Physician-scientists, no matter their particular disease or research focus, within divisions of infectious diseases serve a number of key roles. Foremost, they promote scholarship and excellence in research endeavors with the potential for impact not only within their division or university but globally. These individuals also make important contributions to the training experiences of infectious diseases fellows and internal medicine residents, helping to foster an understanding of how evidence-based (or not) our patient care delivery actually is. Ongoing discussions between those focused on the clinical aspects of infectious diseases and those predominantly pursuing research questions enrich the scholarly environment for both physician groups and provides the foundation for translating the science to improved care for patients with infectious diseases.