Heart Failure and Transplant Fellowship Cardiovascular Medicine Division University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics

The Heart Failure and Transplant Program at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics sponsors a 1 year fellowship training program for specialization in the area of heart failure and cardiac transplantation. The fellowship program incorporates the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) guidelines for training of a heart transplant physician.

Curriculum

Overview:

The Heart Failure and Transplant Fellowship is an integrated program providing specialized education in the pathophysiology and treatment of heart failure and in cardiac transplantation. At the end of the year, the fellow will:

• Receive extensive training in the management of all etiologies of ventricular dysfunction.
• Learn to manage heart failure patients within the entire clinical spectrum from ambulatory heart failure to severe, drug refractory heart failure.
• Exposed to new and experimental approaches to heart failure, including, but not limited to, experimental inotropic, vasodilatory and diuretic agents; mechanical circulatory assist devices; and surgical therapies such as revascularization, valve repair/replacement, and ventricular reconstruction.
• Expected to have a complete understanding and working knowledge of the current literature in heart failure including the ACC/AHA 2005 Guidelines for the Diagnosis and Management of Chronic Heart Failure in the Adult.

The University of Wisconsin Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Program is a multi-disciplinary program caring for over 1000 heart failure and heart transplant patients. The team includes 5 full-time subspecialty trained heart failure and transplant cardiologists, 2 nurse practitioners, 6 RN coordinators, a social worker, a dietician, dedicated pharmacists and exercise physiologists. The fellow will learn optimal care of the patient with chronic disease within this model.

Fellows will receive advanced education/experience in the care of the heart transplant patient including:

• Candidate selection
• Donor evaluation and management
• Physiology of the transplanted heart, immunology and immunosuppression, immediate post-operative care, and long term care, including management of post-transplant complications.
• Participate in performing heart biopsies to monitor for rejection.
• Working knowledge of general immunology and cardiac transplantation as outlined in the Primer on Transplantation published by the American Society of Transplantation.

The clinical experience consists of inpatient care, outpatient clinics and time in the endomyocardial biopsy lab at the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics. Teaching methods include both the direct tutorial method and the didactic method with the attending heart failure/transplant cardiologist. Evaluation will be by direct observation and interaction and documented according to the ABIM format.

During the fellowship, the fellow will be expected to participate in an ongoing clinical research project or pursue an original project. With appropriate funding, trainees may pursue an additional 6-12 months of heart failure or transplant research under the direct supervision of a senior scientist. Teaching during this additional training will be by direct mentoring by the senior scientist.