Landscape of Current Transplant Infectious Disease Training Programs

Area of Science:

• Transplant Infectious Diseases
• Medical Education
• Fellowship Training

Background:

• Transplant infectious disease (TID) training is not accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and lacks standardization.
• Previous surveys focused on fellow experiences; this study surveyed program directors and coordinators for program descriptions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the current landscape of transplant infectious disease (TID) training programs.
• To identify variations in structure, funding, curriculum, and outcomes among TID fellowships and tracks.

Main Methods:

• A survey was administered to adult and pediatric infectious disease (ID) training programs in collaboration with the American Society of Transplantation (AST) Infectious Disease Community of Practice (IDCOP).
• The survey focused on the structure, funding, curriculum, and outcomes of ID fellows in TID fellowships and tracks.
• This work is a product of the AST's Education Committee.

Main Results:

• 42 respondents represented 15 adult TID fellowships, 12 adult TID tracks, 4 pediatric TID fellowships, and 6 pediatric TID tracks.
• Adult TID fellowships required more inpatient weeks than tracks (26 vs. 24).
• Most adult (71%) and pediatric (75%) TID fellowships have distinct didactic curricula, but only 53% of adult programs have distinct core competencies for evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Significant heterogeneity exists within and between TID fellowships and tracks.
• There is a need to update guidance for adult and pediatric TID programs regarding curriculum, core competencies, and baseline requirements.
• Ensuring adequate competency in caring for transplant patients requires standardized training guidelines.