​Fellowship Programme

Paediatric Infectious Diseases

The Paediatric Infectious Diseases Fellowship programme was initiated by the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, Aga Khan University in 2006.  This programme aims to provide unique training opportunities in infectious diseases of children to trainees with specialty training and certification in Paediatrics.  The long-term aim is to prepare a cadre of individuals who will provide the leadership, team effort and evidence-guided solutions needed to reduce the burden of childhood infections of major public health importance in Pakistan and other developing countries.

The programme is now recognised by the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan.

Objectives

The programme aims to develop through structured long term training, highly-skilled individuals with the knowledge base, clinical training, and research training to become clinical consultants and independent investigators in paediatric infectious diseases.

The training programme will achieve its goals by focusing on building complementary competencies in clinical, epidemiologic, and laboratory sciences related to infectious diseases.

Supervising faculty will include paediatric infectious disease consultants, adult infectious disease consultants, microbiologists, epidemiologists, and public health/infection control experts.

Training format

The objectives of the training programme will be achieved through different modes, some of which are described below:
• Clinical rotations
• Didactic lectures and courses
• Journal club
• Seminars and symposia
• Research studies

Year 1 will be an intensive clinical year comprising infectious disease consultations on in-patients, primary care for patients admitted under infectious disease faculty, ambulatory infectious disease consultations in clinics, and microbiology bench time of four months (half days).  One month off-site specialty clinics rotation (tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases) one month adult infectious diseases rotation and one month infections in immunocompromised hosts (transplant, burns, etc) will also be arranged.  Fellows will also be involved in hospital infection control activities throughout the year.  The major part of clinical training will take place during infectious disease consultations on in-patients admitted to various paediatric services.
The major emphasis of Years 2 and 3 will be training in infectious disease research methods.  This may be achieved by enrolling in formal training courses in epidemiology and biostatistics as well as design ing and conducting research studies under faculty supervision.  Publication (or acceptance) of at least two first author papers in an indexed journal will be a requirement of fellowship completion.
Objectives at the end of each year

Year 1

Clinical competence in diagnosis and management of infectious diseases in children.

Year 2

Competence in research methods, ethics and infection control methods in community and hospital.

Year 3

• Advanced competence in diagnosis and management of infectious diseases in children; able to function independently as paediatric infectious disease consultant
• Advanced competence in research methods, including grant writing, design ing and conducting independent research project; must have at least two papers accepted for publication
• Fellows will be strongly encouraged to pursue formal training courses in research methods already available at the University, courses at Emory University, and at CDC, Atlanta, as well as especially designed courses teaching research methods applicable to paediatric infectious diseases.  Fellows will have to design and conduct research studies under supervision of programme faculty

Evaluation of fellows

Formal assessment will utilise the following:
• Written evaluation by supervising faculty every three months;
• Assessment of knowledge content by multiple choice questions every six months, including TOACS assessment at end of first year;
• Assessment tests at the end of courses attended;
• Development of study proposal by end of second year;
• Acceptance of two research papers for publication by end of third year.
Duration
The programme offers a three-year fellowship.  Training format as stated above.

Eligibility

• MBBS or equivalent degree approved by PM&DC
• One-year house job
• FCPS Paediatrics or equivalent certification in Paediatrics

Positions available

One fellow will be taken each year.

Administrative set-up

Dr Asad Ali
Director Infectious Diseases Fellowship Programme
Professor Dr Anita Zaidi
Chairperson, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Full-time Faculty

Professors

Dr Anita Zaidi
MBBS AKU; MS Harvard
Diplomate American Boards of Paediatrics, Infectious Diseases, Pathology and Microbiology
Professor of Paediatrics and Microbiology, Director of Research
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health

Dr Rumina Hasan
MBBS London; PhD, FRCPath London
Professor and Sultanali Kamruddin Jessani Chair
Department of Pathology & Microbiology

Professor Dr Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, T.I.
MBBS Peshawar; DCH London; FRCP Edinburgh; FCPS Pakistan; FRCP CH UK; PhD Karolinska
Head, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health
Associate Professors

Dr Afia Zafar
MBBS SMC; FRC Path UK
Associate Professor and Section Head, Microbiology
Director Hospital Infection Control Committee

Assistant Professors

Dr Syed Asad Ali
MBBS AKU; MPH Vanderbilt
Diplomate American Boards of Paediatrics and Paediatric Infectious Diseases


Dr Rehana Siddiqui
MBBS; PhD Community Health Sciences
Director Epidemiology and Biostatistics Programme


Dr Faisal Mehmood
MBBS AKU
Diplomate American Boards Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases Department of Internal Medicine (ID)


Dr Farheen Ali
MBBS DUHS
Diplomate American Boards, Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases
Department of Internal Medicine (ID)

Senior Instructors

Dr Fatima Mir
MBBS , FCPS (Paediatrics)
Fellowship training in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at AKU


Dr Farah Naz
MBBS , FCPS (Paediatrics)
Fellowship training in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at AKU


Dr Fyezah Jehan
MBBS , FCPS (Paediatrics)
Fellowship training in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at AKU

Part-time Faculty

Dr Qamaruddin Nizami
MBBS Khyber; FCPS
Consultant Paediatrician, Aga Khan University
Chair, Ethical Review Committee, AKU