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Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Infectious Diseases

The Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Infectious Diseases is a two-year part-time programme with teaching delivered primarily online, along with a couple of residential components. The Programme draws on world-class research and teaching in paediatric infectious diseases and offers a unique opportunity to gain an understanding of the principles that underpin paediatric infection, the ways in which those principles have developed, and to translate this understanding into good clinical and research practice.

Who is this course for?

The Programme will provide in-depth knowledge and is aimed at those working in specialist PID centres, appealing to doctors who have experience in paediatrics, including:

  • Trainees in paediatrics who have a specialist qualification equivalent to the Membership Examination of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (MRCPCH)
  • Specialist trainees in paediatric infectious diseases or relevant medical subspecialties
  • Clinical research fellows

Applicants should have an appropriate medical qualification equivalent to MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery), demonstrable work experience, and motivation and ability to complete the Programme.

Course Aims

The Programme will provide students with:

  • Knowledge and critical understanding of the well-established principles of paediatric infectious diseases, and of the way in which those principles have developed
  • An ability to apply underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied, including, where appropriate, the application of those principles in the real world of paediatrics
  • Knowledge of the main methods of enquiry in paediatric infectious diseases and ability to evaluate critically the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems
  • An understanding of the limits of your knowledge, and how this influences analyses and interpretations based on that knowledge

At the end of the Programme students will know and understand how to:

  • Use your broad knowledge of paediatric infectious disease in your practice and have learned where to find the necessary resources when you have reached your limit of knowledge
  • Understand how to find evidence-based information to facilitate rational decision making in diagnosis and management of children with infection
  • Effectively communicate information, arguments, and analysis about paediatric infection, in a variety of forms, to specialist and non-specialist audiences
  • Undertake further training, develop existing skills, and acquire new competences that will enable you to assume significant responsibility within organisations
  • Qualities and transferable skills necessary for your future career in paediatrics and infectious diseases

The course in detail

Across the world, two thirds of deaths in children under five years of age are caused by infectious diseases, and the prevention and treatment of infections in children is the number one priority for global health. 

Reflecting this imperative, we recognise that investment in research and intervention programmes related to leading causes of childhood morbidity and mortality, including acute respiratory infections, measles, infectious diarrhoea, malaria, HIV, and TB is vitally important. We believe that professionally orientated education in paediatric infectious diseases is essential in the training of clinicians and clinical academics who will provide the future leadership in this key area for global health. 

The Postgraduate Diploma also places the practice of paediatric infectious diseases in the broader context of applied sciences, such as pathogenesis, population biology and epidemiology. The Programme focuses on clinical (applied) aspects, underpinned by basic science to provide both breadth and depth. 

Syllabus​

  • Infectious Syndromes
  • Diagnostics, Therapeutics, Infection Control and Prevention
  • Important Viral Infections
  • Immunology
  • Global Child Health
  • Neonatal Infections

The course directs students through the syllabus required in Europe for clinical training in the subspecialty. The Programme is appropriate for both those in the UK and Overseas.

The Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Infectious Diseases course is supported by the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases (ESPID) and the Infection and Immunity in Children Conference (IIC) Oxford. 

Staff

The tutors on this course are all leading academics in the field. 

Course Structure

The Paediatric Infectious Diseases Programme is normally completed within two years and follows this schedule (dates may change):  

  • From September - A two-year online modular course in Paediatric Infectious Diseases which covers the full syllabus outlined above with online tutor support and student discussion forums  

  • June/July (both Year 1 and 2) – Two residential courses in Oxford with Infection and Immunity in Children (IIC).  

Students will also be strongly encouraged to engage in the following:  

  • September (either Year 1 or 2*) – PENTA course for PentaTr@ining: ‘HIV and Other Congenital Infections’ consolidating 3-day residential workshop held in Rome.  

  • From April to July (either Year 1 or 2*) - Online course: PentaTr@ining: ‘HIV and Other Congenital Infections’ with PENTA consisting of 6 in-depth and interactive modules  

  • Monthly ESPID Online Case Rounds  

  • Online Self-Assessment Questions (SAQ'S), offered as part of examination preparation  

*The PENTA course runs every other year.


Assessment Methods

The Paediatric Infectious Assessment is via formative and summative elements.  

Mandatory Formative elements:  

  • attend two Infection and Immunity in Children (IIC) residential courses, held in Oxford  

Optional Formative elements:  

  • attend the bi-annual PentaTr@ining: ‘HIV & Other Congenital Infections’ course in Paediatric medicine, held online;  

  • attend the bi-annual PentaTr@ining: ‘HIV & Other Congenital Infections’ consolidating 3-day residential course in Rome  

  • participate in the monthly ESPID Online Case Rounds; and  

  • participate in the online quizzes, Self-Assessment Questions (SAQ’s) as part of examination preparation.  

Mandatory Summative elements:  

Year 1:  

  • Two 4,000-word written assignments based on the modules taught in Michaelmas and Hilary term;  

  • An examination consisting of single-best-answer questions taken from the modules covered in the first year  

  • You will have the opportunity to deliver a 5-minute oral presentation to tutors, assessors and fellow peers during Year 1, which is strongly encouraged.  

Year 2:  

  • Two 4,000-word written assignments based on the modules taught in Michaelmas and Hilary term;  

  • An examination consisting of single-best-answer questions taken from the modules covered in the second year  

Each of the summative assessments contribute equally to the final mark achieved for the PGDiploma.

Recommended Reading

The core textbooks for the Programme are:  

  • Long, Sarah S., Prober, Charles G., Fischer, Marc, and Kimberlin, David. Principles and Practice of Pediatric Infectious Diseases. 6th ed. Churchill Livingstone. (Available via course website). 

  • Kimberlin, David W., Elizabeth D. Barnett, Ruth Lynfield, and Mark H. Sawyer. Red Book: 2021-2024 Report of the Committee on Infectious Diseases. 32nd ed. (Available via course website). 

  • Immunodeficiency Chapter – Cant, AJ., Davies, EG., Cale, C., Gennery, AR. (Ch 27). Forfar and Arneil’s Textbook of Pediatrics. Eds. McIntosh N, helms P, Symth R, Logan S, 2008:1139-1176. Churchill Livingstone. (Available via course website). 

  • Sharland, M. ed., (2016) Manual of childhood infections: the blue book. 4th ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. (Available via course website). 

  • Primary immunodeficiency diseases [electronic resource]: definition, diagnosis, and management - Rezaei, Nima; Notarangelo, Luigi; Aghamohammadi, Asghar. (Available via course website). 

  • Hot topics in Infection and Immunity in Children, published annually (editors Andrew J Pollard and Adam Finn), Springer (available via course website) 

IT Requirements

This course uses the Department’s online assignment submission system. In order to prepare and submit your course assignments you will need access to the Internet and a computer meeting our recommended minimum computer specification. Students of this course may use the student computing facilities provided in Departmental buildings. 

Applying for this course

Please visit the Postgraduate Diploma in Paediatric Infectious Diseases page on the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions website for details of course fees and costs. 

Applications for this course should be made via the University of Oxford Graduate Admissions website. Here you can find further information about the course including the entry requirements and fees, and a guide on how to apply.

All applications must have been fully completed before the application deadline in order to be considered. Shortlisted applicants will be invited to an MS Teams interview.  

If you would like to discuss the course please get in touch:  

Tel: +44 (0)1865 286946 - Email: pid@paediatrics.ox.ac.uk

Course application page