I'm a first-year Cardiology Fellow-- ask me anything

[tvelocity514]

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Why are you guys so obsessed with trials? What ever happened to being a doctor? Nah I need a hundred thousand patient multicenter doubled blinded placebo controlled rct that shows a statistically significant 0.5% vs 0.7% difference in 30 day mortality to determine my practice patterns

I heard a couple of years back that EP was becoming more saturated. Is still still true today? I know there have been more people doing the super fellowship in that and Interventional. Are you worried about obtaining a job in HF/cardiac transplant, EP, or interventional (should you choose to do a super fellowship)?

 

[badasshairday]

It's cardioVASCULAR medicine and turf wars exist in many parts of medicine. It's part of the environment.

I'm probably going to regret getting into this conversation, but it is funny how cardiologists have started saying cardioVASCULAR medicine when people question their motives entering the peripheral arterial system... which I might add they tend to do easier cases like SFA angioplasty (and still stenting... even though angioplasty with drug-eluting balloons is becoming standard), Common illiac stenting, and leave the tough cases that take too long for VIR or vascular surgery. VIR is the only ones really doing CTO cases, although the surgeons do do those long bypasses too. There are definitely skilled cardiologists in the peripheral domain who do great stuff, but let us not fool ourselves about their motives. With that said, I welcome cardiologists into the peripheral domain; as they are learning peripherals are not the same as hearts.

And last I looked it is the American College of CARDIOLOGY.

Neither does interventional radiology. That's part of medicine.

That is your answer? Nice. We invented endovascular intervention.

 

[StraightOuttaBrooklyn]

Why are you guys so obsessed with trials? What ever happened to being a doctor? Nah I need a hundred thousand patient multicenter doubled blinded placebo controlled rct that shows a statistically significant 0.5% vs 0.7% difference in 30 day mortality to determine my practice patterns

If you can improve mortality in the acute phase following some cardiovascular insult, that's actually a big deal. That said, statistically significant and clinically significant are two different things


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[Instatewaiter]

I heard a couple of years back that EP was becoming more saturated. Is still still true today? I know there have been more people doing the super fellowship in that and Interventional. Are you worried about obtaining a job in HF/cardiac transplant, EP, or interventional (should you choose to do a super fellowship)?

EP and interventional are pretty well saturated. HF is not.

 

[FatherOfEther]

Bumping this thread.

Hey OP, I've been interviewing at IM programs this season and I've had one doc tell me it would be difficult for me to get a cardiology fellowship since I didn't take a year off in med school to do research. I know this is BS and took it with a grain of salt but it seems like all everyone talks about is research.

What else goes on in picking someone for a fellowship position and what steps should I take to increase my chance of matching as soon as residency starts.

 

[loeffy]

Bumping this thread.

Hey OP, I've been interviewing at IM programs this season and I've had one doc tell me it would be difficult for me to get a cardiology fellowship since I didn't take a year off in med school to do research. I know this is BS and took it with a grain of salt but it seems like all everyone talks about is research.

What else goes on in picking someone for a fellowship position and what steps should I take to increase my chance of matching as soon as residency starts.

Not the OP but I'll take a stab at your question. You absolutely do not need to take a year off to do research during med school to match. If you absolutely know what you want to specialize in, getting involved with related projects during med school certainly wouldn't hurt and may help your residency and fellowship application, but it's not a must for fellowship. Programs are interested in your entire application: residency program, LORs, extracurriculars (including research), and maybe to a lesser degree, board scores and med school. IMO, your residency program and LORs are the most significant. The big name research heavy programs may prefer to have someone with a stronger research background (phd, multiple publications, etc.), but I think most programs just like to see/hear about involvement of some kind with research to show your commitment to the field. It's very hard to publish something meaningful during residency by the time you apply to fellowship, but at least getting involved with a project early on certainly helps. For now, put your efforts into getting into the biggest name residency you can.

 

[drseymen]

Hi there,

Firstly, I think you re so lucky because a lot of doctors want to be in your place. I m a cardiologist out of USA, and I planned to come to USA and take all steps and want to apply internal medicine-cardiology-interventional cardiology respectively.

However, my friends in USA said: if you apply and enter to any research fellowship program, your chance will be higher. 4
Ok, but which research program can be better for me? clinical? basic? translational? Also, I have lots of publications.
And How can I apply these programs?

Also, I am IMG, Do I have any chance in this plan?

Thank you so much.

 

[mnos7i]

EP and interventional are pretty well saturated. HF is not.

I've been reading through the thread as I am hoping to apply for a cardiology fellowship this year. I had a question: In your experience, which journals did you find to relatively "easily" and quickly accept case reports/manuscripts? and which were the tough ones?

Thanks!

 

[libertyyne]

Just remember you have to do all that other horse**** he talked about.

Do you run the machines as well, or are the perfusionists busy asking for more tech?

 

[jdh71]

Do you run the machines as well, or are the perfusionists busy asking for more tech?

You'll have to give me context. Looks like this was an older conversation. I don't remember.

 

[jdh71]

I've been reading through the thread as I am hoping to apply for a cardiology fellowship this year. I had a question: In your experience, which journals did you find to relatively "easily" and quickly accept case reports/manuscripts? and which were the tough ones?

Thanks!

