IAU Fellowship in Clinical Microbiology

Aim

• This program qualifies medical graduates to be microbiology specialists with the theoretical, clinical and technical experience necessary for running diagnostic microbiology services.
• The graduates need to have sound knowledge of various branches on the field including bacteriology, virology, parasitology, mycology band immunology.
• They are expected to cooperate effectively with other clinicians in the investigation and management of patients.

Rationale

• At present, there are very few qualified Saudi Clinical Microbiologists. The need for these specialists becomes greater because of the rapidly developing health services in the Kingdom and the evolvement of emerging pathogens.
• This program is structured to qualify graduates who will:
• Participate in running and supervising advanced clinical microbiology services in different hospitals.
• Work in medical and applied medical colleges in the Kingdom.
• Carry out research in relevant health problems.

Objectives

• On successful completion of all requirements of the clinical microbiology program, the graduate should be able to:
• Serve as consultant and expert in a field of clinical microbiology and give specialised factual knowledge on the natural history of diseases encountered in the chosen discipline
• Demonstrate technical skills, obtained through close acquaintance with laboratory technology, so as to apply appropriate methodology to a given clinical problem, and so as to implement quality control and quality assurance procedures
• Apply interpretative skills so that a clinical judgment can be derived from laboratory data
• Apply management and communication skills in planning departmental policies and show leadership skills necessary to implement them
• Realize that original thought and critical assessment of published work are important to allow the trainee to participate in a team, and individually, to the development of the service.
• Know all aspects of health and safety requirements for laboratories.
• Appreciate the need for life-long habits of continuing professional development through reading, literature-searches, and consultation with colleagues, attendance at scientific meetings, and presentation of scientific work.

College

College of Medicine

Campus

Dammam

Track

Health

Level

Postgraduate

Degree

Fellowship

Years of study

4 (4 at least)

Students applying to the program should have a bachelor’s degree in medicine & surgery (MBBS) with GPA of 3.75 or higher, from a university recognized by  Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University. The candidate is required to pass an admission examination and an interview.

The first two semesters (year 1): the teaching during the first year will be rotations around various laboratory departments i.e. clinical chemistry, hematology microbiology and parasitology, immunology as well as human genetics & molecular biology.

The instruction will be in the form of classroom and laboratory sessions, reading assignments, tutorials and seminars.

Subsequent six semesters (year 2-4): On successful completion of the first academic year, the candidates will join the rest of the fellowship program of a three year attachment to the microbiology department.

The teaching during these three years will be in the form of in-service training, daily plate round, practical training, reading assignments, weekly tutorials, weekly seminars, and monthly journal club.

The candidate in (year 2-5) attends a weekly infectious diseases round with the infectious diseases team and liaise with the laboratory staff to improve patients care.

The candidate spends one month rotation in the final year in the infectious diseases and infection control unit   

At the end of each of these three years the candidate has to sit for examinations on the subjects taught during that year. The candidate will be expected to pass a final certifying examination and submit a thesis and defend it.

A trainee of the clinical microbiology fellowship program has to successfully pass 118 credit hours (including a Thesis) before he/she becomes eligible for graduation.

iau_fellowship_in_clinical_microbiology.pdf