Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program
The fellowship training program in Interventional Cardiology is an ACGME-approved, dedicated one-year program based at the UVM Medical Center, the primary teaching hospital of the Larner College of Medicine at UVM. Two training positions are available each year.
The program places a significant emphasis on a variety of research areas relevant to interventional cardiology as well as providing trainees with experience in all aspects of coronary intervention, including experience in coronary artery, cardiac structural, and peripheral vascular procedures.
Outstanding and Special Features of the Program
- Interventional cardiology fellows are exposed to and have substantial opportunities to participate in basic and clinical research in ischemic heart disease including evaluation of human cardiomyocyte function, examination of intracoronary markers of coagulation and platelet activation in PCI patients, the interplay of diabetes and CAD and numerous multi-center clinical trials in acute coronary syndromes and new therapeutic devices.
- The academic nature of the training environment is further underscored by frequent guest speakers at Interventional Grand Rounds. Recent speakers have included Robert Harrington, Valentin Fuster, Sunil Rao, and David Holmes.
- The Fellowship in Interventional Cardiology program at the University of Vermont has been ACGME certified for the training of interventional cardiology fellows for more than two decades. We were the first to be certified and are the longest running ACGME interventional cardiology fellowship in the New England region.
- We are model for an academic health center in a rural region. Interventional cardiology fellows may have unique exposure to issues related to time/distance from a PCI program as well as the socioeconomic issues of the rural poor.
- We are fortunate to be part of the University of Vermont which boasts one of the premier thrombosis groups in the world. Our biochemistry and medical school faculties (Drs. Russ Tracey, Ken Mann, Mary Cushman, and David Schneider) allow for a unique opportunity for our interventional cardiology fellows to participate in translational research involving PCI patients.
- We have faculty members in our catheterization laboratory from both Cardiology and Vascular Surgery. Thus, our fellows receive education from two Divisions that may provide complementary perspectives on the global care of the patient with cardiovascular disease. We also collaborate closely with the cardiothoracic surgery division and share a monthly educational conference.
- We have the only 6 faculty interventional cardiologists in the State of Vermont. Thus, fellows receive focused attention from a core group of full-time faculty and do not have to receive their teaching from any non-faculty practitioners.
- We treat a full range of patients (including adults with congenital heart disease) and clinical issues in a busy interventional cardiology program (>900 PCI/year by faculty) allowing large but not overwhelming fellow volume and a full range of current interventional techniques, including structural (TAVR, Mitraclip, PFO/ASD closure, and LAA occlusion) and peripheral vascular procedures. The program allows for significant time not in the interventional laboratory (approximately 25%) and encourages breadth of clinical expertise and medical knowledge in fellows. Fellows learn techniques in coronary and peripheral intervention, radial access, diagnostic catheterization in difficult hemodynamic situations, and interventional techniques in the treatment of adults with congenital and structural heart disease. All fellows will perform a minimum of 250 coronary interventional procedures prior to the end of their dedicated year in interventional cardiology.
- Fellows participate in novel research in the treatment of ischemic heart disease including numerous trials in adjunctive pharmacotherapy and drug-eluting stents.
- We offer a collegial atmosphere which provides close faculty supervision of Interventional cardiology fellows during all aspects of patient care and IC training.
- All fellows are funded to travel and present research to one international cardiology conference.
- The IC Fellowship has a well-rounded curriculum of educational opportunities to prepare trainees for their board exam in the subspecialty.
- The program participates in the Cath-PCI section of the ACC National Cardiovascular Data Registry (NCDR). Fellows may participate in research with the Northern New England Cardiovascular Disease Study Group (NNE). The NNE is recognized as a national leader in patient-outcome research and quality improvement related to PCI.
Key Faculty, Recent Research Activity
Harold Dauerman has been and currently is the PI in several international randomized controlled clinical trials and also has mentored several fellows in local investigator-initiated research projects.
Prospero Gogo has been the PI in several international randomized controlled clinical trials and has also performed translational research in antiplatelet pharmacology.
Rony Lahoud is the PI in a multicenter randomized trial with drug eluting stents.
Recent protocols involving interventional cardiology fellows include:
- NNE outcomes analysis including analyzing sex-related difference in PCI as well as current regional treatment of acute MI.
- Several RCTs in structural heart disease, including Corevalve Pivotal US Trial, TAVR Unload, Corevalve Moderate Risk, and Corevalve Low Risk.
- Recent trials in coronary DES.
Our Fellows
John O'Laughlin, MD
Sebeeda Kadavath, MD