Welcome from the Infectious Diseases Program Director

On behalf of the Infectious Diseases faculty and fellows at the University of Maryland, I am pleased to welcome you to the Infectious Diseases Fellowship program website. The University of Maryland Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program is designed to train fellows to become leaders in Infectious Diseases.

Our primary objective is to provide each fellow with the knowledge and skills to achieve their personal and career goals. The large size of our ID Division is well-suited to help us accomplish that goal; the Division has more than 40 clinical faculty and over 70 total faculty members. The clinical faculty are also members of several world-renowned centers and institutes at the University of Maryland including the Institute of Human Virology (founded and directed by Dr. Gallo, co-discoverer of HIV), the Center for Vaccine Development, the Center for International Health, Education and Biosecurity and the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health. This diversity provides a wealth of experience, knowledge, and opportunities for our fellows.

While many ID fellowship programs focus either on clinical medicine or research, we believe that both are critical components of an ID fellow's education. A strong clinical background in ID is the foundation for a rewarding and fulfilling career.

We expect that all of our fellows will become expert ID clinicians. Our fellows are actively engaged clinically throughout their fellowship. The clinical experience afforded by our core and elective rotations is truly unmatched. UMMC is a large referral center that not only serves the entire state of Maryland but also receives patients from Delaware, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, and West Virginia. Our ID faculty features expertise in clinical care of patients with transplant (solid organ and bone marrow/stem cell), cancer, and HIV, while still serving as the primary source of health care for residents of inner city Baltimore.

Research is an important aspect of our fellowship programs. We expect all fellows to participate in research during their fellowship; access to faculty with diverse research interests provides ample opportunities to pursue projects that appeal to each fellow. Having the IHV, CVD, and the Department of Epidemiology on campus provides a range of potential research opportunities for our fellows. However, we do not require fellows to lock into a research project on their interview day or before they even begin fellowship. Our philosophy has been to allow fellows the freedom to explore their interests here and then choose mentors and projects when they are ready.

We have designed our ID fellowship program to be flexible and accommodate the needs of each fellow. Most fellows complete the standard 2-year fellowship, but those interested in academic medicine, global health, vaccines, epidemiology, or other further specialization may craft an individualized, extended training program (3-5 years).

We are looking for motivated applicants who seek a challenging and rewarding fellowship experience, who will seize the opportunities available, and will grow and prosper as future colleagues in the field.

Please take the time to look through our entire website to appreciate all of the opportunities available at the University of Maryland. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

We believe that we have an outstanding Infectious Diseases training program and look forward to your application.

Sincerely,

David J. Riedel, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Director, Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program