ID + Microbiology Fellowships

[cricket]

Hey guys

 

I just found out that apparantly you can do a combined ID and microbio fellowship and I have a few questions regarding the combined ID/Microbio fellowships:

 

1. Which programs offer them. From word of mouth, I hear that they're available at McMaster, McGill, Manitoba and Alberta? Are there other schools?

 

2. What's their scope of practice. How is it different from that of an exclusively ID doc or an exclusive microbiologist?

 

3. Are the combined specialists limited to working in academic centres or can they practice in the community setting also?

 

4. What's the lifestyle like for the combined specialists? are there any added benefits to your income if you do both fellowships?

 

Thanks

[thebouque]

Mcgill's case might be a little different since here in Quebec, most micro or id have the double fellowship (it's a specialty that you apply to in R1). However, those programs only have 2 years of internal in their program therefore those specialists are not considered id specialists in the other provinces. Quebec schools might offer the double fellowship after 3 years of internal though.

[physiology]

Usually,

 

Internal medicine (3 years)

Infectious disease fellowship (2 years)

Med micro (1 year)

 

Scope of practice depends on how your hospital laboratory is set up and how well ID and MM get along.

 

If you're primarily MM, then you might do a few weeks of ID consults here and there, and weekends (since no one likes to work weekends).

 

I guess the opposite is true as well. However, I don't know of any staff who primarily do ID and then run a lab for a week or two.

 

Physio

[moo]

A lot of my MM colleagues are dual certified (most are). Some of the ID epidemiologists at the BCCDC are certified in ID or MM or Comm Med.

 

However, most ID epidemiologists or MMs who are dual certified with ID do not do any type of clinical work.

 

But in the end, you're an MD and you can do whatever you want. It all depends on how hard you wanna work.