Trainees are expected to attend and participate in all weekly conferences in the Division and the Department of Medicine. Attendance records are maintained and reviewed by the Division Chief. Faculty are required to attend 50-75% of all Division conferences. See list of scheduled Infectious Diseases Conferences on the Medicine web site.

On Monday afternoon at 4:00 p.m., the main didactic weekly conference is held in Duke Hospital North. This conference covers current clinical topics in infectious diseases and at least once per month, a basic or clinical research topic. Each faculty member is assigned one date per year for which they are responsible. Outside speakers are often invited. Fellows have the opportunity to present one conference per year, or they may elect to invite an outside speaker.

 

The Journal Club is a highly successful informal meeting for students, residents, fellows, and staff and is held at noon on Tuesdays. There is no limitation to the breadth of topics discussed. All fellows are assigned a day in rotation on which they will prepare a detailed review of a current journal article. The articles are distributed in advance of each meeting, and each fellow selects a faculty discussant to provide insight. Most trainees find this type of interchange to be an effective means of education, and members of the Division rely on Journal Club as a continuing source of new and interesting findings.

 

The Case Conference is held on Thursday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. and is run by the fellows. Two to three cases from the consultation services are presented as unknowns. This format challenges those not currently on the clinical services in diagnosis and management. Representatives from clinical microbiology, radiology, and pathology attend. Much discussion ensues. This is a highly active teaching-learning exercise in clinical infectious diseases and adds a wealth of case material to the repertoire of all the Division members. The means of arriving at the correct diagnosis is stressed more than picking the right diagnosis itself.