Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship Program
Program overview
The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at Lankenau Medical Center has been training fellows for over thirty years. The fellowships our accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education. Our fellowship requires a minimum of three years of general cardiovascular training. The first two years includes core clinical rotations that meet COCATS requirements. The third years includes subspecialty training to meet the individual fellows' goals. Additional training may include further subspecialty training in areas of electrophysiology or invasive cardiology.
Our curriculum is unique in several ways. A structured lecture series is given by the faculty on core curriculum topics. The lecture series including catheterization, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology and electrophysiology are totally integrated by topic. We use an audience response system lecture series to re-enforce the core curriculum lecture points. Our audience response teaching method was awarded one of ten oral presentations at the national Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education meetings in March 2009. Also, there are almost daily conferences including echo, nuclear, cardiovascular imaging, vascular, lipids, interventional cardiology, structural cardiology, and mechanical support. There are several fellow run conferences that include journal clubs and case-based conferences that provide a time for the cardiologists and cardiothoracic surgeons to collaborate. The plethora of excellent conferences prepares fellows to score well on the cardiovascular certification exam and become a cardiologist that practices evidence-based techniques.
The Lankenau Heart Institute conducts and participates in numerous investigative clinical trials. Fellows have ample opportunity to take part in ongoing clinical trials. There is also the opportunity for bench research if the fellow chooses to pursue it. The fellowship program has an affiliation with the renowned Lankenau Institute for Medical Research. The Lankenau Institute of Medical Research is comprised of many world-renowned PhD basic scientists that can be a great resource for cardiovascular fellows in training.
The hospital serves a large community with patients presenting initially to Lankenau with acute coronary syndromes, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias and valvular disease. Also, it serves the area as a large referral center for complex cardiovascular disease including the need for mechanical support and for innovative valvular management.
At Lankenau Medical Center we are very proud of the cardiovascular care provided and the training program. The fellowship program provides a unique training opportunity that can be tailored to a fellows' specific goals. Each fellow is provided the opportunity for their own experience depending upon their interest and career plans.
Watch the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship video
First Year Fellow's schedule
I. The First Year Fellow's schedule is as follows:
- Catheterization Laboratory: 2 blocks
- Echocardiography Laboratory: 3 blocks
- Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory: 1 block
- CCU: 1 block
- Electrophysiology Service: 2 blocks
- Cardiovascular Consult Service: 3 blocks
Second Year Fellow's schedule
II. The Second Year Fellow's schedule is as follows:
- Catheterization Laboratory: 1 block
- Echocardiography Laboratory: 3 blocks
- Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory: 2 blocks
- CCU: 1 block
- Elective: 1 block (opportunity for Transplant at Jefferson University Hospital)
- Electrophysiology Service: 1 block
- CT/MRI: 1 block
- Cardiovascular Consult Service: 2 blocks
Third Year Fellow's schedule
III. The Third Year Fellow's schedule is assigned based on the subspecialty he/she plans to pursue:
- Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory: 1 block
- Echocardiography Laboratory: 1 block
- CT/MRI: 1 block
- Elective – 9 blocks (Fellow specific)
Outpatient training
All fellows spend one-half day per week with supervised continuity clinic. Clinical decision making and autonomy are emphasized.
Fellows have the opportunity to participate in a variety of specialty clinics including:
- Cardiac Genetics
- Cardio-Obstetrics
- Cardio-Oncology
- Congenital Heart Disease in the Adult
- CHF
- Interventional/Peripheral Vascular Disease
- Lipidology
- Pacemaker and Device Clinic
- Peripheral Vascular Disease Clinic
- Preventive Cardiology
- Structural/Valve Clinic
- Pulmonary Hypertension
Research
Although the Cardiology Fellowship Program is structured for clinical training, basic or clinical research projects are required to enhance training in cardiovascular disease. Fellows are required to demonstrate research productivity — participate in at least one of a variety of ongoing research projects including, clinical or bench research (latter at Lankenau Institute of Medical Research).
