Overview
Overview
The Division of Cardiology at Cornell offers a fellowship in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology, which is accredited by Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
The Heart Failure Service has a high volume of clinical activities related to all aspects of heart failure, mechanical circulatory support, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiac transplantation. The fellowship consists of one year of intensive clinical training. The service is made up of three attending heart failure specialists, assisted by nurse practitioners on the inpatient and outpatient service, and research support staff.
This fellowship will provide training in the management of the advanced congestive heart failure patient population. Fellows treat patients with:
- Acute decompensated heart failure (left and right)
- Destination or bridge to transplant mechanical assist devices
- Acute support devices
- Perioperative high-risk conventional cardiac surgery
- Approved and investigational catheter or mini surgical valvular interventions
- Those needing evaluation for and those who already underwent heart transplantation
An added strength of the program is in-depth exposure to evaluation and management of pulmonary hypertension in patients with WHO Groups 1-5 PH.
Cardiac Transplantation training takes place at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. Highlights of this program include a strong collaboration with colleagues from cardiac imaging, catheterization lab (including structural heart disease program), electrophysiology, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiac anesthesia, rheumatology, and oncology.
Structure
Clinical Rotations: Fellows are trained in the inpatient and outpatient management of patients with advanced heart failure and pulmonary vascular disease. The one-year fellowship will include nine months of inpatient service, of which three months are dedicated to transplant cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center.
Clinical experiences include:
- Treating a wide spectrum of patients with advanced heart failure, as well as the managing mechanical circulatory support devices, high-risk cardiac surgery patients, complex congenital heart disease, and WHO Groups 1-5 pulmonary hypertension
- Working with a range of mechanical circulatory support, including state-of-the-art left ventricular, biventricular support, as well as ECMO
- Weekly continuity clinic
- Organ procurement, endomyocardial biopsy training, and interrogation of implantable defibrillators and biventricular pacemakers
A core curriculum in advanced heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and transplant cardiology is taught throughout the year by the full-time faculty. In addition, monthly Journal Club and Heart Failure Specialty Conferences are a regular part of the curriculum.
This training program meets all the clinical requirements for Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology board certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Specific rotations within the fellowship are:
- Inpatient service including transplant cardiology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center
- Inpatient heart failure service at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center
Research: Incorporated as part of the ongoing clinical effort.
Conferences
- Cardiology grand rounds
- Heart failure journal club
- Heart failure clinical conferences
- Multidisciplinary meetings
- Heart transplantation team rounds
Our Faculty
The Advanced Heart Failure Faculty include five full-time physicians:
- Irina Sobol, M.D., Program Director
- Evelyn Horn, M.D.
- Maria Karas, M.D.
- Udhay Krishnan, M.D
- Parag Goyal, M.D.
Fellowship Program Executive Committee
- Bruce B. Lerman, M.D., Division Chief
- Irina Sobol, M.D., Program Director
- Evelyn Horn, M.D., Director Heart Failure and Pulmonary Hypertension
- Peter Okin, M.D., Director, Clinical Affairs
Instructions to Applicants
Fellows must be enrolled in or have completed a fellowship in cardiovascular disease. Fellows are accepted into the program after three years of cardiology training. Selection of fellows will be made based on their clinical ability, aptitude, academic credentials, communication skills, and personal qualities, such as motivation and integrity.
Application Schedule
• Notifications are sent out in July and August 2024 to schedule virtual interviews via Zoom.
• September 25, 2024, is the earliest date to file a rank order list on the NRMP website.
• November 6, 2024, is the deadline to file rank order list on the NRMP website by 9 pm EST
• December 4, 2024, the match results are announced at noon EST
All applicants must submit the required documents through Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Letters of recommendation from the Program Director as well as other cardiology faculty carry significant weight. It is important for the program to understand the applicant’s skills in clinical care, professional judgment, and academic potential. Prior research experience in heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and general cardiology are also considered in our application review process. Applicants will be invited for virtual interviews after the completed applications are reviewed.
A completed application consists of:
- 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?")
- 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.
- A photo is appreciated, but not required.
- Providing USMLE scores is voluntary.
ERAS Program Code: 1593514027
NRMP Program Code: 1492159S0
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
Irina Sobol, M.D.
Program Director
(646) 962-5555 or irs9009@med.cornell.edu
Zenaya Black
Senior Program Coordinator
(212) 746-8960 or zeb4004@med.cornell.edu