New training programme for clinical infectious disease specialists
Today, a new training programme for clinical infectious disease specialists has started, which is probably the first of its kind in Germany. In Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel, the northernmost partner site of the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), clinical infectious disease specialists are now jointly being trained across the federal states.
Participating host institutions are the Department of Internal Medicine I at the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf with its Infectious Diseases Unit and the Division of Infectious & Tropical Diseases, the University Medical Center Schleswig-Holstein (UKSH) on the Lübeck campus with the Department of Molecular and Clinical Infectiology, and the Research Center Borstel Medical Clinic with the Division of Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Physicians jointly developed this structured fellowship programme for clinical infectious diseases, in which resident physician will receive eight months’ training at each site and then “rotate” to the next training post. Professor Christoph Lange, Head of Clinical Infectious Diseases at the Research Center Borstel and scientist at the DZIF research field ‘Tuberculosis’ is happy, “The participating hospitals’ different focuses will give the fellows practical and scientific training that is unique in Germany.” Christoph Lange developed the fellowship programme together with his colleagues Prof Marylyn Addo, Prof Jan van Lunzen, Dr Stefan Schmiedel from Hamburg and Prof Jan Rupp from Lübeck. The programme will be rounded off with case presentations and seminars taking place on a regular basis across the sites, as well as the DZIF Academy programme.
In Hamburg and Lübeck, the training programme focuses on clinical infectious diseases and comprehensive consultation services, outpatient care of patients with HIV/AIDS and viral hepatitis. Hamburg has a nationwide focus on tropical medicine. In Lübeck, fellows additionally get practical insights into clinical microbiology for four months. In Borstel, training focusses on pneumonia and other chest infections, especially inpatient and outpatient care of tuberculosis patients and patients with nontuberculous mycobacterium infections.
Additionally, the DZIF "Clinical Leave Programme" gives fellows the opportunity to conduct clinical research during their third year of training. For this purpose, they can change to other DZIF training sites in Germany, or to one of the international DZIF partner establishments (e.g. Africa).