Fellows gain experience in the entire spectrum of allergic and immunologic diseases by spending time both on the inpatient consultation service and in the Adult and Pediatric Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology clinic.
During their first and second year, fellows spend time in the integrated outpatient clinic. Each fellow will rotate at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Sailsbury, NC. Here procedural training with ENT and rotations with Pulmonary medicine expose the fellows to this distinct population. Responsibilities also include the on-call/consultation service in adult and pediatric allergy/immunology, which is rotated among fellows.
This environment helps fellows gain knowledge of a wide spectrum of allergic and immunologic diseases across medicine and pediatrics and provides the opportunity to manage both acute and chronically ill patients on an inpatient and outpatient basis.
While in the Adult and Pediatric Allergy, Asthma and Immunology clinics, fellows will be trained in all aspects of allergic and immunological disorders as well as in the conduct and interpretation of prick and intradermal skin testing to aeroallergens, foods, drugs, vaccines and other biologicals.
During this training, fellows will be responsible for:
- Writing individual patient prescriptions for allergy immunotherapy and for preparing these vaccines in the Allergy Laboratory
- Administering allergy immunotherapy and monitoring and managing any adverse reactions that might occur, which allows fellows to acquire competence in food challenges and other allergen challenge protocols as well as various drug desensitizations
- Developing and communicating individual treatment plans for allergic disorders and asthma, and monitoring the success of these treatment plans
Furthermore, fellows will spend time learning clinical pulmonary physiology by interpreting pulmonary function tests, exercise tests and inhalation challenge studies.
During the fellowship fellows will be exposed to various immune deficiencies and:
- Develop expertise in all aspects of immunodeficiency disorders, including the evaluation of a child or adult with recurrent, severe or unusual infections, or other history that might suggest a primary or secondary immune deficiency disorder
- Learn how to perform and interpret various tests used to evaluate different aspects of the immune system
- Be required to observe the conduct of many of these tests performed in the Diagnostic Immunology Lab at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Clinical Training
Clinical training occurs within the Wake Forest Baptist Health system which includes community ambulatory clinics and the 806 hospital bed main campus facility. The ambulatory clinic is the primary site of clinical training with the consult service taking place in the main hospital.
Facilities and locations include:
- Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Clinic
- Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
- Brenner Children’s Hospital
Ongoing Training and Education
House staff from Wake Forest School of Medicine primary residency programs rotate through our clinics, affording fellows with excellent teaching opportunities.
Call Responsibilities
Call responsibilities are shared equitably by all fellows, with scheduling reviewed to assure attention to duty hour work restrictions. There is no in-house call.
Research and Conferences
In addition to hands-on clinical training, fellows are required to conduct research and submit abstracts to both local and national meetings. Also, fellows are required to attend both weekly and monthly conferences and are encouraged to attend and participate at national conferences.
Evaluation
New evaluation tools have been designed and implemented for faculty and fellow evaluations. We strive to review and assess information taken from written and verbal assessments by fellows and faculty to provide consistent recommendations and feedback to maximize the effectiveness of our educational program.