Interventional Cardiology

Fellowship Title:

Interventional Cardiology

Division:

Cardiology

Fellowship Type:

Clinical

Supervisor:

Dr. Mark Osten

Duration:

1-2 years

Anticipated Start Date(s):

July 1

Number of position(s) per year:

3-4

Description:

The Adult Interventional Cardiology program at the University Health Network is committed to offering fellows a comprehensive training program in the discipline of percutaneous coronary intervention and interventional cardiology. The program is based on a strong foundation of clinical, research and educational opportunities for our fellows throughout their training period. Our main goals are to train fellows to become technically expert with excellent clinical decision making skills while ensuring opportunity for academic growth in the field. The program fosters opportunities for personal growth and wellness while striving for the highest standards in clinical and academic practice. Ultimately, the faculty strive to train future academic and thought leaders in the field. The program meets all criteria outlined in there Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada for advanced specialty training in Adult Interventional Cardiology
Upon completion of fellowship training, a candidate is expected to function as a competent Interventional Cardiologist, capable of an enhanced practice in this area of focused competence within the scope of adult Cardiology.
The discipline of Adult Interventional Cardiology encompasses the expertise of:

  1. Transcatheter cardiac diagnostic techniques
  2. Interventional management of non-ST-elevation myocardial infarction(NSTEMI)/stable Coronary Artery Disease (CAD)
  3. Interventional management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction(STEMI)
  4. Diagnosis and interventional management of hemodynamic instability
  5. Interventional approach to multi-vessel coronary artery disease
  6. Catheter-based management of complex coronary lesion morphology
  7. Identification and management of complex patient subsets needing percutaneous intervention
  8. Medical,coronary,and non-coronary vascular complications of cardiac catheterization and percutaneous coronary intervention
  9. Invasive diagnosis and knowledge of interventional management of non-coronary heart disease
  10. Catheterization laboratory (cath lab) management

Fellows will spend the majority of their clinical experience assigned to the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Fellows will be expected to be involved in all aspects of percutaneous coronary procedures. Prior to a procedure, the fellow sees and examines the patient, explains the procedure to be performed and obtains informed consent. Fellows will be expected to scrub in on >500 cases per year of which >250 it will be expected that they serve as the primary operator of an interventional procedure. The case work will include conventional balloon angioplasty, a wide variety of stents, rotational atherectomy, possibly directional atherectomy, thrombectomy, as well as ancillary diagnostic and therapeutic tools such as intra-vascular ultrasound, and intra-coronary Doppler and/or pressure measurements and/or OCT. In addition, the fellow will gain experience and competency with insertion and management of ventricular assist devices.
The research experience is viewed as an essential component of the fellowship training program. Up to 40% of fellowship time (over two year training program) may be allocated to research activities, provided reasonable expectations that clinical experience and portfolio competencies will concurrently be met.Nonetheless, both expectations of, and support for, research productivity should be anticipated. Early in the fellowship (within the first eight weeks), the site program directors will facilitate a connection between the interventional fellows and potential faculty research mentors; in this fashion, fellows can maximize their academic productivity during their two-year program. They should conceive of (with input from a staff mentor) at least one independent research project, which they will design and carry out the full scope of project involvement (enrollment of patients, data analysis, presentation or publication of results including in abstract form and complete manuscripts) over the course of their fellowship. The submission of at least one abstract to the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress or another major Interventional meeting OR one journal article accepted or published will be expected over the duration of the two year fellowship program. In the interest of completing the project, the goals should be realistic, and the project should take advantage of existing expertise and infrastructure. Fellows must also be familiar with ongoing interventional research protocols and should help in recruitment of patients to clinical trials. Depending on interest and career objectives, the fellow can also consider becoming involved as a collaborator or research assistant on additional established projects
In accordance with the University of Toronto Division of Cardiology policy, Fellows may be asked to cover in-patient general cardiology ward service up to 2 nights per month. Interventional Cardiology fellows are also expected to participate in the Interventional cardiology call schedule on a rotating basis, which is done as home call.

Contact Name:

Dr. Mark Osten

Role:

Program Director, Interventional Cardiology fellowships

Telephone:

416-340-4615

E-mail:

mark.osten@uhn.ca