Infectious Disease Fellowship

Creighton’s infectious diseases fellowship trains internists seeking careers as clinical consultants in infectious diseases. In addition, some trainees have embarked on careers in internal medicine with an emphasis on infectious diseases, careers in state and federal public health agencies, careers with significant commitments to medical education, and careers in basic research.

In the fellowship can be seen Creighton’s Jesuit commitment to individuals in particular need of help–such as recent immigrants and economically disadvantaged individuals—in our clinical service to such individuals. The fellowship embodies the value of cura personalis that is inherent in excellent medical care for the individual and also in its opportunities to tailor the fellowship to the needs and interests of individual learners. The fellowship seeks to maintain an environment that promotes learning, an environment that goes beyond its setting in a community with affordable housing and manageable traffic.

Our fellows’ experiences include clinics (continuity, HIV, travel), inpatient rotations (including transplant ID and oncology ID), research, quality improvement, and telemedicine. We also provide educational experiences including antimicrobial stewardship, hospital epidemiology, and teaching.

Ultimately, the program aims to prepare physicians for the practice of infectious diseases. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). It seeks to prepare trainees for certification in infectious diseases by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).

1. Foster a culture of collegiality, professionalism, and mutual respect among all members of the ID Division to ensure a positive and inclusive learning atmosphere.
2. Encourage teamwork and collaboration across a wide range of backgrounds and experiences, recognizing the value of different perspectives in clinical education and patient care.
3. Deliver high-quality clinical and educational experiences while fostering personalized professional development through tailored training and mentorship aligned with each fellow's interests.
4. Support fellows in engaging in scholarly work, including research, quality improvement, and multidisciplinary projects to drive innovation and improve patient care.

• Opportunity for ID/critical care training as a result of large number of critical care beds and faculty, with Creighton’s standalone 1-year critical care fellowship
• Collegial learning environment with great faculty mentoring
• Good work/life balance
• High quality of living in the Midwest (little traffic; affordable housing)
• CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center - Bergan Mercy cited as one of “America’s Great Hospitals” (https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/lists/great-hospitals-in-america-…). This 2024 list included 103 hospitals. We were the only one in Nebraska. Our citation recognized our achievements in infection prevention.

Fellowship One Page Description

Infectious Disease Critical Care

• VA continuity clinic including longitudinal care of HIV patients (half-day clinic, weekly, throughout the fellowship)
• Bergan clinic focusing on HIV with some hepatitis B and hepatitis C (half-day clinic 8-10 times a year)

• Substantial portion of VA continuity clinic (half-day, weekly, throughout the fellowship)
• Substantial portion of Bergan ID clinic (half-day, weekly, four months a year)
• Challenging patients often admitted to CHI Health CUMC-Bergan Mercy

• 4 months of inpatient at Creighton University Medical Center-Bergan Mercy
• 4 months of inpatient at VA Medical Center in Omaha
• 3 months research/scholarly, including quality improvement

VA inpatient

• Interprofessional experience with pharmacy faculty and students (J Osteopath Med; 116(9): 588-593 https://doi.org/10.7556/jaoa.2016.116)
• Routine part of rounds
• Includes discussion of patients and interventions with primary teams
• Emphasize motivational interviewing

CUMC-Bergan Mercy program

• Grew out of program developed by division chief that saved system hundreds of thousands of dollars
• Remote stewardship an interest of faculty

• a. Board Review
• b. Journal Club
• c. Citywide Case Conference
• d. Core Lectures
• e. Professional Development Lectures
• f. ID Grand Rounds
• g. Quality Improvement Symposium

Fellows have available resources related to physical and mental health with an on-staff psychologist available at no cost. Other resources include fitness programs, safe ride home program, and more.

Creighton offers a Women in Medicine Program to provide both female and male fellows with the necessary tools to succeed in academic medicine. It serves as a venue for communication and discussion about topics relevant to the careers and lifestyles of women in medicine and the sciences.