Clinical Work

Catheterization Laboratory

When not involved in SHD work, the fellow will participate in coronary interventions. At the discretion of the cath lab director, they may be able to assume a junior attending role and perform coronary work, including PCI, as independent operators. Following suitable evaluation and depending on the trainees comfort level, this may be extended to STEMIs.

Fellows are encouraged to assume an active role in the evaluation of patients undergoing SHD interventions. This includes image and hemodynamic analysis, formulation of procedural plans and communication with the referring physicians as appropriate to foster development of independent practice.

The fellow will receive instruction in the imaging evaluation of structural and valvular heart disease (e.g. stress TTE, TEE, intraprocedural TEE) with the echocardiographic attending physician. The fellow is not expected to act as primary operator but will develop the skillset required for SHD procedural success.

Clinics / Consults

Fellows see patients in the Integrated Heart Team clinic (one day per week) in tandem with a structural interventional cardiologist and a cardiac surgeon. In addition, ad hoc patients will be evaluated in the inpatient setting and consults performed and staffed with the interventional attending. Educational goals include physical examination, imaging analysis, patient selection and procedural planning.

Inpatient Service

The structural fellows will maintain clinical skills by participating in the care of cardiac patients in the role of junior attending. They will serve a minimum of 3 weeks as the inpatient house staff teaching attending on the consult service.