Med-Peds to pediatric cardiology to adult heart failure fellowship?

[fitz0809]

Hi all,

I have what I assume is a somewhat unique goal related to future training. Currently med/peds trained and board certified in both fields. I am in a pediatric cardiology fellowship and am interested in pursuing an adult cardiology sub-specialty training program- specifically heart failure/ transplant.

Coming from a medium sized program with a small transplant and ventricular assist device population, I am interested in developing some expertise in both transplant and VADs and coming back to my current program. The best way I can think of to do this would be to do a local adult heart transplant/ heart failure fellowship. Our programs already have a working relationship and the volume at the adult center is approximately 10x my center's experience with VAD or transplant each year. This would allow me to gain a large amount of experience with these therapies which I anticipate will become more prevalent needs at my home institution. In addition to this advantage of volume of heroic therapies, I think this training would set me up nicely to develop a sort of fontan/ failing fontan clinic which is a patient population which also interests me very much.

The advantages to staying local would include a continued relationship with my home institution and possibly a shared clinical experience in the pediatric transplant/ VAD patients that are managed there during my time in fellowship. It would also be ideal to not sell my house, move my school aged children and move away from family support if I can make an arrangement such as this work.

I have a few questions- and would appreciate any input from anyone who has pursued any sort of similar situation. 1. Will the ABIM allow me to do an adult fellowship in cardiology? The requirements simply state 'general cardiology fellowship completion' which I do understand to be an adult fellowship even if not explicitly stated. 2. Assuming they may let me pursue the training, would I then become eligible to take the boards in adult advanced heart failure/ transplant? 3. Where would one start with pursuing a goal such as this? does anyone have a contact that they could PM me? Does anyone know if pediatrics or the american board of pediatrics would allow me to sit for pediatric transplant medicine boards, and additionally would there be a way to apply for adult congenital boards (with IM residency training and a subspecialty fellowship in IM heart failure?

I would love some discussion/ feedback, especially if anyone knows someone with a similar career path.

Thanks all!

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[IMreshopeful]

I doubt places will give you a look without having done adult cardiology fellowship

Adult and peds are VERY different in many respects; having a basis in Med peds is helpful in managing adult patients but the way a lot of things are handled - HF, coronary disease etc - are very different in adults.

 

[JonNJMS2012]

Not sure thats true. I know of a graduate of peds cards who then did ACHD and then is doing adult HF at a transplant/VAD program where I trained...so I can tell you for sure its possible. Ask around! You might get lucky.

 

[IMreshopeful]

Not sure thats true. I know of a graduate of peds cards who then did ACHD and then is doing adult HF at a transplant/VAD program where I trained...so I can tell you for sure its possible. Ask around! You might get lucky.

Fair enough, but the vast majority of folks I know doing adult transplant/VAD are adult trained. Also your person did ACHD which changes it up a bit yeah?

 

[cards67]

I didn't even realize that peds transplants was a big thing and had fellowships for until recently, but I think texas children's has one. Adult HF fellowship isn't terribly competitive and maybe a desperate program would take a chance on you. You may not be the strongest candidate or well-prepared. I'm also not sure you'd get credited for it, or you may only have an option at non-accredited programs. I believe to get credit, or at least board, in subspecialties you have to be adult gen cards boarded. I knew someone who wanted to do adult/children's interventional but had to go thru adult gen cards first. If you're really interested in this, I'd find peds hf/tx programs or ask around to peds hf/tx programs and talk to people there and see what they suggest would be best path for you. I'm guessing it's a relatively small field and I'm sure they'd be excited to talk to someone interested in it.

 

[Instatewaiter]

I have what I assume is a somewhat unique goal
The advantages to staying local would include a continued relationship with my home institution and possibly a shared clinical experience in the pediatric transplant/ VAD patients that are managed there during my time in fellowship. It would also be ideal to not sell my house, move my school aged children and move away from family support if I can make an arrangement such as this work.

I have a few questions- and would appreciate any input from anyone who has pursued any sort of similar situation. 1. Will the ABIM allow me to do an adult fellowship in cardiology? The requirements simply state 'general cardiology fellowship completion' which I do understand to be an adult fellowship even if not explicitly stated. 2. Assuming they may let me pursue the training, would I then become eligible to take the boards in adult advanced heart failure/ transplant? 3. Where would one start with pursuing a goal such as this? does anyone have a contact that they could PM me? Does anyone know if pediatrics or the american board of pediatrics would allow me to sit for pediatric transplant medicine boards, and additionally would there be a way to apply for adult congenital boards (with IM residency training and a subspecialty fellowship in IM heart failure?

I would love some discussion/ feedback, especially if anyone knows someone with a similar career path.

Thanks all!

1) if you just want the experience you can do it outside of the match. A lot of programs will allow people to get clinical experience but not sit for the boards. You may have to find funding for this however

2)you would not be eligible to take the boards. You have to be board certified and internal medicine and adult cardiology before you can take the heart failure boards. you also have to go to an accredited fellowship which technically yours would not be.

3) I would start by contacting the program director of the heart failure fellowship near you. Larger programs are probably going to be more able to deal with your requirements. I can tell you my heart failure fellowship required people to Do procedures that a normal pediatrician or internal medicine resident would not be able to do ( temp-wire balloon pumps, swan). That could also be a barrier