetings, and twice per year to their SOC. Third year fellows also present their research in progress for the departmental Fellows Research Conference series. Further, fellows present their results at a national meeting and publish the results in peer-reviewed journals. These graduated and repeated series of presentations are designed to allow the fellows to gain experience and confidence preparing and giving research presentations.

Other Unique Program Aspects 

Certain competencies that extend beyond scientific training are required for a successful academic career, including grant and medical writing, public speaking, and mentoring skills. Duke offers numerous courses and seminars that provide formal training in these areas during fellowship, including:

• The Scientific Writing Course is a 12-hour, four-part series conducted annually by Dr. George Gopen of the University Writing Program. Dr. Gopen is a dynamic speaker and expert on reader expectation theory who has improved faculty and fellow grant writing habits and contributed to countless successful grant applications.    
   
• The annual Duke University School of Medicine Write Winning Grants Proposals full-day seminar assists with the identification of the most appropriate granting agency, provides guidance on how to write for reviewers, and offers tips and strategies for successful grant applications. This seminar is widely attended by both Duke faculty and trainees.
   
• All trainees are encouraged to apply to the NIH Loan Repayment Program (LRP), for which fellows in our division have a high rate of successful funding.