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This goal of the UCSD Infectious Disease training program is to prepare physician-scientists trained in Internal Medicine or Pediatrics for independent academic careers in infectious diseases and related disciplines. In its first 25 years, this training program focused primarily on laboratory-based biomedical research. Since 1995 the training program has evolved to include patient oriented medical research as scientific opportunities in this area have increased and as an increasing number of faculty have been recruited with expertise in translational and clinical research.
Over the past 8 years, an influx of faculty with research efforts both in the U.S. and in international settings has provided significant new training opportunities in basic and patient oriented medical research related to international medicine. Based on an assessment of interests of potential trainees and of career development opportunities, the program has continued to evolve from the heavy focus on traditional “wet lab” research in prior years to include patient oriented and global health research. Although the program is organized into three tracks (Microbial Pathogenesis, Patient Oriented and Global Health Research Training Tracks), multidisciplinary, multi-track training is the hallmark of the training program.
The high level of commitment to each trainee in terms of training duration and intensity, coupled with the multidisciplinary character of the training experience has attracted outstanding applicants and has enabled them to be extremely successful in progressing to the next stages of development of careers as physician scientists. Based on a recently completed strategic planning process, we have put plans into place that we believe will allow the program to build on its strengths as we recruit additional faculty with new talents and skills, to strengthen our mentoring programs and to enhance our highly collaborative research environment. The overarching goal of the training program remains to prepare the next generation of physician scientists for highly productive careers in biomedical research with local, national and international impacts.