Medical students & residents
IDSA helps medical students and residents explore infectious diseases, understand training and career pathways, connect with mentors and peers, and access practical resources that support their next step into the field.
Explore career paths
Are you driven to tackle challenges from microscopic microbes to global outbreaks? If you’re passionate about public health, solving complex medical problems and advancing health equity, a career in infectious diseases may be right for you. With diverse career paths spanning patient care, public health, research, education, pharmacy and industry, ID offers endless opportunities to make a meaningful, lasting impact.
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Training pathways
Training pathways in infectious diseases vary based on your interests, background and career goals. IDSA can help learners understand the major training options and begin exploring programs early.
Fellowship programs accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education follow nationally established training standards that prepare physicians for rigorous, competency-based practice.
ACGME infectious diseases fellowship (adult)
Adult infectious diseases fellowship training typically follows completion of an internal medicine residency. Most programs are two years in length and prepare physicians for careers in clinical care, academic medicine, public health, hospital epidemiology and research.
Core training experiences include:
- Inpatient infectious diseases consultation services
- Ambulatory infectious diseases clinics
- Microbiology and diagnostic stewardship
- Antimicrobial stewardship
- Infection prevention and hospital epidemiology
- Scholarly activity and research
IDSA supports ACGME infectious diseases fellowship programs through a nationally developed Infectious Diseases Fellowship Curriculum framework that outlines core competencies, clinical experiences and scholarly standards that shape training nationwide.
View the IDSA infectious diseases fellowship program directory.
ACGME medical microbiology fellowship (pathology-based)
For physicians interested in laboratory medicine and diagnostic leadership, a pathology-based training pathway is also available. Medical microbiology is a pathology subspecialty focused on the laboratory diagnosis, treatment and control of infectious diseases.
Training may include:
- Laboratory diagnosis of infectious diseases
- Medical and administrative direction of microbiology laboratories
- Consultation on test selection and interpretation
- Collaboration with clinical teams
- Infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship leadership
Explore available programs
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- ACGME medical microbiology program directory
Select “medical microbiology” from the pathology section of the drop-down menu. - ASCP pathology fellowship search tool
- ACGME medical microbiology program directory
IMG resources
IDWeek & networking
IDWeek offers valuable opportunities for students and residents to explore the field, meet ID physicians, build connections and engage with the broader infectious diseases community. For many learners, IDWeek is one of the most visible entry points into the broader ID community.
Featured trainee experiences may include:
IDBugBowl
For residents: Applying to infectious diseases fellowship
Residents considering infectious diseases fellowship can begin exploring programs, timelines and application requirements early. Most adult ID fellowship programs participate in the NRMP Medicine and Pediatric Specialties Match, with applications submitted through ERAS and rank lists managed through the NRMP.
To prepare for fellowship, residents can:
- Review the IDSA fellowship match website for timelines and policies
- Review the NRMP guide to fellowship matches
- Browse the ID fellowship training program directory and individual program websites
- Review FREIDA profiles
- Speak with current fellows and program directors
- Attend ID career panels and other educational sessions
Comparing multiple program websites can help applicants evaluate clinical training environments, research opportunities, electives, institutional strengths and program focus areas.
