Cardiothoracic Fellowships

[gator2886]

What is the advantage to Anesthesia CT fellowship other than Echo experience? I am from a hardcore program in the Midwest where we do a lot of hearts. The Echo experience is OK. I want to do hearts when I am done. Do I need the fellowship to do intraoperative TEE? What is the deal with that? Let me know what you guys think on the topic including what the future holds.

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[Dr Serenity]

What is the advantage to Anesthesia CT fellowship other than Echo experience? I am from a hardcore program in the Midwest where we do a lot of hearts. The Echo experience is OK. I want to do hearts when I am done. Do I need the fellowship to do intraoperative TEE? What is the deal with that? Let me know what you guys think on the topic including what the future holds.

I don't know if you necessarily NEED the fellowship to do intraoperative TEE...HOWEVER, I have heard on the interview trail that getting CERTIFIED in transesophageal echo will soon require case numbers that can only be achieved by doing a fellowship. Up until now, that wasn't necessarily the case.

Edit: Disregard above statement. Clarification provided below.

 

[bubalus]

With regards to the echo boards, there are two classifications: testamjur and certified. A testamur has taken and passed the written exam. Someone certified has passed the written exam and fulfilled further requirements to become certified. There are 2 ways to become "certified." One is the fellowship pathway, and the other is the practice pathway. The fellowship pathway will be the only way to become "certified" if you finish your residency training after June 30, 2009. Case numbers per se is not the issue. If you want more details as to what is required for certification, check out the PTEeXAM application at http://echoboards.org.

The other issue is what the group wants. Do they want someone who has formal fellowship training or just someone with experience. Different groups will have different wants. I know some where they're more interested in experience and others that require a fellowship. If you really want to do hearts anywhere, a fellowship will give you the credentials to do it. Whether it's truly needed is another story.

 

[Jape]

A good person to ask would be vent, because he just got into cards fellowship.

 

[Dr Serenity]

With regards to the echo boards, there are two classifications: testamjur and certified. A testamur has taken and passed the written exam. Someone certified has passed the written exam and fulfilled further requirements to become certified. There are 2 ways to become "certified." One is the fellowship pathway, and the other is the practice pathway. The fellowship pathway will be the only way to become "certified" if you finish your residency training after June 30, 2009. Case numbers per se is not the issue. If you want more details as to what is required for certification, check out the PTEeXAM application at http://echoboards.org.

The other issue is what the group wants. Do they want someone who has formal fellowship training or just someone with experience. Different groups will have different wants. I know some where they're more interested in experience and others that require a fellowship. If you really want to do hearts anywhere, a fellowship will give you the credentials to do it. Whether it's truly needed is another story.

Okay...I see. Thanks for the clarification.

 

[TIVA]

You know what, if you're thinking about a fellowship ... just do it. The fact that someone ponders it is good enough to just go ahead and do it. It'll make you a better anesthesiologist. You'll pick up useful skills. It's only an extra year long. You'll be more marketable. It's better to do it and not need it rather than the other way around. And the immediate monetary cost is one year's starting salary minus PGY-5 fellow salary.