Competitors from the University of Utah share their strategies, paths to careers in ID and favorite pathogens as they prepare to take the stage at IDBugBowl in Washington, D.C., Saturday, Oct. 24, at 4:45 p.m. ET. Stay tuned for profiles of the other teams competing this year on the IDWeek Daily News blog.
Scott Adair, MD, Internal Medicine Resident, PGY2
What are you doing to prepare for the competition? What’s your training/practice routine?
Text group to share interesting ID facts. Anki flashcards to learn the basics. Meeting with our faculty mentor using Jeopardy-style questions, reading the latest ID news.
What inspired you to pursue a career in ID?
The experiences and needs of people affected by infectious diseases are compelling. I also find the knowledge base and cognitive skills required by the field personally satisfying. Finally, the patient advocacy I have witnessed in ID has been genuine and thoughtful. I hope to build on the exceptional work of the ID professionals who have preceded me.
What part of the ID field interests you the most?
HIV/TB, epidemiology and infection control
What’s your favorite pathogen?
Yersinia pestis
What’s your favorite medical TV show, past or present?
M*A*S*H
Janki Patel, MD, Chief Infectious Diseases Fellow, PGY2
What are you doing to prepare for the competition? What’s your training/practice routine?
We practice with our faculty mentor using Jeopardy-style questions, try to stay up to date on the latest ID news, divide and conquer key topics, and share resources through a collaborative group workspace.
What inspired you to pursue a career in ID?
I was drawn to infectious diseases by my interest in tropical medicine and the opportunities to improve patient care through antimicrobial stewardship.
What part of the ID field interests you the most?
I’m most fascinated by the pathophysiology of infectious diseases and their intersection with the host immune response.
What’s your favorite pathogen?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
What’s your favorite medical TV show, past or present?
I don’t really watch medical TV shows, but my favorite medical podcast is Febrile.
Weston Truman, DO, Infectious Diseases Fellow, PGY5
What are you doing to prepare for the competition? What’s your training/practice routine?
Going over lists of ID-related facts every few days.
What inspired you to pursue a career in ID?
My favorite subjects in med school were the Bugs and Drugs portion of therapy. I had great teachers and an ID attending in residency that helped foster that interest. I also love the cerebral side of ID while incorporating many different aspects of medicine that I really enjoy.
What part of the ID field interests you the most?
Ortho ID and antibiotic stewardship
What’s your favorite pathogen?
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
What’s your favorite medical TV show, past or present?
Scrubs
Editor’s Note: Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.