Summary of Training Pathways, Application Contacts, Board Certification, and Funding Status

 

 

Pathway	Requirements	Application Submission	Training Duration	Board Certification	Experience Requirements for Board Certification	Funding Status	Openings
ACGME	MD or MD/PhD following completion of CP and/or AP pathology residency or infectious disease fellowship required	Contact Debbie Ribaya, BIDMC for application	1 year	American Board of Pathology, Medical Microbiology Boards	Fellowship training in the program qualifies.	1 position funded per year	Open positions available beginning July 2026. 2024 and 2025 slots are filled.
CPEP 2 year	PhD or MD*	ASM Link	2 years	ABMM	CPEP fellowship qualifies	Unfunded	Open, pending available funding, available for Boston Children’s Hospital ID fellows who commit last two years of fellowship training to this pathway
CPEP 2 year, LTHET	PhD and/or MD*	ASM Link AND contact program directly,	2 years	ABMM	CPEP fellowship qualifies	Funding from LTHET Program of equivalent from other service branches	Open, admission rolling
CPEP 1 year	MD with substantial relevant clinical training*	ASM Link	1 year	ABMM American Board of Pathology, Focused Pathway Designation (FPD)	CPEP fellowship + 1.5 years additional clinical experience, confirm requirements on individual basis with ABMM board, Fellowship completion would qualify for FPD	Unfunded	Can be pursued as part of clinical pathology or infectious disease training at BIDMC or Boston Children’s Hospital with a one+ year time commitment to training.
CPEP 2+ Clinical microbiology scholars pathway	PhD and/or MD*	ASM Link	2+ years	ABMM	CPEP fellowship qualifies	As above, integration within funded mentored clinical/basic scientist development program and individually developed	As above

 

*Clinical Pathology or 1+ year Infectious Disease Clinical Fellowship Training highly desirable for MD candidates

Note in particular, completion of a two year CPEP fellowship or a one year ACGME accredited Microbiology Fellowship qualifies fellows to sit for the American Board of Medical Microbiology certification exam.   The ABMM exam is recognized by federal law (CLIA'88) as one of the qualifications that allows a doctoral level scientist and/or physician to serve as a the director of a high complexity clinical microbiology laboratory.   

Our fellows are well prepared to sit for these exams.  We have had a 100% first time pass rate.

The American Board of Pathology offers a board certification exam in medical microbiology for graduates of our ACGME-accredited Medical Microbiology Fellowship Program.  Note, the American Board of Pathology: ". . .encourages diplomates with ACGME accredited training in  Medical  Microbiology  to  also  consider  obtaining  certification  by  American Society for Microbiology’s American Board of Medical Microbiology" (https://www.abpath.org/images/booklets/ABP_BOI.pdf, page 20)

The American Board of Pathology also now offers a separate certification pathway in Clinical Microbiology, called a Focused Practice Designation.  CP and/or AP certified residents are allowed to sit for the exam if they have completed a CPEP Fellowship Program.   Therefore, pathology residents completing our ABMM fellowship can now sit for either the ABMM exam and/or the Focused Practice Pathway exam.  However, the Focused Practice Pathway is NOT a certification, and the fellows are strongly encouraged to sit for the ABMM exam.

CURRENT AND FORMER FELLOWS