CPEP-Approved Postgraduate Training Programs

CPEP accredits postdoctoral training programs in medical laboratory immunology and in medical and public health laboratory microbiology. Programs are listed by specialty below.

Programs in Medical Laboratory Immunology

Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Chicago Area Clinical Immunology Training Program
3333 Green Bay Road
North Chicago, IL 60064
Program Director: Kenneth Beaman, kbeaman@aol.com

The training provides the fellow a unique opportunity to learn the skills, knowledge and experience necessary to become a successful medical laboratory immunologist from three different perspectives.  The training program involves a series of rotations through the various laboratory sections at the Clinical Immunology Laboratory of the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, Department of Pathology, Evanston Hospital and Children's Memorial Hospital, Department of Medicine, Clinical Immunology Laboratory.  In addition to the rotations through the particular laboratories, courses in Laboratory Administration and Clinical Medicine will be included. The program is accepting applications through November 1, 2013 for a position that will begin in 2014.

University of North Carolina Hospitals, Immunology
Clinical Microbiology/Immunology Laboratory
Room 1035 East Wing (CB#7600)
UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Program Director: John Schmitz, jschmitz@unch.unc.edu

The University of North Carolina Hospital's program offers training in all areas of Clinical Immunology.  Fellows receive training in all sections of the Clinical Immunology (Infectious Disease, Autoimmune Disease, and Allergy Testing), Transplant Services (Histocompatibility, Flow Cytometry, and Stem Cell Processing), and Molecular Diagnostics (Microbiology, Molecular Pathology) laboratories. Frequent interaction with physicians during rounds, clinical conferences, and consultations contributes extensively to the in depth of training provided. Fellows also receive laboratory management training and have the opportunity to participate in clinical and translational research with infectious disease, transplant and pathology faculty. The program is not accepting applications at this time.

University of Utah Medical Center, Immunology
Department of Pathology
Salt Lake City, UT 84132
Program Director: Anne Tebo
Please direct inquiries to Kimi Crist at kimberley.a.crist@aruplab.com

The University of Utah program offers a comprehensive, academically oriented training in all areas of Clinical Immunology.  The Clinical Facilities of the Laboratory of Immunology at ARUP Laboratories include Protein, Allergy, Autoimmune Disease Serology, Microbial Serology, Cellular and Innate, Flow Cytometry, Hematologic Flow and Hepatitis and Retrovirus Serology sections. Training in Public Health Serology at the Utah Department of Public Health (UDPH) as well as the Histocompatibility and Immunogenetic Laboratory at the University of Utah will provide considerable expertise to our trainees. The program also lays emphasis in clinical and diagnostic immunology service such as test utilization and interpretation, laboratory administration and teaching. Our fellows also have the opportunity to participate in state-of-the-art clinical and translational research with infectious disease, rheumatology, transplant and pathology faculty at the University of Utah and/or the ARUP Institute of clinical and Experimental Pathology. More information can be found at the program website at http://www.path.utah.edu/education/fellowships/immunology. The program is not accepting applications at this time.

Programs in Medical and Public Health Laboratory Microbiology

Completion of a two-year, CPEP-approved postdoctoral training program in medical and public health laboratory microbiology qualifies fellows to take the American Board of Medical Microbiology (ABMM) examination without the requirement to accumulate additional work experience. Individuals who have not completed a two-year, CPEP-accredited program must complete three years of acceptable postdoctoral work in a clinical microbiology laboratory before they are eligible. For more information about ABMM certification, please visit http://www.microbiologycert.org/abmm.asp.

Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Department of Pathology
330 Brookline Ave – YA 309
Boston, MA 02215
Program Director: James Kirby, jekirby@bidmc.harvard.edu

The goal of the program is to train fellows to assume leadership roles in academic, tertiary care, and public health microbiology laboratories. Philosophically we believe that this education is best accomplished through hands-on instruction in microbiological methods, direct participation in the consultative and administrative activities of the microbiology laboratory, and participation in activities of the infectious diseases, pharmacy, and infection control/hospital epidemiology departments. Fellows will also rotate at Children's Hospital Boston and the Massachusetts State Laboratory to gain a comprehensive education experience that includes adult, pediatric, and public health microbiology. The program is accepting applications until January 1, 2014 for a position that will begin July 2014. Note: at present, only applicants with their own source of salary support will be considered for the July 2014 position.

