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Infectious Diseases

Medical College of Wisconsin Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program

The Infectious Disease Division at the Medical College of Wisconsin offers an ACGME accredited 2-year fellowship training program in Clinical Infectious Diseases. The educational mission of our fellowship program is to help fellows feel prepared for the next step in their careers through robust exposure in clinical medicine and research while getting mentored by a diverse group of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology faculty. The primary practice sites are Froedtert Hospital and the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center. We also have affiliations with Children's Wisconsin and the Vivent Health, located in Milwaukee.

Fellowship Tracks

Our ID fellowship program offers training tracks within the Infectious Diseases subspecialty utilizing unique strengths within the ID Division/ Department of Medicine and broader MCW community with the goal of preparing ID fellows for the next step in their career.

Clinical Tracks: As first year fellows approach the end of their first 6 months of ID fellowship, they will be encouraged to apply for one of the following clinical tracks to help plan their second year. The goal of the track would be to help them get relevant specific clinical and academic/QI exposure as well as mentorship to help them prepare for the next steps in their career. The specific track programming will start in the second year and will guide the protected time and rotations offered in the second year.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Track

In this track, we aim to equip fellows to lead and develop antimicrobial stewardship programs in whatever setting they may practice in the future. This starts with an introduction to core concepts for all fellows during their first year.

In the second year, interested fellows move on to in-depth interactive didactics, experiential training in the administrative elements, and immersion in patient-facing activities under the guidance of a mentor. Fellows would participate in antibiotic use monitoring, formulary management, policy and clinical tool development within the health system among others as they learn project management skills, hone their communication acumen and grow into leaders. Scholarly work is expected as opportunities are abundant.

Track Director: Dr. Njeri Wainaina
Core Track Faculty: Dr. Leah Mische, Dr. Tim McElroy

Transplant and Immunocompromised Host Track

This track prepares fellows to manage infections in patients with a history of solid organ transplant, hematologic malignancy, bone marrow transplant, CAR-T cell therapy, and other cellular and gene therapies. Fellows in this track will spend additional time on the Transplant ID inpatient consult service and have a continuity clinic in their second year with a Transplant ID faculty. Additional electives include BMT clinic, SOT Donor Evaluation clinics, BMT inpatient service, and Organ Procurement Organization (OPO) call. Fellows will have the opportunity to attend and present at transplant ICU rounds, SOT selection meetings, biweekly TID meetings, TID journal club, and Chicago Area TID Case Conferences and Symposium. Fellows will also participate in a research or QI project with mentorship from TID faculty.

Track Director: Dr. Anna Corey
Core Track Faculty: Dr. Raul Rodriguez, Dr. Julie Kolnik

HIV / Viral Hepatitis / STIs / Addiction Care Track

This track prepares fellows to tackle the breadth of issues related to the syndemic of infections and substance use disorders. Core focus areas include the prevention and treatment of HIV and STIs, diagnosis and management of viral hepatitis, evidence-based treatment of opioid use disorder, and implementation of patient focused harm reduction practices. Fellows in this track will have continuity clinic at Vivent Health where they will provide wrap around primary care services to a diverse population of persons living with HIV in an urban, community-based setting. Additional electives include Addiction Psychiatry, Addiction Medicine, local STI clinics, Viral Hepatitis Clinic, outpatient treatment programs (methadone clinics), and syringe service programs with community informed harm reduction outreach services.

Track Director: Dr. Jack Keegan
Core Track Faculty: Dr. Sol Aldrete, Dr. Leslie Cockerham

Master Clinician Track
In this track we aim to prepare fellows to be ready for community Infectious Diseases practice as a master-clinician and leader in field of Infectious Diseases. Fellows would spend extra time honing their skills in learning all aspects of clinical ID needed to be successful in community practice with a significant amount of individualization based on their clinical interest.

Clinician Educator Track
In this track we aim to prepare fellows to feel ready to start a career in Academic Medicine as a Clinician Educator. Fellows would be involved in didactic as well as bedside teaching of medical students, medicine residents and co-fellows beyond their clinical ID rotation related expectations. Fellows will be encouraged to do scholarly work in field of Med-Ed under guidance of a mentor.

Common requirements, regardless of the track:

  • 12-14 months of inpatient Gen ID (VA/ Froedtert) [8 months first year, 5 months second year]
  • Continuity Clinic (Froedtert/ VA/ Vivent Health) [one half-day a week]
  • 2 months of Transplant ID [one month each year]
  • 1-2 month of Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • 1 month of Microbiology

Unique for the track:

  • 6-8 months of “Individualized” rotation and mentorship – as directed by fellows and approved by track director and program leadership.

Recruitment Information

Those interested in applying to the Infectious Disease Fellowship Program at the Medical College of Wisconsin should apply via ERAS. We begin reviewing applications in July of each year and conduct interviews remotely through October preceding the match in December. Our program participates exclusively in the NRMP to select candidates.

View Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals Benefits, Conditions & Terms of Employment

Program Details

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Our Facilities
Clinical training takes place at two main facilities, Froedtert Hospital, and the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center. During the two years, fellows rotate through the clinical services at these hospitals. There are three separate inpatient clinical rotations at Froedtert Hospital including Medical, Surgical, and Transplant focused experiences. The rotation at the Zablocki VA includes significant time in the microbiology lab where fellows become adept at preparation and interpretation of a variety of culture techniques and stains. Further clinical training includes regular participation in outpatient clinic at Froedtert Hospital and either at Zablocki VA one-half day per week or at ARCW; experience at a community STD clinic in Milwaukee; rotations with the Antimicrobial Stewardship team and the microbiology lab; and a Hepatitis C clinic.

Education and Research Opportunities

Other integral aspects of our training program include regularly scheduled didactic conferences, journal clubs, clinical conferences, and a board review course. Fellow's performance is evaluated monthly by the supervising staff physician and every six months by the Program Director. Those successfully completing the program are presented with a certificate and board-eligible in Infectious Diseases.

Fellows have the opportunity to participate in research projects both in the Division of Infectious Diseases and other departments at the Medical College. Some of the ongoing areas of research in the Division include the study of Borrelia and other spirochetes, immune mechanisms in fungal infections, antimicrobial clinical trials, expanded access and phase III HIV trials, and surveillance activities of the Infection Prevention and Control Program. For further information, visit our Research page.

Application Information for U.S. Medical Graduates

We do not accept applications outside of ERAS, and all fellowship slots participate in the match.

Application Information for International Medical Graduates

We do not accept applications outside of ERAS, and all fellowship slots participate in the match.

Our program can only consider candidates who have completed a three-year internal medicine residency in an ACGME-accredited program.

Clinical Infectious Disease Training

The Division of Infectious Disease has three main missions: public service, education, and research. Our public service mission is manifested primarily through our clinical care of patients with infectious diseases, but also through interactions with hospitals and other health care providers, as well as with public health departments and other community agencies.

Our education mission includes efforts across a broad range of learners, including medical students and other professional students, residents and fellows, and education of practicing physicians. Our research includes basic and clinical research in the areas of bacterial infections, fungal infections, hospital and epidemiology and infection control, transplantation, tropical medicine, and bioterrorism.

Our areas of expertise include:

  • HIV prevention and care
  • Infections in immunocompromised hosts
  • AIDS care
  • Viral Hepatitis
  • Endocarditis
  • Fungal Diseases
  • Staphylococcal Diseases
  • Mycobacterial Diseases
  • Osteomyelitis
  • Infection Prevention and Control
  • Nosocomial Infections
  • Travel medicine and related infections
Training Program Rotations

The Infectious Disease training program at Froedtert Hospital provides the following rotations and training opportunities:

  • Inpatient Consultation currently consisting of 3 separate services: ID-Medicine/ID-Surgery/ID-Transplant
  • Outpatient ambulatory clinic
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship
  • Microbiology laboratory
  • Hepatitis C clinic
  • PrEP clinic

The Infectious Disease training program at the Clement J. Zablocki VA Medical Center provides the following specific rotations and training opportunities:

  • Inpatient consultation
  • Microbiology laboratory
  • Outpatient ambulatory clinic
Research Training
The purpose of the research block or concurrent research time is to provide fellows with structured exposure to clinical research, basic or translational research, and education in research methods. It is also designed to promote resident interest and participation in research activities by providing time and resources for the initiation and completion of research projects.

Learn more about our research activity

MCW Infectious Disease Fellows on Milwaukee

Hear from Infectious Disease fellows on what it's like to live in Milwaukee.

MCW Infectious Disease Fellows on Training at MCW

Hear from Infectious Disease fellows about the training offered by this MCW program.

Frequently Asked Questions

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Who can apply to your program?
Applicants must have completed a three (3) year internal medicine residency in an ACGME accredited program. We do not accept applications outside of ERAS, and all of our fellowship slots participate in the match.
When will you start reviewing applications?
Applicants can apply as soon as ERAS opens in July. We begin reviewing after applicant information is uploaded.
When will you stop reviewing applications?
Review of applications typically ends in late September to allow for time to arrange interviews.
When do you interview candidates?
August through mid/late October.
How many fellowship spots are available?
Two spots are available per academic year.
Do you accept applications outside of ERAS?
We do not accept applications outside of ERAS, and all of our fellowship slots participate in the match.
Do you participate in the NRMP match?
Yes, we participate exclusively in the NRMP match.

Contact Us

Gabby Zeinert

Gabby Zeinert
Education Program Coordinator II
Divisions of Infectious Diseases; Pulmonary, Critical Care, Sleep Medicine; Geriatrics
(414) 955-0437
gzeinert@mcw.edu

Kartikey Acharya, MD, MPH

Kartikey Acharya, MD, MPH
Fellowship Program Director
Associate Professor

Mailing Address:
Medical College of Wisconsin
Division of Infectious Diseases
9200 W. Wisconsin Ave.
Milwaukee, WI 53226

Sol Del Mar Aldrete, MD

Sol Del Mar Aldrete, MD
Associate Fellowship Program Director
Assistant Professor

Javeria Haque, MD

Javeria Haque, MD
Associate Fellowship Program Director
Associate Professor

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