The purpose of this tract is to train fellows in Infectious Diseases in the field of Infectious Disease Epidemiology. At CWRU, selected infectious disease fellows have the opportunity to acquire specialized skills and expertise in both Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology by completing the traditional clinical training and by completing a Master's degree in Epidemiology. By the end of the three year training program, a trainee will be board eligible in Infectious Diseases and will have obtained a Master's degree in Epidemiology. These credentials will be valuable to individuals interested in academic medicine or public health. The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at CWRU offers a flexible and high-quality curriculum for the Masters and PhD degrees that can be integrated into the clinical commitments of the fellowship. Through a series of required and elective courses that gradually increase in difficulty, the trainee is taught advanced principles of epidemiology and is introduced to a spectrum of biostatistical techniques. These skills are applied and developed by completing a research project of appropriate content, scope, and depth under the direction of Epidemiology and Infectious Disease faculty mentors. Thus, the focus of this training is a Master's thesis which must be acceptable for peer-reviewed publication.

The Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics houses the disciplines that form the scientific foundation for public health and education, including biostatistics, epidemiology, genetic epidemiology and health services research. The Department has biomedical data management center with a wide range of capabilities, from simple spreadsheet and word processing to sophisticated statistical packages, to on-line access to the Internet.

For the Master's degree in Epidemiology, 36 units are required for the degree. For the infectious disease fellow in training, the classroom work must be coordinated with the clinical commitments of the fellowship. The attached schedule allows the fellow to meet the requirements of both the fellowship and degree programs within 3 years.

The optimal candidate for this position is one with a genuine commitment to epidemiology or public health and is committed to devoting their career to one of these areas. The training is most appropriate for individuals interested in academic medicine. This program is not appropriate for someone who eventually sees himself/herself working in the private practice setting. The candidates should have a good background in mathematics, preferably with several semesters of calculus in college. They should have good analytic and quantitative skills and be able to communicate ideas verbally and in writing.

* This course reviews common mathematical techniques used in the fields of epidemiology and biostatistics. It reviews the basic concepts of probability theory, calculus, and matrix algebra. Successful completion sections of this course may be required before enrolling in more advanced biostatistics courses. Usually physicians audit this course.

The graduate seminar (EPBI 501) is a noontime conference, similar to a journal club. Faculty and students from the Department are required to attend. In addition to attendance, students are required to present and critique a recent publication in the field of epidemiology, biostatistics, or health services research.

† There are a number of relevant electives that can be taken. The following are suggested: Clinical Trials (EPBI 450), Principles of Genetic Epidemiology (EPBI 451), or Genetic Epidemiology of Common Diseases (EPBI 455).

The Thesis Research (EPBI 651) can be performed throughout the 3 years of training. It would be optimal for the trainee to identify and area of research in the first year and begin to arrange for data collection. Also, it would be best if the projects selected by the students contribute to the ongoing research activities in the Divisions of Infectious Diseases at Metro and UH. Successful completion of the thesis research is a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed medical journal.

During years 2-3, the trainee would see patients on a weekly basis in either the SIU ID, or Traveler's Clinics. The trainee would be expected to attend the Tuesday ID conference and all relevant conferences in the Department of Medicine (Grand Rounds, M&Ms). On occasion, a course may conflict with the ID conference.

* This course reviews common mathematical techniques used in the fields of epidemiology and biostatistics. It reviews the basic concepts of probability theory, calculus, and matrix algebra. Successful completion sections of this course may be required before enrolling in more advanced biostatistics courses. Usually physicians audit this course.

The graduate seminar (EPBI 501) is a noontime conference, similar to an journal club. Faculty and students from the Department are required to attend. In addition to attendance, students are required to present and critique a recent publication in the field of epidemiology, biostatistics, or health services research.

† There are a number of relevant electives that can be taken. The following are suggested: Clinical Trials (EPBI 450), Principles of Genetic Epidemiology (EPBI 451), or Genetic Epidemiology of Common Diseases (EPBI 455).

The Thesis Research (EPBI 651) can be performed throughout the 3 years of training. It would be optimal for the trainee to identify and area of research in the first year and begin to arrange for data collection. Also, it would be best if the projects selected by the students contribute to the ongoing research activities in the Divisions of Infectious Diseases at Metro and UH. Successful completion of the thesis research is a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed medical journal.

During years 1 and 3, the trainee would see patients on a weekly basis in either the SIU ID, or Traveler's Clinics. The trainee would be expected to attend the Tuesday ID conference and all relevant conferences in the Department of Medicine (Grand Rounds, M&Ms). On occasion, a course may conflict with the ID conference.