Clinical Microbiology Fellowship

Overview

The University of Washington postdoctoral training program in medical and public health laboratory microbiology has been training fellows since 1965. Our program has a long record of success and CPEP board certifications, having trained over 76 (as of 2019) individuals.

This program offers training in all aspects of clinical microbiology. Training is based at the UW Medical Center (a tertiary care facility), and two affiliated hospitals: Harborview Medical Center (the regional trauma center), and Seattle Children's Hospital (a pediatric tertiary care facility). Fellows acquire experience in public health microbiology at the Washington State Public Health Lab and participate in hands-on training in pediatric and adult infectious disease and in hospital infection control. Laboratory management is taught as a formal post-graduate course and "on the job" during the second year acting directorship. A wide variety of research opportunities are available in diverse aspects of clinical microbiology, with the fellow's schedule designed to accommodate the fellow's background and interests.

Fellows also actively participate at daily lab plate rounds, take weekday pager call, and present biweekly Current Topics continuing education talks to the laboratory staff. Applicants must have completed their doctoral degree (PhD and/or MD). See "Requirements" section below for further details.

The Department is well known for its diverse, clinically based research achievements, and the trainee will therefore be expected to pursue an intensive program of clinically oriented research in infectious diseases leading to publication in peer-reviewed journals and presentations at national meetings. This is usually done during the second year of training.

Completion of the Program prepares the trainee for a successful career as director of a clinical or public health microbiology laboratory, and fulfills all training requirements for the American Board of Medical Microbiology.

Requirements

This fellowship is an American Society for  Microbiology (ASM), subcommittee on Postgraduate Educational Programs (CPEP), Medical and Public Health Laboratory Fellowship. Fellowship description at ASM Fellowships CPEP.

Find application requirements for this ASM - CPEP Fellowship in the Essentials and Guidelines of an Accredited Postgraduate Fellowship Program in Medical and Public Health Laboratory Microbiology,section 2.42, Admission Essentials which states:

• CPEP Fellowships are open to postdoctoral-level candidates (e.g., Ph.D., M.D., Sc.D., D.O., and Dr. P.H.).
• Doctorates of Clinical Laboratory Sciences (DCLS) and Pharmacy (PharmD) are not acceptable for admission to a CPEP-accredited program, however, Doctor of Philosophy in Health Sciences may be accepted upon review by the Program Director. 
• Desirable prerequisites for the postgraduate training programs may include some of the following - courses in epidemiology, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, histology, pathogenesis of infection and statistics. 

Additionally, applicants to the University of Washington program must have completed their doctoral degree. .

If the applicant's doctoral degree was obtained from an institution outside of the United States or Canada, applicants must fulfill each of the following requirements in order to be considered for this fellowship at the University of Washington :

1. Obtained their undergraduate or doctoral degrees in an English-speaking country, or have completed the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam, and
2. Completed at least one year of postdoctoral training within the United States or Canada.

Sponsorship

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the US or eligible for H-1B sponsorship.

** H1B is the ONLY visa this position can support for applicants with PhD credentials; J1 visas can be supported for applicants with MD credentials.

  Stipend and Benefits

Appointment as a senior fellow is an annual appointment for one year. This fellowship is a 2 year program with reappointment considered annually. Stipend and benefits are based on the schedule for residents at an equivalent level. 

Application

Candidates interested in applying to the University of Washington's Clinical Microbiology Fellowship program must apply through the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Committee on Postgraduate Education Program (CPEP) site.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States or eligible for H-1B sponsorship.

* H1B is the ONLY visa this program can support for applicants with PhD credentials. J1 visas can be supported for applicants with MD credentials.

Applications for this position will ONLY be accepted through the ASM CPEP Program Application site. The program reviews applications submitted through the ASM CPEP site from May through September for a position that will begin in July of the following year. 

For More Information

Lori Bourassa, PhD, MPH, D(ABMM) Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology University of Washington Box 357470 Seattle, WA 98195

If you have questions or problems, please contact our Academic Programs Coordinator.