Mayo Clinic
Department of Clinical Microbiology
200 First Street, SW
Rochester, MN 55905
Program Director: Nancy Wengenack, wengenack.nancy@mayo.edu
Please direct inquiries to Tasha Gilbertson at gilbertson.tasha@mayo.edu

The Mayo Clinic postdoctoral program in Clinical Microbiology offers training in all areas of conventional and molecular microbiology. Trainees will have the opportunity to work directly with eight consultants (five MDs and three PhDs) in Bacteriology, Virology, Parasitology, Mycology, Mycobacteriology, Hepatitis/HIV, and Infectious Diseases Serology. Over 2.7 million tests are performed annually and the trainee will gain experience in the detection, identification, and drug susceptibility testing of routine as well as esoteric pathogens. Extensive molecular testing methods are incorporated into all laboratory areas. The trainee will also participate in laboratory management through didactic coursework and hands-on experience directing a laboratory section. Trainees have educational rotations in Infectious Diseases (including Pediatric and Transplant Infectious Diseases), Infection Control, and Epidemiology/Public Health at the State Department of Health in St. Paul, MN. Ample opportunities for research and new test development exist in all specialty areas. More information can be found on the program website at http://www.mayo.edu/msgme/lm-clinmicrobio-rch.html.The program is accepting applications until January 1, 2014 for a position that will begin July 2015.

National Institutes of Health
Microbiology Service, Department of Laboratory Medicine
Building 10, Room 2C385
10 Center Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892-1508
Program Director: Adrian M. Zelazny, azelazny@mail.nih.gov

The program is designed to develop knowledge and skill in diagnostic microbiology, clinical consultation related to microbiology and infectious diseases, laboratory informatics, and clinical laboratory management. A strong emphasis is also placed on laboratory research, particularly on the development of molecular and proteomic-based diagnostic tests and on collaborative projects performed in conjunction with clinical protocols ongoing at the NIH. The fellowship will be enhanced through collaborative training provided by Children's National Medical Center, Washington Hospital Center, Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and the Maryland State Health Laboratory. Ideal candidates have less than 2 years beyond completion of postdoctoral and/or residency training and show evidence of research acumen through publications in peer-reviewed journals. Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply. The program is accepting applications until February 28, 2013 for a position that will begin in the summer of 2013.

University of California, Los Angeles, Clinical Microbiology
Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
UCLA Medical Center
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1713
Program Directors: Romney Humphries and Omai Garner
For program information, including application instructions and materials, please contact Mr. Gabriel Gomez at (310) 794-2753 or gsgomez@mednet.ucla.edu.

The UCLA and West Los Angeles VA Medical Center program offers comprehensive academically oriented training in clinical, public health, and molecular microbiology. Fellows receive training at UCLA and LA County Public Health clinical laboratories, both state-of-the-art facilities with an emphasis on molecular diagnostic test development and a commitment to clinical and translational research. Fellows actively participate in all functions of the laboratory, receive training in laboratory management, and develop clinical problem solving and consultative skills through participation in infectious disease rounds and call responsibilities. The program, supported by the clinical and academic resources of the participating institutions, also has strong public health, infection prevention, and antimicrobial stewardship training components, and is enriched by the diversity of the Southern California population. UCLA offers one or two positions each year starting in July. Applicants must have completed their doctoral degrees within the past 10 years and have no more than five years of cumulative postdoctoral research experience (NOT including medical residencies or clinical appointments). Foreign-educated, doctoral-level scientists (M.D.s and/or Ph.D.s) must have all transcripts evaluated, on a course-by-course basis, by the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO) in Washington, DC. Complete Graduate Division requirements for a Postdoctoral Scholar appointment are posted at http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu. Applications are accepted between June 1st and August 30th for positions beginning in July of the following year.

