Cardiology Fellowship Structure

The fellowship is a minimum duration of 36 months. The assignment of course work is designed to accomplish the goals of the program in compliance with the requirements of the ACGME, the Residency Review Committee (RRC), the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) and COCATS.

The cardiology fellowship is a three year training program.  The cardiology fellow is trained in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and works closely with the staff cardiologists.  Invasive training provides experience in cardiac and peripheral angiography, insertion of temporary and permanent pacemakers, right heart catherization, electrophysiology, percutaneous coronary intervention, peripheral vascular intervention, TAVR, and insertion of the intra-aortic balloon pump.  Noninvasive training includes transcutaneous electrocardiography, stress testing, transesophageal echocardiography and nuclear cardiography, cardiac CT and cardiac MRI.  Fellows will spend a part of each year dedicated to clinical or basic research activities and are expected to submit their results for publication.  Fellows also teach residents and students. All training takes place at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, University Medical Center or TDCJ Montford clinic.

The Division of Cardiovascular Medicine provide numerous conferences to enhance the educational experiences of fellows: Didactic, Journal Club, Research, Morbidity and mortality, Cardiac catheterization, Echocardiography, Nuclear/CT imaging and EKG/pacemaker.

The call schedule is published on a monthly basis. The fellows make their own call schedule, with number of calls based on academic year. The fellow on call is responsible for all consults and CVICU admissions.

The first year fellow who is beginning his/her invasive training will be limited to performing standard right/left heart catheterizations.  Interventions are generally performed by third year fellows, Interventional fellow or faculty.

Permanent pacemaker, implantable defibrillator implantation and EP studies are performed by second and third year fellows, if on EP service.

 

The Cardiovascular Center of Excellence is in the professional building located adjacent to Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center and is where the clinics are held weekly.  A Cardiology clinic is also held on a monthly basis at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Montford Unit in Lubbock.

Cardiology fellow clinic is held at pre-scheduled times. Patients are seen by the fellow and are presented to the faculty member for discussion and approval of planned management.

This is a continuity clinic, so you follow your patient for the 3 years you are a fellow, if needed.