Clinical Training

Fellows have the opportunity to accrue sufficient training (number of procedures, educational and research opportunities, and rotation months) to achieve COCATS Level 2 training in Cardiac Catheterization, Echocardiography and Nuclear Cardiology. In addition, there is sufficient time in the training program to achieve Level 2 in Cardiovascular CT and Cardiovascular MR if the trainee desires.

During Ambulatory Clinic training, we have instituted an innovative model that combines the Continuity Clinic model with the Block model, to incorporate the best features of each, allowing fellows to follow a panel of patients longitudinally, plus intensive exposure to all the major areas of cardiovascular disease. The Continuity Clinic Model is conducted at the Birmingham VA Medical Center where each fellow follows a pool of his or her own patients for the entirety of training. During the Block Model, fellows rotate through the major areas of cardiovascular disease listed below.

• General Cardiology in the first year
• Arrhythmia and Heart Failure/ Pulmonary Hypertension in the second year
• Elective time including Adult Congenital Heart Disease in the third year

This model has been very well received by the trainees and enables each fellow to learn advanced methods in each of the specialty areas of cardiology during the three years of training. 

Didactics

Fellows come together for noon conferences and other educational conferences each week. Many of these are CME accredited, a testimony to the considerable planning effort that goes into them. Fellows will accrue adequate contact hours in Nuclear Instrumentation and Safety to sit for the Nuclear Cardiology Board examination.

Medical Licensure

UAB covers the costs of Medical and DEA licensure during the course of training.

Meeting Travel

Assisting fellows in networking, research, clinical training and exposure, our program covers the costs for all trainees to attend one major meeting per year.

Mentoring

Our program has a unique personal development mentoring system that combines career development advising with research and clinical advising.

Research Training

UAB Cardiovascular Disease fellow trainees participate in a large number of research projects in our division and their research is featured in manuscripts, meeting abstracts, and presentations at a variety of settings including national meetings and our own UAB Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center annual symposium.

• Our division hosts a T32 training program in Vascular Biology and Hypertension. Trainees wishing to pursue two to three dedicated, protected years of research in this field are encouraged to participate.
• There is the option to obtain an advanced degree (e.g., MSPH) while participating in the training programs noted above — with tuition potentially covered as part of the T32.

Apply to Fellowship