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Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship

Overview

Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical College

This Cardiovascular Disease fellowship program takes place at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. It is a three- to four-year program that prepares highly qualified candidates for careers in investigative and clinical cardiology.

Our program is one of approximately 170 programs accredited by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and participates in the Match conducted by the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP). The Internal Medicine Subspecialty Match for each academic year is now held in December of the year prior to the start of the fellowship in July.

Overview

This Fellowship is based at the Weill Cornell Campus of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and includes clinical and research resources at our neighboring sister institution, Hospital for Special Surgery.

Clinical and research opportunities at both institutions are an integral part of the program, which is designed to train physicians interested in developing academic and clinical careers in cardiology. The 4.5 acres surrounding the hospital holds one of the largest concentrations of biomedical research and care anywhere in the world, including the Rockefeller Institute and Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, both of which provide additional research opportunities.

Well-rounded training: The program integrates a broad-based, in-depth clinical and research experience to deliver the highest-quality academic training to cardiology professionals. Clinical care is the focus of the first two years, while the third and fourth years involve a more intensive, mentored experience in a clinical subspecialty or basic research. Every fellow is expected to be productive in research. An added year (or more) of training/research in a subspecialty area can be arranged.

Clinical experience: The clinical training here is unsurpassed. It includes rotations in:

  • The cardiac intensive care unit and cardiac step-down units
  • The inpatient consultation service at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the Hospital for Special Surgery
  • The cardiac catheterization lab
  • The electrophysiology lab
  • Cardiac graphics
  • Heart failure
  • Echocardiography
  • Nuclear cardiology

Fellows spend one half-day per week in the outpatient clinic in adult cardiology. Fellows are trained and supervised clinically with one-on-one teaching by senior faculty. The didactic sessions include:

  • A full introductory curriculum
  • Weekly curriculum throughout the year
  • Prevention and Management Conference
  • Imaging Conference (specific to echo, cardiac CT and MRI), Clinical Case Conferences
  • Monthly Journal Club
  • Cardiovascular Grand Rounds
  • Subspecialty conferences in catheterization, electrophysiology, adult congenital heart disease, vascular disease, and heart failure

At Weill Cornell Medicine/NewYork-Presbyterian, the Department of Medicine has approximately 17,000 admissions per year of which more than 3,000 are admitted to the cardiology inpatient service. Approximately 2,500 cardiology patients are seen in an ambulatory setting each year. A broad range of cardiological problems is assessed, including complex congenital heart disease, advanced heart failure, and pulmonary hypertension.

The invasive cardiac laboratories perform all diagnostic catheterizations, percutaneous interventions (including ASD and PFO closures), and electrophysiological studies (including ablations of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias and device implantation). We also actively enroll patients in large clinical trials, including those evaluating new stents, percutaneous aortic valve replacement, mitral valve repair, implantation of closure devices for paravalvular regurgitation, and renal artery denervation for resistant hypertension.

Research: Fellowship research projects tie in with ongoing research activities within the program. Each fellow’s research experience is coordinated by a faculty mentor of his/her choosing.

For fellows pursuing basic science or translational research, a master’s degree in science is offered over a two-year period. (These courses are scheduled within years two, three, or four.) Fellows pursuing a project in clinical research are encouraged to pursue a certificate in clinical investigation. All fellows are expected to present the results of their research at regional and national meetings.

The Weill Cornell Cardiology Fellowship Program is dedicated to advancing knowledge in both basic and clinical research. Multiple federal and non-federal grants strongly support the research program. Research is performed on-site in our state-of-the-art laboratory facilities.

Research is conducted in both traditional and emerging areas of cardiovascular research, including:

  • Atherosclerosis
  • Vascular physiology
  • Electrophysiology and arrhythmia
  • Stem cells and cell therapy
  • Cardiac development
  • Stroke and thrombosis
  • Heart failure
  • Interventional devices
  • Health policy

Seventy percent of Weill Cornell cardiology faculty members take part in world-class basic science, translational, or clinical research, and 30 percent are full-time clinical cardiologists involved in clinical investigations and teaching.

After three years of training, candidates are eligible for board certification in cardiovascular disease, but would require at least one more year of training to subspecialize in Interventional Cardiology, Electrophysiology, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology, or advanced imaging.

Our fellows receive comprehensive experience in all major clinical and laboratory aspects of contemporary cardiology under the close supervision of full-time staff. Also, all fellows are expected to take part in one or more areas of ongoing research during their training.

Structure

Rotations

The first two years are focused on clinical care. All fellows rotate through the cardiac catheterization laboratory, echocardiography, electrophysiology, graphics (ECG, stress testing, ambulatory monitoring, pacemaker analysis), and nuclear cardiology laboratories.