Elective
Elective opportunities include:
- Cardiac MR
- Cardio-Obstetrics (Women's Health)
- Cardiothoracic Surgery
- CHF/Transplant and Ventricular Assist Device Therapy
- Congenital Heart Disease: Pediatric and Adult – Alex Davidson, MD at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- CT Angiography
- Lipidology
- Mechanical Support
- Preventive/Integrative Cardiology
- Research blocks—clinical or bench (Lankenau Institute of Medical Research)
- Sports Medicine—Antonio Pelliccia, MD at Institute of Sports Medicine in Rome, Italy
- Structural Heart
- Structural Imaging
- Vascular
Application process
The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program participates in Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS), and the National Medical Specialties Matching Program.
Interested applicants should provide:
- ERAS application
- Curriculum vitae
- Personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation (one from current program director)
- Medical School Dean's letter and transcript
Candidates with questions should contact:
Ashley Romans, Program Manager
- Email: romansa@mlhs.org
- Phone: 484.476.2552
Briana Tangney, Program Coordinator
- Email: tangneyb@mlhs.org
- Phone: 484.476.6424
The Interventional Cardiology and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Programs also participate in Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).
Core Curriculum Lecture Series
Lectures are presented by faculty that cover major topics in cardiology. The year is divided into seven blocks of integrated topics:
- Block 1 – Overview: Preventive, Hypertension, Lipidology
- Block 2 – Ischemic Heart Disease
- Block 3 – Valvular Heart Disease
- Block 4 – Heart Failure, Myocardial and Pericardial Disease
- Block 5 – Electrophysiology
- Block 6 – Congenital Heart Disease
- Block 7 – Vascular Disease
Each core curriculum topic is accompanied by hand-out of the lecture and followed one week later by an audience response lecture to reinforce clinically important points.
Weekly Conferences
Weekly invasive (catheterization) and non-invasive (echocardiography and nuclear cardiology) conferences are integrated topic-wise into the core curriculum and audience response series.
Cardiology Grand Rounds
This is an hour lecture featuring leading experts in cardiology discussing current and clinically important topics.
Clinical Decision Making
Fellows present challenging cases and discuss options for management. They discuss recent data that effected decicsion making. The attending cardiologist involved in the case attends to add to the discussion.
CT/CV
Fellow presents cases to cardiology and CT surgery and discuss data to support management.
Electrocardiography/Electrophysiology Conference
Electrocardiograms are interpreted and discussed by the fellows and attendings. Electrophysiology principles are presented.
Journal Club and Research
Recent original articles from major cardiology and medicine journals are reviewed. Attending physicians are present to guide the discussions of study design, methodologic issues and clinical relevance of the studies.
Medical Grand Rounds
This is an hour lecture presented by world-renowned experts in internal medicine and subspecialties on current, clinically important topics.
Morbidity and Mortality Conference
This conference consists of the presentation of a recent case by a third year resident with group participation by faculty and residents. The focus is on the discussion of differential diagnosis and the management of the case. There is a brief formal discussion of the disease entity in question at the end of the discussion.
Other opportunities for conference attendance include:
- Pacemaker Programming Courses
- Cardiac Genetics
- Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (ECMO) and Mechanical Support
- Imaging – CT and MRI
- Lipidology
- Structural/Valvular Disease
- Vascular
In addition, several days of the week, a member of the cardiology staff holds teaching rounds and discusses case management with the house-staff in the intensive care unit and telemetry units. The clinical fellow assigned to the intensive care unit participates in the analysis of the diagnostic and management programs.
Faculty, fellows and graduates
Learn more about the Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship Program's faculty, fellows and graduates.
Podcast: Embolic Acute Coronary Syndrome from PFO & Pulmonary Hypertension – Lankenau Medical Center
CardioNerds (Amit Goyal & Dan Ambinder) join Lankenau Medical Center cardiology fellows (Gwen McNeill and Shaung Ooi) for some Philly cheesesteaks! They discuss a fascinating case of Embolic Acute Coronary Syndrome from PFO and Pulmonary Hypertension. Dr. John Clark provides the E-CPR and program director Dr. Jeanine Romanelli provides a message for applicants. Episode notes were developed by Johns Hopkins internal medicine resident Tommy Das with mentorship from University of Maryland cardiology fellow Karan Desai.