Education and Training

The Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases is deeply committed to education across the full spectrum of medical training – from undergraduate students to practicing physicians. Our faculty actively contribute to every stage of academic and professional development, including undergraduate research enrichment, medical student instruction, residency and fellowship training, and continuing medical education for faculty and community providers.

At the undergraduate level, faculty in our section participate in the Arkansas Children’s Research Institute (ACRI) Summer Science Program, which offers highly motivated upper-level college students an immersive two-month experience in basic, translational, or clinical research. We also support early exposure to clinical medicine through the Practice of Medicine shadowing program, which provides first- and second-year medical students with meaningful interactions in pediatric clinical settings.

Our team plays an integral role in the UAMS College of Medicine curriculum. We provide core didactic teaching during the pediatric clerkship and offer a Pediatric Infectious Diseases elective for fourth-year medical students, available to both UAMS and visiting students. In addition, our faculty lead the “Transition to Clerkships” course for second-year medical students. Directed by Dr. Heather Young, this course prepares students for their clinical rotations through focused instruction in clinical reasoning, communication, and professionalism.

We are equally committed to lifelong learning and ongoing professional development. Our faculty regularly present at Department of Pediatrics Grand Rounds, contribute to the PedsPlace webinar series, and engage with community providers through the Arkansas Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. We also organize the Annual Pediatric Infectious Disease Update, now in its 39th year. This regional CME conference brings together healthcare professionals from across Arkansas and the broader region to share the latest developments in infectious disease diagnostics, therapeutics, and prevention.

Medical Student Elective

The Pediatric Infectious Diseases elective (PEDS-421C) is strongly recommended as a four-week rotation, although shorter rotations (2-3 weeks) may be considered upon written request to the Division Chief. The rotation focuses on the evaluation, diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow-up of infections in children. Topics covered through clinical or lecture-based teaching include the presentation of common pediatric anti-infective therapies, use of the microbiology laboratory, and the principles of immunization. Teaching occurs in both inpatient and outpatient settings, and the student is encouraged to play an active role in the infectious diseases patient care team. For information, please email the Division Chief at michael.j.smith@duke.edu.

Students interested in research related to pediatric infectious diseases are encouraged to contact the division chief or the appropriate faculty member to discuss the availability of a research rotation or project. Whenever possible, the division will try to accommodate such requests but placement in such rotations is not guaranteed. For more information, see Medical Students Opportunities, Fourth Year.

Resident Elective

This is a four-week elective during which residents actively participate in clinical care on both pediatric ID inpatient services. Whenever possible, the resident sees the patients and develops a diagnosis and treatment plan prior to discussion with the rest of the consult team. The resident participates in inpatient rounds, see outpatients in the pediatric ID clinic and attends teaching conferences.

Residents interested in pediatric ID research are encouraged to contact the Division Chief or the appropriate faculty member to discuss the availability of a research rotation or project. There are many exciting possibilities for research despite the constraint of the resident clinical schedule. Whenever possible, the division will try to accommodate such requests but placement is not guaranteed.