Clinical rotations include the coronary care unit, telemetry unit, consultation service, and CHF service. Years 1 and 2 each:

  • Cardiac catheterization (2 months)
  • Echocardiography (1.5 months)
  • Nuclear (1 month)
  • Graphics (1 month)
  • EP (1 month)
  • CCU (1 month)
  • Telemetry (1 month)
  • Consultations (1 month)
  • CHF (1 month)
  • Research (0.5-2 months)
  • Vacation (1 months)

Research

The third year provides mentored and more intensive experience in a selected area of clinical or basic research, or a laboratory skill. The year consists of 11 months of intensive, mentored experience in one area. The 12th month is vacation.

Appointments for intensive third-year experience in specific laboratories are subject to individual approval by laboratory directors and the Division Chief, usually early in fellowship year two.

  • Catheterization Lab (includes some PTCA but full training in invasive techniques requires a fourth year)
  • Echocardiography (includes TEE)
  • EP (includes RFA, pacemaker, and ICD insertion - full training requires a fourth year)
  • CCU
  • Nuclear cardiology
  • Basic science laboratories

For those training in invasive cardiology, both the third year of the clinical fellowship and the fourth, separately accredited year in Interventional Cardiology are required to become fully proficient in angioplasty and other interventional techniques.

For those training in electrophysiology, the third year of the clinical fellowship and a fourth year encompass a separate ACGME-accredited fellowship in Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology.

Appointments for intensive third-year experience in specific laboratories are subject to individual approval by laboratory directors and the Division Chief, usually early in fellowship year two.

Conferences

  • Cardiology grand rounds
  • EP journal club/core courses
  • Fellows' case discussions
  • Clinical conference: case presentations with clinical management discussed by divisional staff
  • Clinical roundtable
  • Catheterization conference, with review of cath films by cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery staff
  • Fellows' journal club
  • Prevention and management conference
  • Imaging conference
  • MRI/CT
  • ECHO
  • EP case review
  • Echo, graphics, nuclear, and EP and curriculum conferences in rotation

Unit Leaders

  • Bruce B. Lerman, M.D., Chief of Cardiology and Director, Electrophysiology Laboratory
  • Richard B. Devereux, M.D., Echocardiography Laboratory
  • Peter Okin, M.D., Cardiac Graphics Laboratory
  • Maria Karas, M.D., Coronary Care Unit
  • Jonathan Weinsaft, M.D., Nuclear Cardiology Laboratory
  • S. Chiu Wong, Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory
  • Alicia Mecklai, M.D., Inpatient Telemetry Unit
  • Evelyn Horn, M.D., Heart Failure Service
  • David Christini, Ph.D., Computational Electrophysiology

Fellowship Program Executive Committee

  • Bruce Lerman, M.D., Division Chief
  • Harsimran Singh, M.D., Fellowship Program Director
  • Robert Kim, M.D., Associate Program Director
  • Peter Okin, M.D., Director, Clinical Affairs
  • Jim Cheung, M.D., Fellowship Program Director, Electrophysiology

Instructions to Applicants

Applications for July 2023 Weill Cornell Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship will be accepted after July 6, 2022, with a deadline of September 1, 2022.

We are part of the Medical Specialties Matching Program at the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), which means that on August 24, 2022, registration begins with NRMP at www.nrmp.org. Click on specialty match (Cardiovascular Diseases) or call (202) 400-2233 or (866) 653-NRMP (6767) for more information.

 

Application Schedule

  • Notifications are sent out in August 2022 to schedule virtual interviews via Zoom.
  • September 28, 2022, is the earliest date to file a rank order list on the NRMP website.
  • November 16, 2022, is the deadline to file rank order list on the NRMP website by 9 pm EST
  • November 30, 2022, the match results are announced at noon EST

 

Use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) through your Dean's Office and join the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP).

 

ERAS Program Code is: 1413521202

NRMP Program Code is: 1492141F0

 

Please comply with the following guidelines when completing your application. (Only applications with all requested materials will be reviewed.)

  1. Completed ERAS application: (If you have been elected to AOA, include this in the application under the "Medical Educ." field "Did you receive the Alpha Omega Alpha award?")
  2. Letters of recommendation from three faculty members who have personal knowledge of your professional and personal qualifications. One of these letters should come from your program director or from the service chief under whom you have last served. (Submitting more than three letters is ok.) We do not require a Dean's letter.
  3. A photo is appreciated, but not required.
  4. Providing USMLE scores is voluntary.

 

International Applicants

 

Applicants should have substantial research experience outstanding letters of recommendation from their clinical and/or research supervisors in the United States and valid ECFMG certification. Though there is no specific board score requirement, a higher score holds greater weight. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital sponsors J-1 visas only. H1-B visas are not eligible. You will be responsible for retaining an immigration lawyer and for all associated administrative costs. Use the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) through the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG); and join the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) for a subspecialty in Cardiovascular Disease. Applicants will be considered for an interview based on their overall record.

Contacts

Harsimran Singh, MD
Program Director
(646) 962-5558 or has9028@med.cornell.edu

Ming Su
Program Coordinator
(212) 746-8960 or mhsu@med.cornell.edu

Make an Appointment

(646) 962-5558

Weill Cornell Medicine
Division of Cardiology

1305 York Avenue, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10021