Overview

Fellows can pursue training in Cardiovascular Disease at the University of Vermont/Fletcher Allen Health Care in one of two tracks, clinical or research track or both. The clinical track is designed to train fellows in general cardiology as well as to allow each fellow to pursue subspecialty training during the final year of this three year program. The research track is designed to train fellows in general cardiology as well as to provide them with training necessary to pursue an academic career in laboratory investigation.

Years 1 and 2 are devoted to general cardiology training. Thus, each fellow will be exposed to all aspects of general cardiology. Rotations will include inpatient cardiology (includes consultation) electrophysiology (exposure to electrophysiological testing as well as inpatient and consultative electrophysiology), stress testing and radionuclide imaging, cardiac catheterization (training in diagnostic cardiac catheterization) and echocardiography (training in the performance and interpretation of transthoracic echocardiograms). After completion of the first two years, the fellow will have achieved level II training in stress testing with radionuclide imaging, cardiac catheterization, and echocardiography consistent with the guidelines presented in COCATS ( J Am Coll Cardiol 25:1-34,1994).

Year 3 in the clinical track is devoted to subspecialty training. Each fellow will choose an area of cardiology for subspecialization. The goals of this year of training will be to achieve COCATS level III training in one of three areas, cardiac imaging, cardiac catheterization or electrophysiology. The cardiologist responsible for each area will monitor the progress of the fellow during this year of training. In general, the fellow will devote the majority of time to the cognitive and technical aspects of the field of sub specialization.

Those fellows pursuing research track training will spend two years under the direct supervision of a research mentor (please see below for a list of potential research mentors). A primary goal of this two-year interval is to provide training for the individual to facilitate an independent research career following training. The two years of clinical training after the interval of laboratory investigation will be tailored to meet the needs of each individual fellow but, in general, will be similar to that described above for the clinical track years 1 and 2. If desired, additional clinical training will be available as in year 3 of the clinical track facilitating completion of level III training in a cardiology subspecialty.