The goals of the Allergy & Immunology Division at Northwestern University in the Department of Medicine are
To train internists and pediatricians to become leaders in the field of Allergy-Immunology who are highly competent in diagnosing and managing patients with a broad spectrum of allergic and immunologic conditions, and in educating patients, their families and health care professionals.
In addition, the program encourages trainees to pursue careers in academic allergy and immunology.
Founded in 1960 by former Allergy & Immunology Division Chief (1967-2002)and Chairman of Medicine (1973-1990) Roy Patterson, MD, the Northwestern fellowship program has trained 164 fellows, including 6 presidents of AAAAI, 2 presidents of ACAAI, 3 Division chiefs at other institutions, and 1 Chief of Staff at Chciago VA Hospital. The current division chief, Robert Schelimer, PhD, has led the division since 2002. Pedro Avila, MD is the fellowship program director.
Clinical Facilities
Chicago Campus (Adult Allergy-Immunology):
Northwestern Memorial Hospital: 17 stories, 547 beds.
Prentice Women’s Hospital: 17 stories, 328 beds
Allergy Immunology faculty: 8 MDs.
Allergy Immunology Clinic (11,700 visits/year)
Primary Immunodeficiencies: 103
Allergy Immunology Inpatient: Consult (1050 visits/year)
Coordinated service: ENT, GI, Pulmo, Derm.
CLIA lab (ABPA, HP)
Lincoln Park (Pediatric Allergy-Immunology):
Children’s Memorial Hospital: 265 beds. (2012, next to NMH)
Allergy Immunology Faculty: 5 MDs
Allergy Immunology Clinic (3,550 visits/year
Primary Immunodeficiencies: 305
Bone marrow transplant (ex. SCIDs)
Allergy Immunology Inpatient: Ward + Consult (350 visits/year)
The Allergy/Immunology Fellowship at Northwestern
The Allergy & Immunology Fellowship Program at Northwestern is a fully accredited program that awards 3 new fellowships each year for those trained in Internal Medicine and 1 fellowship for those in Pediatrics.
The fellowship consists of 24 months of training to become eligible to sit for the ABAI examination, consisting primarily of month long rotations:
8 months in the outpatient clinic
8 months are spend doing research
5 months on the Allergy & Immunology Inpatient consult service
1.5 on coordinated services
1.5 months in the CLIA lab (link).
Asthma
Rhinitis
Sinusitis
Anaphylaxis
Urticaria
Occupational respiratory diseases
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis
Thanks to the variety of research interests represented by the 20 Allergy & Immunology faculty and the strong resources at Northwestern, fellows have a wide array to choose from during their research rotations:
Basic research (molecular, mouse models): 5,675 sq ft lab
Clinical (translational, trials)
Epidemiologic & genetics
Master’s Degree in Clinical Research
Strong NIH funding for A/I faculty: 7 R01s, 2 R21s, T32, U01, K22, K23
Training Grant
During the first year of training, clinical fellows will be invited to consider application to the NIH T32 grant funded
NUAIR program, a 2 year mentored training opportunity in translational research. This is an excellent opportunity to kick start an academic career.
Outpatient Experience
The specialty of allergy-immunology involves the investigation, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with allergic, immunologic, and immunodeficiency diseases. The Clinic of the A-I Division is an active tertiary referral center that receives a large number of patients with rare or challenging diseases as well as a large number of patients with common complaints. As a result, Fellows in A-I have an outstanding opportunity to gain clinical management skills for both routine and unusual diseases. Commonly treated conditions in the Division of Allergy-Immunology include
Clinical Inpatient Rotations
In addition to rotations at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation, the A-I fellows rotate to Children's Memorial Hospital for four months of consultative inpatient ambulatory training.
