Thank you for your interest in the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program at Cooper University Hospital, a core teaching hospital of the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School/University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey. The Section of Cardiology is a component of the Division of Cardiovascular Disease and Critical Care Medicine in the Department of Medicine. The program is three-years in length and is fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.
The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship is designed to provide excellent clinical training in an acadenic environment. The program consists of three years of broad-based training in clinical cardiology with ample opportunities to participate in clinical and basic research. The first- and second- year rotations consist of the following: Coronary Care Unit and Consultation Services, Cardiac Catheterization, Electrophysiology, Electrocardiography, Echocardiography, and Nuclear Cardiology. The fellows devote time to cardiology outpatient care during each rotation throughout the three years. The third year typically consists of a more focused experience in either noninvasive or invasive cardiology. Substantial emphasis is placed on research with approximately 6 to 12 months devoted to investigation. Most fellows choose to conduct clinical research, but basic science research experience is also available.
Cooper University Hospital has active programs in Interventional Cardiology and Electrophysiology and a fourth year of fellowship will be available in each program.
The Cardiovascular Disease program has an active conference schedule with at least one clinical or didactic conference daily. In addition to a core curriculum, attention is paid to basic science and research. The strength of the Cooper program is teaching and there is an emphasis on a collegial relationship between faculty and fellows.
The following information will provide specific information about our program, including objectives, curriculum, and conferences. If you have any questions, we encourage you to call the coordinator for the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship at 856-342-2624 or the Director of Education for the Division of Cardiovascular Disease and Critical Care Medicine at 856-342-2326.
Available Positions: 5
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The goal of the program is to train board-eligible internists in the subspecialty of Cardiovascular Disease. The program allows considerable flexibility. It is structured to the trainee’s individual interests and needs, especially in the second and third years when specific career planning has begun. Trainees may elect advanced rotations in echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, cardiac catheterization, coronary intensive care, or electrophysiology.
All trainees are expected to participate actively in research, and protected time is provided for this purpose. Participation in ongoing projects is invited, but the trainee is encouraged to plan and implement at least one project of his or her own design, under the guidance of cardiovascular disease faculty. Completion of at least one research report is expected during the fellowship.
The Cooper University Hospital cardiology fellowship program meets all requirements of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. The fellowship functions as an integral component of the Internal Medicine residency program.
Historically, Cooper University Hospital has fostered a culture that emphasizes education, to a greater extent than some other university hospitals. In parallel with this hospital-wide emphasis on education, there is a collegial relationship between Cardiology faculty and fellows, facilitated by a high ratio of faculty to fellows. The program offers access to faculty with expertise in cardiac surgery, radiation safety, cardiothoracic surgery, pharmacology, congenital heart disease, intensive care, and basic cardiac research. The strength of the program is the exceptional quality of our faculty, the high faculty to fellow ratio, and the accessibility of the faculty.
The Division of Cardiovascular Disease at Cooper University Hospital offers state-of-the-art cardiac catheterization laboratory facilities where over 7,000 procedures are performed each year. There are four designated digital cardiac catheterization laboratories, one is a combined peripheral and coronary digital catheterization laboratory. There are also 2 separate electrophysiology laboratories. There is a 24- bed unit for monitoring of patients who have had outpatient procedures or interventions.
There is a 12-bed coronary care unit and telemetry units for less intensive cardiac care. In addition, there is a special critical care unit for in-patient angioplasty patients. Cooper also has an active critical care medicine program and cardio thoracic surgery program, which are closely affiliated with the Cardiology Division.
Fellows rotate through an integrated three-year program allowing exposure to all faculty cardiologists and division activities. There are clinical rotations as well as rotations dedicated to specific laboratories such as echo-cardiography and electrophysiology. At least 6 months will be dedicated to research. The trainee’s experiences and specific rotations will depend upon individual needs and career goals. The 36-month curriculum consists of a first year of introductory rotations including catheterization, coronary intensive care, echocardiography, electrophysiology, nuclear cardiology, exercise testing, and preventive cardiology, as well as an introduction to the research process. The second and third years provide advanced clinical rotations and time for electives and research.
The fellow will be scheduled for clinical rotations for a minimum of 24 of the 36 months of the fellowship. These rotations will include cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology, coronary care unit, clinical consult service, echocardiography, and nuclear cardiology. In addition, the fellow will be assigned to stress testing, and ECG reading on an on-going basis. Fellows are assigned to the outpatient clinic one half-day per week throughout the 36 months. On average, the fellow will be on-call less often than one night per week and one weekend per 2 months. One month of vacation is scheduled in accordance with individual needs.
Throughout the fellowship, trainees are encouraged to increase their teaching and administrative capabilities, assuming responsibility for various activities such as case presentations, journal clubs, research conference, and assigned didactic lectures. Faculty supervision and assistance is provided in each of these activities. Fellows are active in medical student and medical resident teaching.
Cardiology teaching conferences are held on a daily basis, and the fellow will attend all lectures and conferences. Conferences include didactic lectures, journal clubs, electrophysiology, electrocardiography, echocardiography, catheterization, basic science, and research conferences, as well as professor’s rounds and cardiovascular grand rounds. Whenever applicable, conference time is divided between lecture material and case presentation.
Fellows will be supported to attend one national conference or extramural course each year. In addition, meetings at which the fellow presents a paper will be supported. Also, the fellow will have the opportunity to attend research investigator meetings paid by research funds.