Kind of sad you're looking to turn your crap research into a cynical game hoping somewhere will take it.

This is literally part of the cancer killing science in medicine dead.

 

[libertyyne]

You'll have to give me context. Looks like this was an older conversation. I don't remember.

I do ECMO. Will canulate and everything zomg!! You guys can have the rest.

Sorry, i realized it was an old thread after replying.

 

[jdh71]

Sorry, i realized it was an old thread after replying.

The perfusionists run the machine very similar to the way RTs run the vent. But I still need to know my way around it.

 

[Spectre of Ockham]

Do you shock asystole ? 😛

Just kidding. How do you feel about the advances made in 3D organ printing . When do you think we won't have a chronic shortage of hearts ?

 

[omn]

Just started fellowship 3 weeks ago and I wanted to see if anyone had questions about the process leading to or Cardiology fellowship in general.

Were you good at Physics? .. or is it wise .. I mean, do you frown at those generalizations?

 

[omn]

... Physics ?

 

[CCC_MD]

Bumping this thread.

Hey OP, I've been interviewing at IM programs this season and I've had one doc tell me it would be difficult for me to get a cardiology fellowship since I didn't take a year off in med school to do research. I know this is BS and took it with a grain of salt but it seems like all everyone talks about is research.

What else goes on in picking someone for a fellowship position and what steps should I take to increase my chance of matching as soon as residency starts.

I believe research is more of a gateway. It allows you to get to know influential people on a more personal level at your home program, gives you something to talk about at interview, and often gets you a ticket to go to national/international meetings where you can meet other influential people. In retrospect having gone through this whole process, networking and making yourself unique is the most important part of it all. So some sort of project in your IM residency where you can form connections, make you interesting on your CV and help you get to conferences IMO is more important that research per se. It can quality assurance, education project whatever..

I think if you start early identifying potential mentors in Cardiology in your program, you can start to building connections which is key. Then attempt to pursue a small project with clearly defined end point which which lead to a national meeting presentation or two hopefully early on. This coupled with a solid IM program, solid LORs and geographically wide application should do the trick. Chief Residency could be a nice addition if you come from a lesser well known program or not good connections in Cardiology but I would focus on the first several parts. I was against going for a Chief year personally, much rather have worked as hospitalist for 1/2 the year and apply during that year.

 

[sonogr23]

Hi Dr.,
Thanks for sharing your insightful and inspiring advice. I'm a second year medical student and have a desire to pursue Neurocardiology. Can you share your insight on doing Neurology then Cardio and perhaps programs that offer the opportunity?
Thanks in advance,
SONOMED

 

[Instatewaiter]

And what praytell, would you do with Neurocardiology which would not be served by either neurology or cardiology, rather than both?

 

[Redpancreas]

And what praytell, would you do with Neurocardiology which would not be served by either neurology or cardiology, rather than both?

Hi Dr.,
Thanks for sharing your insightful and inspiring advice. I'm a second year medical student and have a desire to pursue Neurocardiology. Can you share your insight on doing Neurology then Cardio and perhaps programs that offer the opportunity?
Thanks in advance,
SONOMED

Not only that but there’s no such training program or fellowship.

 

[nlax30]

Doing a TEE for just about every stroke that comes in is about as close to Neuro as I want to be...

 

[DubbiDoctor]

Not only that but there’s no such training program or fellowship.

I for one plan on specializing in OB-GYN pulmonology. Will I need to take a research year to make myself more competitive?

 

[sonogr23]

There indeed is a need for physicians who have the capacity to accurately treat and differentiate neurological vs psychological vs cardiac disorders.
For ex, many patients with autonomic pathologies like Dysautonomia, are diagnosed with psychsomatic symptoms for years before diagnosis. Physicians who can connect the associated factors of DM, HTN, stress, anxiety, and depression will enhance insight toward reducing the mortality rates of stroke and Cardiovascular disease. There are interesting possibilities on preventing heart disease before the stage of treatment. I "praytell" the opportunity to create a fellowship, if it hasn't been created by the time I get there.. 🙂)

NIH also has published articles on the topic. Hopefully the Cardiology fellow who began this post will reply soon 🙂)
Sonomed

 

[Chibucks15]

There indeed is a need for physicians who have the capacity to accurately treat and differentiate neurological vs psychological vs cardiac disorders.
For ex, many patients with autonomic pathologies like Dysautonomia, are diagnosed with psychsomatic symptoms for years before diagnosis. Physicians who can connect the associated factors of DM, HTN, stress, anxiety, and depression will enhance insight toward reducing the mortality rates of stroke and Cardiovascular disease. There are interesting possibilities on preventing heart disease before the stage of treatment. I "praytell" the opportunity to create a fellowship, if it hasn't been created by the time I get there.. 🙂)

NIH also has published articles on the topic. Hopefully the Cardiology fellow who began this post will reply soon 🙂)
Sonomed

Yeah there is a need for co-morbities to be treated but unless you're dual boarded that patient is going to have a different doctor for every facet of their care. There is no such combined fellowship, to my knowledge. There really isn't a need for one when you can have different doctors already for each treatment type sorry...

And honestly once you get to med school you learn about all the connections between those associated factors, regardless of specialty. Its part of being a doctor. I wouldn't pigeonhole yourself into an imaginary fellowship that won't be created ever