Medical College of Georgia Program

The Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program at the Medical College of Georgia, Augusta University, has been a cornerstone of training for fellows in Pediatric Cardiology for over three decades. The program is dedicated to producing well-rounded, highly competent general pediatric cardiologists with a strong emphasis on congenital heart disease, cardiac development, noninvasive and invasive diagnostic techniques, hemodynamic evaluation, clinical physiology, and patient-and-family-centered care.

The fellowship is a three-year program accredited by Graduate Medical Education (GME) and is designed to follow a structured process of graduated responsibilities for the fellows. Each fellow is mentored closely, with the objective of fostering personal and professional growth throughout the duration of the program.

Core Competencies

The pediatric cardiology fellowship focuses on developing six core competencies that are essential for any healthcare professional:

• Professionalism
• Patient care and procedural skills
• Medical knowledge
• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Practice-based learning and improvement
• System-based practice

These competencies are integral to the training process, allowing fellows to emerge as proficient clinicians capable of managing a wide range of pediatric cardiology cases.

Training Structure

The program accepts three fellows each year. During their training, fellows engage in various inpatient responsibilities, including consultations and follow-up care in both the Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Units, as well as other inpatient areas and the Emergency Department. This exposure ensures that they gain comprehensive patient management experience in a variety of clinical settings.

In addition to inpatient training, fellows are provided with outpatient continuity experiences. Each fellow is paired with an assigned faculty Pediatric Cardiologist, providing a mentor-mentee relationship that enhances learning and clinical skills.

Rotations and Skills Development

The fellowship includes scheduled rotations that allow fellows to focus on developing skills in various essential areas:

• Echocardiographic imaging and interpretation, including fetal echocardiography and intraprocedural transesophageal or intracardiac imaging.
• Cardiac catheterization techniques that encompass both diagnostic and interventional methods.
• Adjunctive imaging techniques, such as CT and MRI.
• Electrophysiologic diagnosis and management, achieved through collaboration with both Pediatric and adult electrophysiology faculties.

As fellows advance through the program, they are expected to take on increasing responsibilities for patient management, all under the guidance of attending faculty. By the latter part of the fellowship, fellows are anticipated to perform independently on the inpatient ICU service and carry out routine and complex cardiac catheterizations.

Research Opportunities

The fellowship offers three major research avenues: clinical preventive cardiology through the Georgia Prevention Institute, exploring human cardiac development through the fetal cardiology program, and vascular biology research through the Vascular Biology Group. These opportunities provide fellows with a chance to engage in meaningful research within the field of pediatric cardiology.

Visa Support and Application Requirements

The program is open to international medical graduates and offers visa sponsorship for J-1 and H-1B visa types, facilitating avenues for qualified candidates from abroad to join the fellowship.

Applicants should note any special requirements; in general, the program seeks individuals who have graduated from medical school within a certain timeframe and have certain performance standards on their licensing exams. It may specify maximum STEP exam failures acceptable for application consideration.

Upon successful completion of the fellowship, graduates will possess the competence to tackle complex cardiovascular issues, manage congenital heart diseases, and assume leadership roles in pediatric cardiology.