University of Nebraska Medical Center
Department of Pathology and Microbiology
Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-5900
Director: Steven H. Hinrichs
Deputy Director: Peter C. Iwen
Please direct inquiries to Dr. Iwen, piwen@unmc.edu

The Department of Pathology and Microbiology in collaboration with the Nebraska Medical Center sponsors the CPEP-training fellowship. This fellowship provides a hands-on experience in the basic disciplines of clinical microbiology through bench rotations, didactic lectures, and contact with pathology residents, faculty, and fellows. Administrative experience through participation in management and committee interaction is also a part of the training. The fellowship will be enhanced through collaborative training provided by our sponsoring affiliates, the Creighton University Medical Center and the Nebraska Public Health Laboratory. Applicants to the training program must have a Ph.D. or M.D. in clinical microbiology or a related discipline. Ideal candidates will have previous experience working within a diagnostic laboratory setting and a strong desire to pursue future activities as it pertains to public health and clinical microbiology. Foreign Ph.D. applicants from countries where English is not the primary language will only be considered if they have: 1) completed the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam (see program website for acceptable scores), 2) graduated with a Ph.D. from an accredited US institution, and 3) completed at least one year of postdoctoral training within the United States. Foreign M.D. applicants will only be considered if they are certified by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) and licensed to practice medicine in the United States. One individual is accepted into the program each year which is dependent on the availability of funding. More information can be found on the program website at http://www.unmc.edu/pathology/clinical_microbiology_fellowship.htm. Applications for a position that will begin in July 2014 will be accepted from July 1, 2013 through November 30, 2013.

University of North Carolina Hospitals, Microbiology
Clinical Microbiology-Immunology Laboratories CB 7600
Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Program Director: Peter Gilligan, pgilliga@unch.unc.edu

The University of North Carolina Hospitals' program offers intensive training in all aspects of clinical microbiology with emphasis on developing clinical problem solving and consultative skills through daily laboratory contact with ID physicians. The laboratory has a commitment to molecular testing with fellows participating in test development for our constantly expanding test menu. Opportunities exist for the fellow to develop expertise in international laboratory capacity building at the UNC Project Laboratory in Lilongwe, Malawi. Fellows are expected to develop strong clinical and translational research skills by performing collaborative clinical research with faculty from UNC's internationally recognized programs in Infectious Diseases and Cystic Fibrosis. The program is not currently accepting applications but will next accept them beginning January 1, 2014. For more information about the program, please visit http://www.med.unc.edu/pathology/clinical-fellowships/clinical-microbiology.

University of Pennsylvania
Clinical Microbiology Laboratory
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine 4th Floor, Gates Building
3400 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283
Program Co-Directors: Paul Edelstein and Irving Nachamkin
Please direct inquiries to Dr. Nachamkin, nachamki@mail.med.upenn.edu

The University of Pennsylvania program offers comprehensive, academically oriented training in clinical microbiology with program faculty from the University of Pennsylvania Health System and affiliated institutions including the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, city and state public health departments. Particular strengths include the strong clinical orientation of the training program through consultations and interaction with the Infectious Disease Division. A variety of research opportunities are available including diagnostic and molecular microbiology, antimicrobial resistance, and microbial pathogenesis. Complete applications, which includes letters of reference, are reviewed as received. The program is filled for July 2012 and is not accepting applications at this time. We will consider new applications for July 2014 after July 1, 2013.

University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
Clinical Microbiology Laboratories Box 710
University of Rochester Medical Center
Rochester, NY 14642-8710
Program Directors: Marilyn A. Menegus and Dwight J. Hardy

The University of Rochester program is a tertiary care hospital based clinical program with a fully integrated public health microbiology component.  Combination of these two areas provides an unusually large and diverse mix of cases and laboratory specimens for study.  Two full-time faculty with different expertise and interests permit in-depth exposure to various areas of microbiology in terms of both research and clinical problem solving. The program is not accepting applications at this time.

