Peripheral vascular training

[AequaMD]

How critical is it to get peripheral vascular certification (stenting for PAD, carotids, renal arteries; venous ablations etc.) during interventional training? Is it a necessity these days stepping into the job market? Is spending an extra year worth it (PGY-8) considering that PCIs will be always one's main workload? Is it always an additional year of training or variable by the program?
Lastly, what are some strong programs in peripheral training for IC?
Thanks all!

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[IMreshopeful]

Eh, my program has some exposure to it but we don’t do a lot of the complex endovascular stuff. We spend more time on the complex coronary and structural stuff

I personally am not that into it... yes it’s a helpful skill in the job market but not critical IMO - lot of it can also be learnt via courses etc (especially vein stuff). Keep in mind that these sorts of interventions however are long, use a lot of radiation, and tbh are not as satisfying to me as coronary work

Honestly, personally, if it were between peripheral and doing general cards work i would much rather do general cardiology work

 

[cards67]

Like other niche fields in cardiology, I think if you're interested in it and want to practice it sure, it can be helpful in the job market. But if you're doing it just to pad your resume and have no real interest, then its not a big deal. You'll be competing with vascular surgery and IR potentially too. As long as you can do the bread/butter of interventional, plenty places out there are looking for someone to do PCIs and take STEMI call. I'm not sure of programs out there or training requirements.

 

[Phospholipid]

How critical is it to get peripheral vascular certification (stenting for PAD, carotids, renal arteries; venous ablations etc.) during interventional training? Is it a necessity these days stepping into the job market? Is spending an extra year worth it (PGY-8) considering that PCIs will be always one's main workload? Is it always an additional year of training or variable by the program?
Lastly, what are some strong programs in peripheral training for IC?
Thanks all!

I think it is important to have decent peripheral skills, to manage your own complications without calling for help. It is honestly not that difficult (peripherals). I plan on only fixing above the knee, below the knee becomes more complicated and not as rewarding. Recently went to a boston scientific course and watched a live case on peripherals... I nearly fell asleep.

 

[DocTAWood]

I did a peripheral PGY 8 year (Brown University). I know I received job offers I wouldn’t otherwise have gotten. I joined a 30 physician hospital employed group and do a solid volume of peripheral work (100-150 peripheral interventions a year). I ceded EVAR to a the employed vascular surgeons that I work very well with as I wasn’t as interested in those. Trade off is I have a bustling CAS/TCAR program (50-75/yr and growing) with them as well as vascular medicine.

 

[ZJz4]

Can you practice mostly peripheral vascular If you want as an interventional cardiologist?

 

[timpview]

Usually not.. unless if you own or work at an office-based lab where you are doing elective peripherals only (or mostly peripherals...as caths are now creeping in obl)..

These have been more common. Many owned by podiatrists, VC or cardiologists.,. I was offered 400-450k for 4 work days/week (2 lab, 1 vein day, 1 clinic). No nights. No call.

But obviously higher upside if you own/part own where u get those magical facility fees

otherwise you’ll be doing your IC call and doing your fair share of coronaries in majority of jobs.

 

[cards67]

You can do whatever you want. The question is whether you'll find someone to hire you, credentialing, privileges, patients, referrals, etc.