University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences

Training Program Director: Mark Hicar, MD, PhD

Associate Director/Co-Director: Shamim Islam, MD

Coordinator: Ms. Maria Prokop, C-TAGME

Chief, Infectious Diseases: Oscar Gomez, MD, PhD

Major Features of Training Program: Our trainees will become a member of the next generation of academic physicians who perform innovative research, provide outstanding patient care and train future leaders in the field. Our atmosphere of intellectual curiosity and discovery within our division provides faculty, fellows, students, and staff the opportunities to maximize potential while aiding the health of children on a local, regional, national and global scale.

Our success is measured by the success of our trainees. Our goal for scholarship is to have you write a K level grant in your third year and be competitive for a tenure track position in your future employment. However, one size doesn’t fit all. We want you to optimize your potential. We fulfill the minimum requirements for both the clinical and scholarship portions of the fellowship and allow maximum flexibility in elective time. Clinical time is front loaded to provide ability to be competitive for NIH Loan Repayment and national trainee funding opportunities. Unique attributes of our program in the clinical realm is our relationship with local public health clinic with a rotation during first year.

Title(s) of Recent Fellows’ Published Research Papers:
1. Serum Responses of Children with Kawasaki Disease Against SARS-CoV-2 Proteins. PMID: 33021596

2. Spatiotemporal Analysis and Epidemiology of Kawasaki Disease in Western New York: A 16-Year Review of Cases Presenting to a Single Tertiary Care Center. PMID: 30418354

3. Guideline Adherence and Antibiotic Utilization by Community Pediatricians, Private Urgent Care Centers, and a Pediatric Emergency Department PMID: 31609128

4. Coronavirus Disease 2019 in a Premature Infant: Vertical Transmission and Antibody Response or Lack Thereof. PMID 33094009

Grant Funding Received for Fellow Research Projects: Wildermuth Foundation through Variety Club of Buffalo, PI: Hicar (Support 2nd year fellow)

Affiliated Hospitals: John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital of Buffalo

Number of Inpatient/Outpatient Consults Per Year: 400

Fellows Accepted Each Year: 1

Visas Accepted: J1

Is Funding Ensured for all 3 Years?: Yes

Is Completion of Pediatric Residency Training in the U.S. or Canada a Requirement?: No

Program Provides Training, Didactic Lectures, Hands-On Experience, or Antimicrobial Stewardship Meetings/Membership in:
1. Infection control and hospital epidemiology
2. Antimicrobial stewardship
3. Immunocompromised hosts

Opportunities to Fulfill the ABP Requirements for Scholarly Activity is Available in the Following General Areas:
1. Antimicrobial stewardship
2. Bacteriology/bacterial infections
3. Global health
4. HIV
5. Immunizations
6. Infection control/hospital epidemiology
7. Public health
8. Quality improvement
9. Virology/viral diseases

Opportunities exist for research outside of the ID Division?: Yes

Program offers the opportunity to obtain a Master’s degree in a field such as Public Health, Education, Clinical Sciences, or Epidemiology: Yes