Cardiology experience during IM residency

[blahblah56]

How much cardiology experience should I expect to have/know during residency? Obviously trying to become the best medicine resident I can be and learning as much as possible, as well as the mandatory reading like MKSAP books, landmark trials, guidelines, etc. But should I start thinking about getting Braunwalds, O'Keefes, etc? Also, as far as procedures, ICU procedure such as central lines, a-lines are a given, but should I be expected to know how to float a swan or even have some hands on cath experience during residency? Will program directors ask about this on interviews?

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[thecalccobra]

How much cardiology experience should I expect to have/know during residency? Obviously trying to become the best medicine resident I can be and learning as much as possible, as well as the mandatory reading like MKSAP books, landmark trials, guidelines, etc. But should I start thinking about getting Braunwalds, O'Keefes, etc? Also, as far as procedures, ICU procedure such as central lines, a-lines are a given, but should I be expected to know how to float a swan or even have some hands on cath experience during residency? Will program directors ask about this on interviews?

Yes. At one of my fellowship interviews, they took the candidates to the sim lab and we basically had to compete to see who could get femoral access the fastest.

At my other interview, I was asked how many chapters of Braunwald I had read.

 

[IMreshopeful]

How much cardiology experience should I expect to have/know during residency? Obviously trying to become the best medicine resident I can be and learning as much as possible, as well as the mandatory reading like MKSAP books, landmark trials, guidelines, etc. But should I start thinking about getting Braunwalds, O'Keefes, etc? Also, as far as procedures, ICU procedure such as central lines, a-lines are a given, but should I be expected to know how to float a swan or even have some hands on cath experience during residency? Will program directors ask about this on interviews?

I would be comfortable with procedures that you should know how to do as a resident - central and a lines for sure. Cath and swan experience as a resident is unnecessary and most places don’t usually allow residents to scrub but if you can do a month elective or two weeks in the cath lab then go for it

 

[Imdur]

How much cardiology experience should I expect to have/know during residency? Obviously trying to become the best medicine resident I can be and learning as much as possible, as well as the mandatory reading like MKSAP books, landmark trials, guidelines, etc. But should I start thinking about getting Braunwalds, O'Keefes, etc? Also, as far as procedures, ICU procedure such as central lines, a-lines are a given, but should I be expected to know how to float a swan or even have some hands on cath experience during residency? Will program directors ask about this on interviews?

You should really just enjoy your last last year of medicine residency. You’ll learn all of that in your fellowship training. I would not get too worked up over it. The cardiology you learn in preparation for the medicine board is enough for you to get started as a first year fellow. It would be helpful as others have mentioned to get comfortable placing central and arterial lines. If you feel like you need to do something, I would review ECGs.

 

[cardsguy2017]

Agree with others, do some extra cards rotations, familiarity with lines if possible and you should be good. Expecting a new fellow to know how get access or read an echo is ridiculous, and a program that expects that would raise some redflags for me.