Cardiovascular Medicine

  • Angleton Danbury Campus

Advanced Heart Failure

For Prospective Advance Heart Failure and Transplant Fellows
Khaled Chatila, MD

Welcome to the site of Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Program at the University of Texas Medical Branch Hospitals. The primary objectives of the Advance Heart Failure Fellowship is to provide advanced knowledge and expertise in the area of Advance Heart Failure management, Assist Devices (both percutaneous and surgical), and all increasing role of the AICDs and Cardiac resynchronization therapy and remote monitoring are also priorities of the fellowship.

We are a ACGME accredited program. Currently, two (2) fellows are accepted each year for this one-year fellowship.

This program is an accredited ACGME approved program in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplantation specialty. The goal of our training program is to produce outstanding Advance Heart Failure cardiologists who excel in all areas of core competencies in Advance Heart Failure and these other six (6) areas: (a) patient care, (b) medical knowledge, (c) practice-based learning and improvement, (d) interpersonal and communication skills, (e) professionalism, and (f) systems-based practice. The training program views professionalism to be one of the most important attributes of Advance Heart Failure cardiologists and encourages the fellows to strive for and attain the highest level of professionalism that lasts a lifetime.

Training takes places everywhere on the campus in the cardiac catheterization laboratory, coronary care unit, step-down unit, outpatient clinic, conference rooms, offices, and others. Program Director and Advance Heart Failure faculty are determined to be highly accessible to all Advance Heart Failure fellows and are committed to mentor and coach all Advance Heart Failure fellows to be outstanding professionals.

Responsibilities of Advance Heart Failure fellows include the evaluation and care of all patients referred for Heart Failure management. The program will provide sufficient experience for the fellows to acquire skill and proficiency in the performance and interpretation of: history and physical examinations, basic and advanced cardiac life support, right heart catheterization, endomyocardial biopsies, percutaneous assist devices such as IABP (intraaortic balloon pump, Impella assist device or others such as percutaneous ECMO), surgical assist devices (Heart Mate II, Heartware, and soon Heart Mate III), heart transplant, cardiopulmonary exercise testing, evaluation and interpretation of ICDs and CRTs. Other areas also included are: remote monitoring management, nuclear imaging (myocardial viability studies and perfusion images) Echocardiography (especially cardiomiopathies, assist devices imaging, disyncrhony, viability studies).

Fellows will be expected to actively participate in clinical trials and are highly encouraged to complete a research project suitable for publication in a peer review journal.

The experience in the fellowship program is acquired in the Advance Heart Failure section of the Division of Cardiology and Department of cardiovascular surgery at The University of Texas Medical Branch's John Sealy Hospital.

Eligibility and Requirements for the Program
  1. We are an ACGME accredited program. Although completion of an ACGME accredited Cardiology Fellowship is preferred, we will also be accepting applications from those who have completed an ACGME accredited Internal Medicine Residency program for 2018-2019 recruitment (only).
  2. Recommendation letters supporting the character, professionalism, and fitness of the candidate for the future Advance Heart Failure and Transplant cardiologist
  3. An appropriate visa status. The Cardiovascular Disease Accredited Track accepts J1 applicants and permanent residents. The Internal Medicine Residency Graduate Non-Accredited Track accepts permanent residents.
Application Timeline
  1. Class of 2022 (training commencing in July 2021)
    Accredited Positions – Applicants who have completed Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship
    July 1, 2020ERAS opens for fellows to submit applications
    August 12, 2020ERAS opens for programs to download applications
    October 1, 2020Our program will make final ERAS download of applications
    Oct 1 - Oct 30, 2020Program will host interviews
    November 18, 2020NRMP Rank Order List Deadline
    December 2, 2020NRMP Match Day for Fellowships
    • The number of positions open – two (2)
    • Application open – October 1, 2020
    • Application deadline – January 15, 2021
    • Interview – Late January/February 2021

In the Event our program does not fill accredited positions through the NRMP Match, we will proceed with the following process:

Non-Accredited Positions – Applicants who have completed Internal Medicine Residency
July 1, 2020 - December 13, 2020Complete ERAS Application and Submit by deadline: Sunday, December 13, 2020 to be considered for Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology Fellowship starting July 1, 2021.
January 2021Program will finish reviewing ERAS applications through 1st and 2nd weeks in January 2021. Program will extend invitations 2nd and 3rd weeks of January 2021.
Feb 1 - Feb 28, 2021Program will host interviews
1st Week of March 2021Final Decisions and Offer Letters Sent
How to Apply

For those candidates who have completed a General Cardiology Fellowship, please apply online through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service). You will submit all documentation through ERAS. Please chose the following track: Cardiovascular Disease Graduates Accredited Track.

For those candidates who have completed Internal Medicine Residency. Please choose the following track: Internal Medicine Residency Graduates Non-Accredited Track.

Advance Heart Failure and Transplantation Handbook
Available upon request. Please contact Leslie Elgin (lcelgin@utmb.edu) at our Cardiology Fellowships Office.