University of Washington
School of Medicine
Cardiology Fellowship

University of Washington Medical Center

Program Summary

Overview
Prerequisites
UW Affiliated Hospitals
Clinical Training
Teaching Conferences
Research
Appointments/Stipends/ Benefits

Overview

We have 2 training pathways:

In the Traditional Pathway fellows begin the program with 2 years of clinical training, followed by a 3rd (and optional 4th) year of dedicated research.

In the Research-First pathway fellows begin the program with 2 years of dedicated research training, followed by 2 years of clinical training.

Both pathways are designed to train academic cardiologists. Fellows in either pathway may pursue laboratory-based, clinical, or population-based research.

Prerequisites include completion of an accredited 3-year residency in Internal Medicine, outstanding clinical skills and demonstration of prior research interest and experience. Applicants interested in the ABIM research track (with only 2 years of Internal Medicine training) are eligible for the research-first pathway, which requires 3 years of research training.

The pathways are integrated so that the 6 fellows on clinical rotations for each of the 2 clinical years include participants from both the traditional and research-first pathways. Application to both pathways is made via the ERAS online application system. During the interview process, candidates are asked whether they are interested in one or both pathways. Traditional track positions are filled via the National Residency Matching program.

Special areas of expertise of our fellowship program include vascular biology, echocardiography, electrophysiology, heart failure and cardiac transplantation, new imaging procedures, bioengineering, health services, and clinical trials.

Prerequisites

Prerequisites include completion of an accredited three year residency in internal medicine, outstanding clinical skills, and demonstration of prior research interest and experience. Because of the critical role that research training plays in the formation of future academic cardiologists, close attention is paid by the fellowship selection committee to applicants' aptitude for and experience in research. Moreover, all fellows are expected to conduct substantive research during their fellowship years and, eventually, to publish the results of their work.

University of Washington Affiliated Hospitals

Fellows rotate through the three affiliated University of Washington Hospitals. The University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) is a 450-bed hospital with a 46-bed medical/surgical critical care center. Clinical cardiology at the University of Washington Medical Center includes specialized units in cardiac catheterization, echocardiography, clinical electrophysiology, cardiac transplantation, and cardiothoracic surgery.

Harborview Medical Center (HMC) is a 411-bed, county-owned institution managed by the University of Washington, with 56 critical care beds. An active are unit service, cardiology clinics and consultation service, echocardiography, and cardiac catheterization laboratory are based at this Medical Center.

The Seattle Veterans Affairs Medical Center (VAMC) has 102 beds assigned to the medical service, including 18 medical intensive care/are unit beds. The cardiology service at the VA Medical Center includes an active cardiac catheterization laboratory, inpatient and outpatient clinical cardiology, electrocardiography, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, and cardiac rehabilitation.

Echocardiography rotation

Clinical Training

(Click here for further information on Clinical Training).

Clinical rotations are scheduled over a 24-month consecutive time block and include:

1. Cardiac Catheterization and Angiography (UWMC, HMC and VAMC ).
2. Echocardiography and Adult Congenital Heart Disease (HMC and UWMC ).
3. Coronary Care Units (HMC and UWMC ).
4. Nuclear Cardiology (VAMC and UWMC ).
5. Electrocardiography, Electrophysiology, and Device Follow-up (UWMC ).
6. Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology (UWMC ).
7. Cardiology Consult Services and Cardiac Rehabilitation (UWMC and VAMC ).
8. Outpatient continuity clinics (1/2 day per week) during all years of training.

See our Web site for more information on patient care.

See more information on our Regional Heart Center.

Teaching Conferences

Cardiology Grand Rounds are weekly lectures on topics of current research and clinical interest. Grand Rounds are given in rotation by the cardiology faculty, visiting lecturers, and the cardiology fellows.

Weekly Cardiology Tutorials provide a comprehensive introduction to cardiovascular disease with emphasis on pathophysiology, pathology, pharmacology, diagnostic imaging techniques, and research methods. Tutorial topics also include important aspects of cardiac surgery, pulmonary medicine and peripheral vascular disease.

A weekly collaborative conference between cardiology, cardiac anesthesia, and cardiac surgery is presented conjointly by the cardiac surgery and cardiology fellows. This conference focuses on clinical patient management.

Other conferences include Cardiology Journal Club (which is organized and presented by the cardiology fellows), Internal Medicine Grand Rounds, Vascular Biology Breakfast Club, and other lectures/conferences scheduled throughout the year by the Department and School of Medicine. Click here for a schedule of events within divisions of the Department of Medicine. In addition, fellows are encouraged to attend one national scientific meeting annually. Partial support for travel is provided.

Research training

Research

Applicants should start planning their individual research training programs at the time of their interview by assessing research training opportunities both in the Cardiology Division and the broader University of Washington community. Meetings with potential research mentors are encouraged and will be arranged if schedules permit. During the first year of training, fellows identify a research mentor and a project in basic, clinical, or population science. During the second year, fellows apply for individual grants or training grant positions. The third year is primarily dedicated to research. Additional years of research are often available and are encouraged for fellows who plan to become independent principal investigators.

Appointments/Stipends/Benefits

Fellowship positions are filled via the National Resident Matching Program. Most fellows will be reappointed to successive years of training, but this is not binding upon either the Fellow or the Program Director. Fellows in the standard program will not be trained in interventional cardiology or electrophysiology, both of which require a separate fourth year of clinical training. A fourth year of research training requires special arrangement with the Program Director and usually is dependent on research funding.

Stipends are reviewed annually and determined at the Institutional level. As of July 1, 2009, monthly rates for an R4 are $4,412. These salaries are adjusted annually. Medical insurance and basic life insurance are provided to all fellows and their dependents. Supplemental life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement benefits also are available through the University. All Cardiology Fellows receive three weeks of vacation per year.

Fellows organize evening and weekend call schedules in all three years of training. Currently, the first-year fellows are on-call an average of every 4th night/weekend and second-year fellows every 5th night/weekend. Fellows in the research year are on call one weekday/month and 3 weekends/year.

Cardiology Fellows are entitled to staff privileges at the University, including use of the library and the Intramural Sports Activities Building.

For more information, go to the University of Washington benefits office web site.