Training Environment
The fellows demonstrate clinical expertise by discussing their findings with attending physicians on a daily basis, and by reviewing their research data with senior research technicians/division administrators, or faculty mentors as appropriate. The fellows demonstrate their scholarly efforts by presenting research findings orally once or twice a year to the division, by preparation of manuscripts for publication, by presentation of and defending their work at national and local professional meetings, and by presenting didactic lectures on selected topics.
Fellows are expected to teach and participate in evaluating residents in internal medicine and pediatrics, and medical students.
Any questions about program goals, expectations of fellows, fellow’s responsibilities, or other matters, should be directed to Dr. Avila.
Educational Seminars and Activities
At NMH
Tuesday Afternoons: Clinical Orientation, Lab Techniques, Topics Course, Basic Immunology Course, Journal Club, Board Review.
Monday Divisional Research Lab Meeting
Tuesday Medicine Grand Rounds
Friday Research Conference
At CMH
Friday Pediatric Grand Rounds
Friday afternoon conference at CMH
Tuesday Afternoon Conferences Schedule 2010-2011
| |
July 6 - August 6 |
August 10-31 |
September 7 - November 16 |
November 23, 2010 - June 30, 2011 |
| |
5 Weeks |
4 weeks |
11 weeks |
Rest of the year |
| 12:30-1:30 PM |
Clinical Orientation Course
Dir: Carol Saltoun
|
Lab Techniques Lectures
Dir: Atsushi Kato
|
ACGME/ABAI Topics Core Curriculum Lectures (CME Credits)
Dir: Shah + Avila+ Knuth
|
| 1:30-2:30 PM |
Clinical Orientation Course
Dir: Carol Saltoun
|
Immunology Course
Dir: Cook-Mills & Grammer
|
Immunology Course
Dir: Cook-Mills & Grammer
|
Journal Club
(30 Basic+30 Clin) or Combined(1x/mo.)
Dir: Shah & Bryce
|
| 2:30-3:30 PM |
Clincal Papers
2-3 articles
Dir: Robinson
|
Journal Club
(30 Basic+30 Clin)
Dir: Shah & Bryce
|
Journal Club
(30 Basic+30 Clin)
Dir: Shah & Bryce
|
Fellows' Board Review
Dir: Robinson
|
Friday Research Conference Schedule 2010-2011
| |
July 6 - August 6 |
August 13, 2010 - June 30, 2011 |
| |
5 weeks |
Rest of the year |
| 12:00 - 1:00 PM |
Clinical Topics Course
Dir: Carol Saltoun
|
Research Conference
Dir: AI Faculty + April Stone + Shay Knuth
|
Meetings:
ACAAI meeting in first year
AAAAI meeting in second year
Board review course each year
Educational Rotations:
Electives: PFT Lab, ENT (Sinus), Dermatology, Patch Clinic, GI (EE), Clinical Immuno Lab, Pulmonary, HIV, Rheumatology).
Independent study
Master of Science and Clinical Investigation (MSCI) program
Fellowship Support
Financial support for fellows in allergy-immunology presently comes from divisional funds. An NIH Fellowship Training grant has been obtained to support clinical fellows interested in pursuing an academic career in translational research. Fellows are supervised and supported in scholarly activities by the full-time faculty. Clinical teaching support comes from both full-time and part-time faculty. Formal teaching programs include a weekly journal club in which a fellow and an attending physician critique pertinent articles on a rotating basis, a weekly didactic lecture on clinical or investigative aspects of allergic and immunologic disorders and a weekly Divisional research conference in which research which is ongoing in the division is discussed.
Computer support for online searches and word processing are available for fellows as is the division library or Medical School library. For laboratory-based investigations, the fellows are taught and supported by the full-time faculty.
Fellows receive career guidance from all faculty as indicated but especially from the Training Program Director, Dr. Pedro Avila. Fellows benefit from a supportive environment in the Division toward accumulating clinical expertise and in scholarship that results in publication of new knowledge.
McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University
For further information about this training program, please select one of the quick links to the left.
