Fellowship in Clinical and Molecular Microbiology

**Fellowship in Clinical and Molecular Microbiology**

**How can I apply?**

Resources, Tata Medical Center, 14 MAR (EW), New Town, Kolkata - 700160. West

**Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Clinical and Molecular Microbiology**
**Fellowship program at Tata Medical Center in Kolkata, India**:
**What is Clinical Microbiology and how is it different from laboratory based**
**diagnostic microbiology?**

**Clinical Microbiology includes**:
- **Diagnostic Microbiology and**

**Diagnostic Stewardship**:

- **Antimicrobial stewardship**:

- **Hospital Infection Prevention and Control**

**What is Molecular Microbiology?**
**Laboratory Microbiology involves diagnosis of bacterial, viral, fungal and**

**parasitic infections using molecular techniques such as PCR, DNA sequencing**
**and others.**
- **Because of the rapidity, high sensitivity and specificity of molecular**
**microbiology techniques it is has emerged as an important diagnostic tool in**
**medical microbiology**

**Medical microbiologists who after post-graduation/ senior residency/ middle**
**level career would like to gain additional knowledge and skills in**
**antimicrobial stewardship, hospital infection control, diagnostic stewardship**
**and molecular techniques in medical microbiology**
- **Essential qualifications: MBBS plus MD/DNB in Microbiology**
**A valid medical registration**

**nmc/**

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**What is the duration of this fellowship course?**

**The fellowship is for two years (24 months)**

**How is the fellow going to be evaluated during the course?**

**There is going to be two written and viva examinations at the end of each year**
**Progression from year 1 to year 2 will depend on**:
- **Exam performance**:

- **Performance during routine duty**

**What is the fellow expected to learn during the two years training?**
**Diagnostic stewardship**
**Antimicrobial stewardship**
- **Infection Prevention and Control**
**Molecular techniques in Diagnostic Microbiology**
**Infections in bone-marrow transplant settings
- diagnosis/ management**
**Communication skills**
- **Management skills**
**Biosafety**
**Quality control and quality management systems**

***What are the facilities available for training?**

**Tata Medical Center is a 437 bed oncology hospital**
**It has state of the art diagnostic and clinical care facilities in Clinical**

**Hematology, Medical Oncology, Pediatric Oncology, Surgical Oncology,**
**Radiation Oncology, Palliative Care, Nuclear Medicine, Radio-diagnosis,**
**Endoscopy services, Laboratory Sciences Services (Hematology, Cytogenetics,**
**Molecular Genetics, Histopathology, Biochemistry, Clinical Pathology, Flow**
**Cytometry, HLA typing)**
- **Microbiology department has the following sections**:
- **Bacteriology**:

- **Virology**:

- **Serology**:

- **Parasitology**:

- **Mycology**:

- **Mycobacteriology**:

- **Environmental Microbiology**

**HIS (Hospital Information System) and LIS (Laboratory Information Systems)**
**developed by the Tata Consultancy Services**

**The fellow can learn about the following equipment/systems/ procedures in**
**Diagnostic Microbiology:**

**BactAlert system for automated blood culture and Mycobacterial culture**
**Vitek system for automated bacterial and yeast identification and**

**antimicrobial susceptibility testing**
**Type II A2 biosafety cabinets and laminar air flow cabinets**

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**Broth Micro-dilution Testing system
- for colistin and antifungal susceptibility**
**Direct Susceptibility test from positive blood cultures**
**LED fluorescence microscope and compound light microscope**
**Lyophilizer, minus 80ºC freezer and minus 20ºC freezer**

***What facilities are there for Molecular Microbiology?**

**Automated nucleic acid extraction systems**
**Refrigerated centrifuge**
**Nanodrop, spectrophotometer, Qubit fluorometer, Tapestation, Ion Chef for**

**sample preparation in next generation sequencing**
**End point PCR systems**
**Gel electrophoresis and gel documentation systems**
**Real-time PCR systems**
**Isothermal amplification system: Abbott ID Now**
**CBNAAT systems: Qiastat, BioFire, GeneXpert**
- **Hybrid Capture Assay system**
**Digital Droplet PCR system**
**Sanger sequencer: ABI 3500**
**Next generation sequencers: MiSeq (illumina), Ion Gene Studio S5, Ion Torrent**

**PGM**

**How is Clinical Microbiology and Infection Prevention and Control training imparted**
**to fellows?**

**Ward rounds including patient assessment at bed side**
**Positive blood culture communication and clinical liaison**
**AMSP and diagnostic stewardship ward rounds in Intensive Care Unit**
**Patient referrals to Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases**

***What are the common infectious diseases/ clinical syndromes encountered in this**
**training center?**

**Meningitis
- encephalitis syndrome**
**Respiratory Tract infection**
**Blood stream infection**