TRAINING PATHWAYS
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The Clinical Microbiology Fellowship offers flexible training pathways designed to accommodate differing levels of prior clinical experience while meeting CPEP accreditation requirements and preparing fellows for careers directing high-complexity clinical microbiology laboratories.
A. Two-Year Clinical Microbiology Fellowship (Standard CPEP Pathway)The standard duration of the Clinical Microbiology Fellowship is two years for candidates without substantial prior clinical microbiology training.
The first year of training addresses the core and minimum training requirements of the CPEP program. Time spent in specific areas of clinical microbiology is outlined in the rotation descriptions below.
During the second year, exposure in these areas is expanded proportionally based on:
B. Integrated Training Pathways for Fellows with Prior Clinical ExperienceFor trainees with substantial prior clinical training, the required two years of clinical microbiology training may be completed through integrated pathways that combine fellowship or residency training with focused CPEP-equivalent clinical microbiology experience.
Examples include:
C. Research Pathway (Combined Clinical and Research Training)Fellows may elect to pursue a research pathway that combines two years of clinical microbiology training with postdoctoral research fellowship training in areas related to clinical microbiology diagnostics.
Following completion of the clinical training phase, fellows pursue research training at institutions within the greater Boston area. The research phase may extend the total training period by one to five additional years, depending on individual goals.
To maintain and expand clinical expertise, fellows remain involved in clinical microbiology activities for up to 25% effort during the research phase. Prior fellows have successfully pursued this pathway with support from K08 awards and infectious disease–related training grants.
Board Eligibility and CertificationCompletion of two years of CPEP-equivalent clinical microbiology training qualifies fellows to pursue American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) certification, consistent with current eligibility criteria.
ABMM certification is one pathway by which doctoral-level clinicians and scientists (MD and/or PhD) may serve as directors of high-complexity microbiology laboratories under U.S. law (CLIA ’88; 42 CFR §493.1443).
Board eligibility requirements are periodically updated; applicants are encouraged to consult the ABMM website for the most current criteria. Fellows are strongly encouraged to pursue board certification and to sit for the examination at the earliest eligible opportunity.
A. Two-Year Clinical Microbiology Fellowship (Standard CPEP Pathway)The standard duration of the Clinical Microbiology Fellowship is two years for candidates without substantial prior clinical microbiology training.
The first year of training addresses the core and minimum training requirements of the CPEP program. Time spent in specific areas of clinical microbiology is outlined in the rotation descriptions below.
During the second year, exposure in these areas is expanded proportionally based on:
- The fellow’s prior experience and interests
- Educational merit of available activities
- Adoption of new diagnostic technologies or methodologies
B. Integrated Training Pathways for Fellows with Prior Clinical ExperienceFor trainees with substantial prior clinical training, the required two years of clinical microbiology training may be completed through integrated pathways that combine fellowship or residency training with focused CPEP-equivalent clinical microbiology experience.
Examples include:
- Infectious Diseases fellows enrolled in a three-year training program, who devote the final two years of training to concentrated clinical microbiology education aligned with CPEP requirements
- Clinical Pathology (CP) residents who devote two years of residency training to clinical microbiology in a manner consistent with CPEP training standards
C. Research Pathway (Combined Clinical and Research Training)Fellows may elect to pursue a research pathway that combines two years of clinical microbiology training with postdoctoral research fellowship training in areas related to clinical microbiology diagnostics.
Following completion of the clinical training phase, fellows pursue research training at institutions within the greater Boston area. The research phase may extend the total training period by one to five additional years, depending on individual goals.
To maintain and expand clinical expertise, fellows remain involved in clinical microbiology activities for up to 25% effort during the research phase. Prior fellows have successfully pursued this pathway with support from K08 awards and infectious disease–related training grants.
Board Eligibility and CertificationCompletion of two years of CPEP-equivalent clinical microbiology training qualifies fellows to pursue American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) certification, consistent with current eligibility criteria.
ABMM certification is one pathway by which doctoral-level clinicians and scientists (MD and/or PhD) may serve as directors of high-complexity microbiology laboratories under U.S. law (CLIA ’88; 42 CFR §493.1443).
Board eligibility requirements are periodically updated; applicants are encouraged to consult the ABMM website for the most current criteria. Fellows are strongly encouraged to pursue board certification and to sit for the examination at the earliest eligible opportunity.