Putting Principles Into Practice: Curricular Resources for Transplant Infectious Diseases Educators
Varun K. Phadke, Sara W. Dong, Rachel Bartash, Courtney E. HarrisABSTRACT
Transplant infectious diseases (ID) has emerged as a distinct area of clinical expertise within the specialty of ID. While formal curricular recommendations for both adult and pediatric TID have been published, there is substantial heterogeneity in how they are operationalized. In this review, we describe a practical framework and tools for building and implementing a TID curriculum and provide concrete guidance for translating high‐level recommendations about content and experience into actionable strategies for training programs. This framework draws from curricular components and innovations from four US‐based training programs, spanning adult and pediatric TID, and representing both dedicated TID fellowships and TID tracks within general ID training. We highlight components that would be important to any TID educational program, including key personnel, structured didactic offerings, curated external educational resources, experiential learning and professional development opportunities, and assessment tools aligned with TID‐specific competencies. We provide concrete examples and adaptable tools, such as didactic schedules and self‐directed curricula; guidance for leveraging podcasts, curated medical literature, and other external resources for TID education; as well as strategies to incorporate nonclinical experiential learning opportunities, such as participation in center‐specific or professional society meetings, simulation‐based donor call training, and protocol development. These frameworks and resources are adaptable to a range of institutional contexts, can supplement the heterogeneity in clinical exposure between programs, and support trainee competence in nonclinical skills unique to TID practice. As the field continues to evolve, scalable curricula will be essential to train the next generation of TID clinicians and educators and ensure high‐quality care for an increasingly complex immunocompromised host population.