Structural Heart Disease Fellowship Program

Comprehensive training in a wide variety of interventions

The Structural Heart Disease Fellowship Program is a one-year, clinical training fellowship in structural Intervenions. The goal of the fellowship is to provide comprehensive training in a wide variety of intervenions for structural disease, as well as the management of structural heart disease patients across the spectrum of care, including ambulatory and inpaient.

The fellow will experience high-volume training in a wide variety of structural intervenions including, TAVR, MitraClip, tricuspid interventions, pulmonary interventions, balloon valvuloplasties, intracardiac defect closures (ASD, PFO, PDA, VSD, etc), left atrial appendage occlusion, and more.

Excellent training in a rapidly advancing field

The training program is in a continual state of evolution to keep pace with the rapidly advancing field of interventional cardiology. Clinical training takes place at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) and the Nashville Veterans Affairs Medical Center. 

Our program encourages and expects open communication from both the atending and the fellows that will facilitate the appropriate level of supervision for any given situation. Our key clinical physicians include Drs. Colin Barker, Holly Gonzales, Kashish Goel, Christopher Ellis and Brian Lindman.

The Structural Heart Disease Fellow will experience high volume training in a wide variety of structural interventions including:

  • TAVR
  • MitralClip
  • Balloon Valvuloplasty
  • Intracardiac defect closures including ASD/PFO, VSD
  • Left Atrial appendage occlusion
  • Adult congenital heart interventions

Training methods in the Structural Heart Disease Fellowship Program include:

  • Presentation of key literature and case presentations at conferences including journal club
  • Participatation in Morbidity and Mortality conferences, quality assurance data collection and review conferences
  • Mandatory atendance at two interventuonal conferences per week
  • Atendance at at least one national meeting (AHA, ACC, SCAI) to present research
  • Participation in off-site training courses
  • Didactic Sessions and Teaching Methods used to ensure program goals and objectives are met

Structural Heart Disease Fellows will have opportunity to:

  • Perform interventional procedures under direct supervision by the Interventional Cardiology atending physician at the Vanderbilt and the Nashville VA catheterization laboratories
  • Manage the interventional services at VUMC and VA medical center in collaboration with the atending physician
  • Gain competence in a complete range of interventional procedures as listed above
  • Weekly participation in the VUMC and VA interventional outpatient clinic

Clinical and research training is augmented by a robust schedule of weekly conferences. These include:

  • Catheterization conferences
  • CT Angiography-Catheterization Correlation conference
  • Clinical Management conference
  • Cardiology Grand Rounds
  • Echocardiography conference
  • Arrhythmia conference
  • Department of Medicine Grand Rounds
  • Interventional Cardiology conference

Fellows in the Structural Heart Disease Fellowship Program attend the weekly Interventional Cardiology conference, which is specifically designed to develop cognitive skills, learn evidence-based interventional cardiology, discuss specific literature references, review and discuss clinical cases, technical strategies, and review of the interventional clinical literature. There are abundant opportunities to attend additional conferences on clinical topics and basic science research on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center campus.

    The application deadline is September 1 for the fellowship year beginning July 1.

    Requirements:

    • Completion of an ACGME-accredited Cardiovascular medicine fellowship
    • Completion of an ACGME-accredited Interventional Cardiology fellowship
    • Board certified in general Cardiovascular Medicine
    • Board certified or board eligible in Interventional Cardiology

    To apply, please submit:

    • Vanderbilt GME application (PDF file) with photo
    • CV / Personal statement
    • USMLE transcript - transmited by the NBME
    • Medical school transcript
    • Three letters of recommendation (one from Interventional Cardiology fellowship program director)
    • ECFMG status report and certificate (international medical graduates only)
    • J-1 and H-1B Visa applications accepted

    Charlene Thompson, Program Manager
    Email: cmt.thompson@vumc.org
    Structural Heart Disease Fellowship Program
    Vanderbilt University Medical Center

    Program Leadership

    Jared M. O'Leary, MD

    Assistant Professor of Medicine
    Director, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program 

    Colin M. Barker, MD

    Associate Professor of Medicine
    Associate Director, Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program