Education
The three-year Cardiovascular Disease fellowship program at Feinberg School of Medicine provides advanced training in all aspects of cardiovascular medicine and fulfills the eligibility requirements set forth by the American Board of Internal Medicine for the subspecialty examination in cardiovascular diseases. The program is directed by faculty members in the Division of Cardiology, who have appointments in the Department of Medicine.
We are dedicated to teaching comprehensive and compassionate cardiovascular care fostering a learning environment that facilitates the acquisition of knowledge and life-long learning skills; and providing time, resources, and mentoring to develop research skills. Our cardiology fellows spend a minimum of 24 months in clinical training, in the diagnosis and management of a broad spectrum of cardiovascular diseases. Procedural requirements include cardioversion; electrocardiography, including ambulatory monitoring and exercise testing; echocardiography; nuclear cardiology; interpretation of magnetic resonance imaging; interpretation of coronary CT angiography; arterial catheter insertion; and right-heart catheterization, including insertion and management of temporary pacemakers; left heart catheterization and percutaneous interventions. All fellows have at least 6 months dedicated for research. The remaining 6 months consist of 6 other clinical rotations or extended research. These final 6 months allow our fellows to have flexibility in their schedule. Expertise in a particular clinical area or research can thus be obtained. The option exists for a fourth year of fellowship that may be focused on either clinical- or research-related activity.
Cardiology fellows participate actively in the weekly cardiac catheterization conference, imaging conference, and clinical management conference, as well as journal club and ECG conference. A basic sciences lecture series takes place during the academic calendar year. Fellows also attend the weekly Cardiology Grand Rounds lecture series in which nationally prominent visiting speakers and Northwestern faculty members provide presentations on important clinical topics and clinically relevant research topics. Each third-year fellow presents one lecture at Cardiology Grand Rounds in the second half of his or her senior year. In addition, an electrophysiology research conference is held biweekly. Once monthly a congenital heart disease pathologic conference convenes. Fellows are encouraged to attend the research seminars held in the Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute. They are also encouraged to attend Medicine Grand Rounds and the large number of lectures and seminars held throughout the Medical School.
We also offer advanced, ACGME-accredited training in Interventional Cardiology and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology.
Environment
The Feinberg School of Medicine is a part of the vibrant educational and cultural community of Northwestern University, an independent private institution founded in 1851. The Feinberg School—one of Northwestern's 11 colleges and schools—stands out among the nation's medical schools. Consistently receiving high marks in U.S. News & World Report surveys, the medical school attracts bright and talented individuals to its faculty and student body.
McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University
The University, primarily through the Feinberg School of Medicine, is part of the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University, an academic medical center in which the missions of education, research, and clinical services are paramount. Also on campus are member institutions of the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University: Northwestern Memorial Hospital (NMH) and the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC). The cardiology fellowship program is centered at the Medical School (and its Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute), Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center (JBVAMC).
NMH is a 750-bed general hospital with approximately 225 acute care medical beds and includes both an inpatient facility (Feinberg Pavilion) and an outpatient tower (Galter Pavilion) with shared laboratory and diagnostic facilities. The institution maintains fully equipped cardiac catheterization and interventional cardiology laboratories with invasive coronary and electrophysiologic capabilities as well as state-of-the-art coronary care units. NMH also has facilities for conducting noninvasive studies, such as echocardiography, exercise stress testing, and cardiovascular nuclear medicine. Each year more than 750 open-heart procedures are performed at NMH.
The Cardiology Fellowship program is in constant evolution with ongoing input from both fellows and faculty members. The division of cardiology is committed to providing our fellows with the best clinical and research training in cardiology. Within a 24-month period, Cardiology fellows rotate through the following clinical specialties: cardiac catheterization, cardiac consultative services, acute coronary care, and noninvasive testing. Other areas of training include electrophysiology, preventive cardiology, vascular medicine, heart failure, and consultation on the cardiac surgery service. Each fellow provides continuous care for patients with cardiac problems through an ongoing weekly outpatient clinic. During the second and third years of training, fellows rotate through specialty clinics including Adult Congenital Heart Disease, Vascular Medicine, Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction, Pacemaker Clinic, and Valvular Hearth Disease.
In addition to clinical duties, the fellow participates in either ongoing or self-initiated research protocols. Six to twelve months are dedicated to research activities, and it is expected that each fellow present at least one original research paper at a national scientific meeting and writes at least one manuscript for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Each fellow also presents one lecture at Cardiology Grand Rounds during his or her senior year.
