Curriculum

Our fellows benefit from excellent procedural volumes and exposure to a wide variety of pathology from the diverse Houston area population. They are also exposed to all of the latest technologies available in cardiovascular care, including LVADs (both durable and short-term percutaneous devices), 3D echo, advanced fluoro-less EP studies utilizing 3D mapping systems, TAVR, and percutaneous left atrial appendage excluder devices, to name just a few.

Fellows also participate in several Regularly Scheduled Conferences (RSC) and are encouraged to complete a research project during the course of their three-year general cardiology fellowship. There are some opportunities for fellows to conduct research, including clinical trials and device development, among THI’s multiple research laboratories. Additionally, fellows can participate as reviewers for The Texas Heart Institute Journal.

Regularly Scheduled Conferences

Core Cardiology Lecture Series – The core cardiology lecture series is held daily during the noon conference from July to September of each year to provide incoming cardiology fellows with a broad introduction to the most salient topics and concepts in cardiology.

Cath Conferences—First Thursday of each month, during the noon conference. Fellows present recent cases from the cath lab, including hemodynamic and coronary angiographic information, to facilitate faculty and fellow discussion of clinical decision-making.

CCU Morning Report –Thursday mornings 8:00 AM. Restricted to first-year fellows who present and discuss recent clinical or procedural cases with clinical faculty.

EKG Conference – Once monthly during the noon conference. Interesting EKGs are presented by fellows and discussed in concept and ABIM cardiology board format.

Journal Club – Once a month during the noon conference. Fellows present relevant, high-impact articles for discussion in the presence of fellows and staff.

Echo Noon Conferences – Twice monthly during noon conference on Wednesdays. Echocardiography teaching staff reviews essential topics and concepts in echocardiography.

Echo/MRI Clinical Correlation Conference – 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. every other Wednesday. MRI and echocardiography teaching staff present interesting cases and compare findings on cardiac MR, cardiac CT, and echo for correlation.

EP conference – Wednesdays and Friday mornings from 7:30 to 8:30. Conference consists of various presenters and formats, including current fellows, teaching faculty, visiting faculty, and vendors presenting on relevant topics in electrophysiology.

Interventional Fellows Conference— Thursday mornings from 7:00 to 8:00. Conference consists of various presenters and formats, including current fellows, teaching faculty, visiting faculty, and vendors presenting on relevant topics in interventional cardiology.

Grand Rounds – Friday at 12:00 p.m. Grand Rounds consists of an hour-long presentation given by a visiting lecturer, generally an expert in their cardiology field, invited by our cardiology department.

Peripheral Vascular Case Conference – Third Thursday of every other month from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.  The conference is open to all vascular surgery residents, general cardiology and interventional cardiology fellows, and attendings involved with peripheral vascular procedures. The conference provides a unique forum for cardiologists, interventional cardiologists, vascular surgeons, and trainees to discuss challenging cases and review the current literature. Topics include but are not limited to aortic aneurysm repair, thoracic outlet syndrome, lower extremity bypass, arteriovenous access (AV fistulas and grafts), carotid endarterectomy, bypass, carotid-subclavian bypass/transposition, aortoiliac surgical reconstruction for aortic graft infection, iliac extremity transluminal angioplasty and/or atherectomy and/or stenting, carotid stenting, percutaneous lower extremity transluminal angioplasty and/or atherectomy and/or stenting, carotid artery stenting, EVAR, and TEVAR.

M&M – Monthly during noon conference. Senior fellows present morbidity and mortality cases for peer review with both fellows and teaching staff.

Didactics & Symposia

Cardiology Fellow Boot Camp – An incoming fellows’ boot camp is hosted prior to the matriculation of our new PGY4 fellows each year. This is coordinated by a prior THI fellow and current Texas Children’s Hospital adult congenital and electrophysiology specialist, Dr. Wilson Lam.

Annual Houston Echo Review: Boot Camp for Echo Board – Annual two-day echocardiography board review and CME session involving a collaboration of leaders from Texas Heart Institute and surrounding institutions, including The Methodist Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine.

Women’s Heart & Vascular Symposium
Cardiac Arrhythmia Symposium
Global Cardiovascular Forum
Cardiac Society Symposium
International Symposium on Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine
Igor Palacios Lectureship & Symposium

Livestreaming Education

All Fellows are enrolled in Texas Heart TV to receive unlimited access to the enduring education developed at THI.