Curriculum

The cardiovascular disease fellowship program is designed to develop excellent clinicians, skilled proceduralists, thoughtful decision-makers, effective educators, and compassionate patient advocates who are prepared for independent practice or advanced subspecialty training.

Our three-year curriculum is intentionally structured around progressive responsibility. Fellows begin by developing a broad foundation in cardiovascular medicine and fundamental technical skills. As they advance, they are challenged to integrate increasingly complex clinical information, develop sophisticated clinical judgment, assume greater ownership of patient care, and ultimately function with the autonomy and leadership expected of an independent cardiologist.

Core Educational Goals

• Clinical Excellence – Develop comprehensive knowledge and clinical competence across the spectrum of cardiovascular disease.
• Critical Thinking – Integrate clinical, diagnostic, imaging, and hemodynamic information to make thoughtful, evidence-based decisions.
• Technical Proficiency – Develop procedural competence through supervised experience, deliberate practice, simulation, and progressive independence.
• Progressive Autonomy – Transition from supervised participation to increasing ownership of clinical decisions and patient care.
• Evidence-Based Medicine – Critically evaluate medical literature and incorporate contemporary evidence and guidelines into practice.
• Quality and Patient Safety – Identify opportunities to improve systems of care and participate in meaningful quality improvement initiatives.
• Research and Scholarship – Develop scholarly interests, research skills, and meaningful contributions to cardiovascular medicine.
• Communication and Collaboration – Work effectively with patients, families, colleagues, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Professionalism and Advocacy – Demonstrate integrity, compassion, accountability, and commitment to the patient’s best interests.
• Teaching and Leadership – Develop as educators, mentors, and leaders within the cardiovascular team.

Longitudinal Educational Experience

Across all three years, fellows participate in a longitudinal educational curriculum that includes:

• Continuity Clinic: Fellows participate in one half-day of continuity clinic each week while on non-core rotations, providing longitudinal responsibility for their own patients and allowing them to develop skills in outpatient cardiovascular evaluation, chronic disease management, and preventive cardiology
• Didactic Education: Faculty lectures, fellow case presentations, Journal Club, Morbidity & Mortality Conference, and multidisciplinary cardiovascular discussions
• Cardiology Grand Rounds: Approximately six sessions annually featuring national and international experts
• Simulation: Small-group and individual sessions focused on cardiovascular physical examination, Mock Codes, TEE, and other clinical and technical skills
• Quality Improvement and Patient Safety: Completion of the QI/PS online curriculum and workshops as well as development and implementation of an interdisciplinary class QI project
• Research and Scholarship: Faculty mentorship, scholarly project development, and dedicated research opportunities
• Teaching and Leadership: Progressive opportunities to teach and supervise junior learners

Year 1: Foundation

Focus: Build the foundation. Year 1 emphasizes breadth of knowledge, systematic clinical evaluation, fundamental technical skills, and development of sound clinical reasoning. Fellows work closely with faculty and senior fellows while beginning to develop ownership of patient care.

By the end of year 1, fellows should be able to:

• Demonstrate a strong foundation in cardiovascular anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and pharmacology.
• Systematically evaluate and manage common cardiovascular conditions.
• Perform a comprehensive cardiovascular history and physical examination.
• Interpret ECGs, telemetry, echocardiography, stress testing, nuclear imaging, and other cardiovascular studies at an appropriate level.
• Develop appropriate differential diagnoses and initial management plans.
• Understand the indications, contraindications, risks, and benefits of cardiovascular procedures.
• Develop foundational procedural and technical skills through supervised experience.
• Begin applying evidence and guidelines to clinical decision-making.
• Communicate effectively with patients, families, and multidisciplinary teams.
• Recognize personal limitations and appropriately seek assistance.
• Begin developing ownership of patient care.

Year 2: Integration & Increasing Responsibility

Focus: Integrate knowledge and manage complexity. Year 2 increases emphasis on clinical synthesis, complex decision-making, procedural proficiency, and ownership of patient care.

By the end of year 2, fellows should be able to:

• Demonstrate an integrated and increasingly sophisticated understanding of cardiovascular disease.
• Independently evaluate patients with common and complex cardiovascular conditions.
• Synthesize clinical, laboratory, imaging, ECG, and hemodynamic information into comprehensive management plans.
• Apply evidence and guidelines while incorporating patient-specific factors and preferences.
• Demonstrate increasing procedural proficiency, efficiency, and technical judgment.
• Recognize and respond appropriately to clinical and procedural complications.
• Anticipate clinical deterioration and develop appropriate contingency plans.
• Manage critically ill cardiovascular patients with increasing independence.
• Communicate complex clinical information effectively with patients, families, and colleagues.
• Teach and supervise junior learners.
• Begin assuming leadership responsibilities within the cardiovascular care team.
• Develop and advance scholarly and quality improvement activities.

Year 3: Mastery, Leadership & Transition to Independence

Focus: Lead, teach, and prepare for independent practice. Year 3 emphasizes mastery of cardiovascular medicine, mature clinical judgment, advanced technical skills, leadership, and career development. Fellows function increasingly as junior faculty while tailoring elective, advanced, and research experiences to their future professional goals.

By the end of year 3, fellows should be able to:

• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge across the breadth of cardiovascular medicine.
• Independently evaluate and manage complex and critically ill cardiovascular patients.
• Make timely, nuanced, evidence-based clinical decisions.
• Demonstrate mature judgment regarding procedural indications, risks, complications, and escalation of care.
• Demonstrate advanced technical competence appropriate for general cardiovascular training.
• Function effectively as a leader of multidisciplinary cardiovascular teams.
• Supervise and teach junior fellows, residents, students, and other learners.
• Serve as a role model for professionalism, communication, clinical excellence, and patient advocacy.
• Critically appraise emerging evidence and incorporate new knowledge into practice.
• Complete meaningful scholarly or quality improvement work.
• Develop an individualized plan for continued professional development.
• Demonstrate readiness for independent practice or advanced subspecialty training.

Progressive Responsibility

The curriculum is designed so that fellows progress from knowledge acquisition → integration → mastery, with a corresponding increase in autonomy, clinical responsibility, and leadership.

Our Commitment to Our Fellows

We believe that excellent cardiologists are developed through a combination of rigorous clinical training, deliberate practice, mentorship, progressive responsibility, and a culture of collaboration.

Our goal is to provide every fellow with the breadth of experience necessary to become an outstanding cardiovascular specialist while creating increasing flexibility to pursue individual clinical, academic, and career interests. By graduation, our fellows should be confident and capable clinicians who approach complex cardiovascular problems with sound judgment, technical skill, intellectual curiosity, humility, and an unwavering commitment to their patients.