Education & Curriculum

Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Curriculum

The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UTHSCSA) is a three-year training program integrated between two core hospital systems: University Health System and South Texas Veterans Health Care System, Audie L. Murphy Division. The fellowship curriculum is designed according to recommendations of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, American Board of Internal Medicine, and the American College of Cardiology training guidelines for fellowship programs (COCATS III and subsequent updates). Clinical training comprises at least 24 months of the fellowship. Faculty availability, organized cardiology rounds and teaching sessions, and individual instruction form the basis for the UTHSCSA Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program. The purpose is to provide cardiology fellows with expertise in all phases of clinical cardiology, including:

• acute coronary care (pre-hospital and inpatient management)
• cardiac consultation
• ambulatory cardiology
• clinical practice
• electrocardiography
• exercise stress testing
• nuclear cardiology
• arrhythmia interpretation
• electrical cardioversion
• transthoracic echocardiography
• transesophageal and stress echocardiography
• cardiac catheterization and angiography

Additionally, fellows receive ample exposure to percutaneous cardiac intervention, pacemakers/electrophysiologic studies, and cardiac transplantation: however, independent performance of these sub-specialized cardiac disciplines requires additional training. Finally, cardiovascular disease fellows will obtain training in the clinical evaluation of the cardiology literature and performance of cardiovascular research. Fellows participating in this program will be well prepared to successfully complete the ABIM certifying examination in Cardiovascular Disease

Rolling Board Pass Rates

Cardiovascular Disease: 96%

Nuclear: 100%

Echo: 100%

Interventional Cardiology: 100%

Block Rotations (each year of fellowship consists of 12 blocks):

PGY-4 Blocks

• 2 months Coronary Care Unit (UHS & VA)
• 2 months Consultation Services (UHS & VA)
• Noninvasive Cardiac Evaluation:
  • • 2 months Echocardiography Laboratory (UHS)
    • 1 month Graphics Laboratory (includes exercise stress testing, ECG interpretation, ambulatory ECG recording, and nuclear cardiology)
• 2 months Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (UHS)
• 1 month Electrophysiology
• 1 month Elective
• 1 month Night Float (PGY-4 & PGY-5 only)
• Outpatient Clinics: rotating weekly at MARC & VAH

PGY-5 Blocks

• 1 month Coronary Care Unit (VAH)
• Noninvasive Cardiac Evaluation:
  •  2 months Echocardiography Laboratory (VAH)
  • 3 months Graphics Laboratory (includes exercise stress testing, ECG interpretation, ambulatory ECG recording, and nuclear cardiology)
• 2 months Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (UHS & VAH)
• 1 month Electrophysiology
• 2 months Elective (includes CHF)
• 1 month Night Float (PGY-4 & PGY-5 only)
• Outpatient Clinics: rotating weekly at MARC & VAH

PGY-6 Blocks

• 2 months Coronary Care Unit (UHS)
• Noninvasive Cardiac Evaluation:
  • 3 months Echocardiography Laboratory (VAH)
  • 1 month Graphics Laboratory (includes exercise stress testing, ECG interpretation, ambulatory ECG recording and nuclear cardiology)
• 3 months Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory (UHS & VAH)
• 3 months Elective (includes CHF)
• Outpatient Clinics: rotating weekly at MARC & VAH