University of Utah Medical Center
Department of Pathology
Salt Lake City, UT 84132
Program Director: Mark Fisher
Please direct inquiries to Karen Nelson at karen.nelson@aruplab.com

The University of Utah program, part of the Department of Pathology and ARUP Laboratories, allows trainees to gain hands-on experience in bacteriology, mycobacteriology, mycology, parasitology, virology, molecular microbiology, and serology through a series of structured bench rotations and independent research. The trainee also acquires administrative experience through participation in laboratory management and hospital committee meetings, and special effort is directed toward clinical infectious diseases case management and infection control. Fellows are selected for their potential as future directors of academic diagnostic microbiology laboratories and leaders in public health. Fellows completing the program are expected to apply for subspecialty certification in Medical Microbiology by examination of the American Board of Medical Microbiology. Positions are generally filled 14-18 months prior to the annual July start date. More information can be found at the program website http://www.path.utah.edu/education/fellowships/clinical-microbiology. The program is accepting applications until December 31, 2012 for a position that will begin July 1, 2014.

University of Washington
Department of Laboratory Medicine
1959 NE Pacific
Seattle, WA 98195-7110
Program Director:Jill Clarridge
Program Deputy Directors: Susan Butler-Wu and Amanda Harrington
For program information, including application instructions and materials, please contact Ms. Teresa Aurelius by telephone at 206-598-6133 or by email at tesska@uw.edu.

This program offers training in all aspects of clinical microbiology. Training is based at the UW Medical Center, a tertiary care facility, and three affiliated hospitals: Harborview Medical Center (the regional trauma center), Children’s Hospital and Regional Medical Center (a pediatric tertiary care facility), and the Seattle Veterans' Affairs Medical Center. 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. Research opportunities include clinical studies, the application of new technologies to the diagnosis of infectious disease, the study of emerging pathogens, and the study of mechanisms of pathogenesis and antimicrobial resistance. The fellow’s schedule is designed to accommodate his or her background and interests. Applicants must have completed their doctoral degree (Ph.D. and/or M.D.) within 6 years of entering the program. 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: 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. We regret we are not accepting any applications for the UW Postdoctoral Program in Clinical Microbiology for either 2013 or 2014.

Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology
3321A Medical Center North
Nashville, TN 32732
Program Director: James Chappell, jim.chappell@vanderbilt.edu
Associate Directors: Carol Rauch and Charles Stratton
Program Coordinator: Christy Byrd, christy.byrd@vanderbilt.edu

The Fellowship Training Program in Medical and Public Health Laboratory Microbiology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center provides broad post-doctoral education in the clinical laboratory diagnosis, management, and prevention of infectious diseases. The two-year program is administered through the Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology and Office of Graduate Medical Education. The curriculum is designed to offer integrated experience in the scientific and technical bases of microorganism identification, laboratory consultation, clinical infectious diseases, infection control and prevention, epidemiology, public health microbiology, immunology, laboratory management, and teaching through modular and continuous formats. Clinical microbiology expertise is further developed through didactic instruction, participation in clinical and research conferences, direct mentoring by program faculty, and progressive increases in responsibility. Fellows conduct approximately six months of research to establish scholarship in the field. Graduates will have acquired the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to competently practice clinical microbiology. Applications for training beginning in July 2014 are currently being accepted.

Washington University, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and St. Louis Children's Hospital Joint Program Division of Laboratory Medicine
Washington University School of Medicine
Department of Pathology & Immunology
660 South Euclid Avenue, Box 8118
St. Louis, MO 63110
Program Director: Carey-Ann Burnham, cburnham@path.wustl.edu

The program and major clinical rotations are based at the Barnes-Jewish Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital - two health care facilities ranked among the top ten hospitals in the U.S. World & News annual poll. Fellows master taxonomic and diagnostic expertise in all areas of clinical diagnostic microbiology through interactive rotations provided at the adult and pediatric facilities. Fellows also receive substantial exposure to molecular diagnostics, epidemiology, pharmacotherapy, and laboratory management. The public health segment of the program has been developed in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Health and includes training at the new State laboratory building which is a model nation wide for public health diagnostic facilities. Fellows are provided with a wealth of interdepartmental lectures, seminars, and symposia during the course of the program and given the unique option to gain additional exposure to other disciplines of clinical laboratory medicine. Ample opportunity will be provided for the development of research projects. Candidates who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents must be eligible for a J-1, H1B, or TN visa to be considered for this program. Permanent residents (green card holders) do not need a visa and are eligible as is. The program is not accepting applications at this time.