Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Training and Fellowships

Training

Click here for available fellowships.

Advanced Imaging Fellowship Timeline and Guidelines

Physician Levels of Knowledge, Skills, and Training.

Required knowledge base for core and advanced levels of expertise

Core

• Understanding of the basic principles of ultrasound physics
• Knowledge of the indications for transthoracic echocardiography in pediatric
• patients
• Knowledge of common congenital heart defects and surgical interventions
• Knowledge of Doppler methods and their application for assessment of blood flow and prediction of intracardiac pressures
• Knowledge of the limitations of echocardiography and Doppler techniques
• Knowledge of alternative diagnostic imaging techniques
• Knowledge of standard acoustic windows and transducer positions
• Knowledge of image display and orientation used in pediatric echocardiography
• Ability to recognize normal and abnormal cardiovascular structures by 2-dimensional imaging and to correlate the cross-sectional images with anatomic structures
• Familiarity with standard echocardiographic methods of ventricular function assessment
• Familiarity with major developments in the field of noninvasive diagnostic imaging

Advanced

In addition to the knowledge base required in the core level:

• In-depth knowledge of ultrasound physics
• Ability to recognize and characterize rare and complex congenital and acquired cardiovascular abnormalities in a variety of clinical settings
• In-depth understanding of Doppler methods and their application to the assessment of cardiovascular physiology
• Familiarity with all echocardiographic methods available for assessment of global and regional ventricular function and knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of these techniques
• Up-to-date knowledge of recent advances in the field of noninvasive cardiac imaging, including ability to review critically published research that pertains to the field
• Knowledge of current training guidelines and regulations relevant to pediatric echocardiography

Required skills for core and advanced levels of expertise.

Core

• Ability to safely, properly, and efficiently use cardiac ultrasound equipment
• Ability to perform a complete transthoracic echocardiographic examination with proper use of M-mode, 2-dimensional, and Doppler techniques in normal pediatric patients and in those with heart disease, with consultation
  as needed

Advanced

In addition to the skills required in the core level:

• Ability to perform independently a complete transthoracic echocardiographic examination with proper use of all available ultrasound techniques in patients with all types of congenital heart disease
• Ability to assess cardiovascular physiology and global and regional ventricular function using a variety of ultrasound techniques
• Ability to supervise

Training methods recommended for core and advanced levels of expertise

Core

• Training should take place in a pediatric echocardiography laboratory that serves a hospital with an accredited pediatric cardiology program, inpatient and outpatient facilities, neonatal and pediatric intensive care departments, a pediatric cardiac catheterization laboratory, and a congenital heart surgery program
• Supervised performance of at least 150 transthoracic echocardiograms (at least 50 in infants age _ 1 y)*
• Review at least 150 transthoracic echocardiograms with a qualified staff pediatric echocardiographer*
• Participate in didactic conferences in which echocardiographic data are reviewed and their clinical applications are discussed
• Reading of textbooks, review articles, and original research on pediatric echocardiography
• Attendance at CME courses that are either dedicated to or include pediatric echocardiography

Advanced

In addition to the training methods described in the core level:

• Perform at least 200 additional transthoracic echocardiograms (at least 50 in infants age _ 1 y) with subsequent review and critique of the examinations by the responsible staff pediatric echocardiographer*
• Review at least 200 additional transthoracic echocardiograms with a qualified staff pediatric echocardiographer*
• Trainees should gradually attain a high level of independence; the degree and rate at which independence is attained should be determined by the director of the laboratory
• Prepare and present echocardiographic data at clinical and didactic conferences
• Active participation in research that involves echocardiography of pediatric heart disease

CME, Continuing Medical education.
*The recommended numbers of examinations outlined here represent minimal and not optimal requirements.

The Pediatric and Congenital Heart Disease Council would like to maintain this list of 4th year imaging fellowships.  If you are likely to offer a fellowship position, even if you’ve already filled it, please send the following information to acooper@asecho.org:

1. Name of institution
2. Number of positions
3. Type of fellowship (general imaging, fetal, cardiac MR, mixed clinical and imaging, etc.)
4. Contact person, address, and e-mail
5. Deadlines

Listed alphabetically by state:

CALIFORNIA

Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
Position: 1
Advanced Imaging: TTE, TEE, Fetal, MRI, 3D, exercise

Contact:
Pierre C. Wong, MD
Program Director for the Advanced Imaging Fellowship
pwong@chla.usc.edu

Deadline: July 31, 2023

COLORADO

Children’s Hospital Colorado
Position: 1 
Fellowship Program Director: Christopher Rausch

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA

Children’s National Medical Center

Position: 1
TTE, TEE, fetal, MRI, clinical and research

Contact:
Mary T. Donofrio, MD, FAAP, FACC, FASE
Director of Advanced Imaging Fellowship
Contact AA:
Brenda Roach
Email: broach@cnmc.org

GEORGIA

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Sibley Heart Center at Emory University

Position: 1
General Advanced Imaging: echo, fetal echo and MRI

Contact:
William L Border, MD, MPH, FASE
Director, Noninvasive Cardiac Imaging
Email: borderw@kidsheart.com

ILLINOIS

Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago

Position: 1
Advance Imaging (TEE, fetal, 3D) and CT/MR

Contact:
Luciana T. Young, MD
Director of Echocardiography
Email: lyoung@luriechildrens.org

MASSACHUSETTS

Boston Children’s Hospital
Positions: 2
Fellowship Program Director: Tal Geva, MD
Contact: Debi.wilkinson@cardio.chboston.org

MINNESOTA

Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN
Position: 1
Advanced Congenital and Pediatric Cardiac Imaging 4^th year fellowship: specializing in Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
Contact: Dr. Patrick O’Leary
Program Director for the fellowship
Email: poleary@mayo.edu
Coordinator: lenn.kathryn@mayo.edu
Deadline: November 1 of each year

NEW YORK

Mount Sinai Medical Center

Position: 1
Mixed MRI + Fetal + TTE + advanced imaging techniques

Contact:
Shubhika Srivastava, MBBS
Director of Fellowship Program and Echocardiography
Email: shubhika.srivastava@mssm.edu
Coordinator: latoya.burgess@mssm.edu

OHIO

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
Positions: 2
Fellowship Program Director: Jeanne James, MD
Imaging Fellowship Directors: Rick Michelfelder, MD; Michael Taylor, MD, PhD
Email: Erik.Michelfelder@cchmc.org; Michael.Taylor1@cchmc.org

Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Position: 1
Advanced Noninvasive Cardiac Imaging including MRI, CT, Fetal, TEE and 3-D

Contact:
John P. Kovalchin, MD
Director of Echocardiography
Director of Advanced Noninvasive Cardiac Imaging Fellowship
The Heart Center
Nationwide Children’s Hospital
700 Children’s Drive
Columbus, OH 43205
Associate Professor of Pediatrics
The Ohio State University
Phone: 614-722-2531
Fax: 614-722-2549
Email: john.kovalchin@nationwidechildrens.org

SOUTH CAROLINA

Medical University of South Carolina
Position: 1
Fellowship Program Director: Eric Graham, MD
Contact: grahamem@musc.edu

WISCONSIN

Medical College of Wisconsin/Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin
Position: 1
Fellowship Program Director: Peter Bartz, MD
Contact: pbartz@chw.org

TENTATIVE POSITIONS

None listed at this time