Case-of-the-Week Conference
At the Case-of-the-Week" conference, current infectious disease cases of interest are presented and discussed in detail with the faculty, Infectious Diseases Fellows and residents of the Adult and Pediatric Infectious Diseases divisions and Diagnostic Microbiology laboratory. Pediatric Infectious Diseases presents once each month and OB-GYN, once every other month. All other weeks the consult attending is responsible for planning the conference. Patients seen on the consult service are usually presented, but patients on the Infectious Diseases inpatient service may also be presented. The Infectious Diseases Fellow is expected to present patients at this conference, review the literature, and discuss certain aspects of the case. The Infectious Diseases Fellow meet every week with a member of the Infectious Diseases faculty to discuss topics in Infectious Diseases. The formats of these meetings are intentionally left open so that the needs of the Infectious Diseases Fellow can be met. Potential formats include critical review of assigned readings from the literature, discussions of medical and research ethics, and in-depth discussions of clinical topics. Infectious Diseases faculty give a series of 10 didactic presentations concerning important facets of infectious diseases each month for consult and inpatient residents and students. These are usually given at 9 a.m. Tuesday and Thursday. Topics include:  Principles of antibiotic use
Antiviral agents
Inpatient management of HIV infected patients
Outpatient management of HIV infected patients
Assessment of febrile patients
Nosocomial infections
Travel medicine
Hepatitis
Staphylococcal infections
Cutaneous manifestations of infectious diseases
The Infectious Diseases Fellow is expected to develop and present a lecture in this series. Hospital epidemiology and infection control are important areas that an Infectious Diseases specialist must know. Dr. Robert Cantey is the Medical University Hospital epidemiologist and Dr. Preston Church is the VA epidemiologist. Attending national training courses in hospital epidemiology such as the one organized by Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (SHEA/CDC) is also possible. The Diagnostic Microbiology laboratory has "plate rounds" on Monday afternoon where the laboratory work-up, including proper specimen collection and handling, identification and antimicrobial susceptibilities of viral, bacterial, mycobacterial, and fungal pathogens is discussed. The Infectious Diseases Fellow is expected to attend. | 
