Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship

The Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship Training Program at UC San Diego is a 2-year comprehensive fellowship training program.

The program's primary objective is to train exceptional physicians who possess the specialized knowledge, skills, and clinical expertise necessary to provide comprehensive care for adults living with congenital heart disease (ACHD). Our program is designed to prepare fellows for leadership roles in the field of ACHD, with a focus on delivering patient-centered, evidence-based care.

The program's educational objectives include developing expertise in ACHD care, multidisciplinary collaboration, advanced imaging and diagnostic skills, procedural techniques, and longitudinal care management. Fellows will acquire proficiency in interpreting advanced cardiac imaging modalities, including echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and CT angiography, to facilitate accurate diagnosis, risk stratification, and treatment planning. They will also gain hands-on experience in performing diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, such as catheter-based interventions, electrophysiology studies, and interventional echocardiography, under the guidance of experienced faculty mentors.

Our program is structured to ensure that fellows attain proficiency in core clinical competencies, including medical knowledge, patient care, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, practice-based learning, and systems-based practice. The program utilizes a variety of assessment methods to evaluate fellows' progress towards meeting program goals and objectives, including direct observation and feedback, regular evaluations by faculty mentors, peers, and patients, performance on standardized tests, and quality improvement projects and scholarly activities.

Fellows in our program benefit from the guidance and mentorship of experienced ACHD faculty members, who are dedicated to fostering a supportive learning environment and facilitating fellows' professional growth. The program provides access to state-of-the-art clinical facilities, advanced cardiac imaging technology, and a rich array of educational resources, including conferences, seminars, and online learning modules.

The clinical experiences in our program include continuity ambulatory clinic experience, ACHD consultative service, dedicated time in the UCSD echocardiography lab and cardiac imaging center, ACHD catheterization, intensive care and surgical services, and experience in pediatric, internal medicine, or cardiology services. Fellows will participate in training using simulation, including technical skills related to transesophageal echocardiography and cardiac catheterization, and will obtain ART or ACLS skills and certifications.

The core curriculum includes a didactic program based on the core knowledge content in the subspecialty area, with weekly conferences, including the Adult Congenital Heart Disease Multidisciplinary Conference, Rady Children’s Hospital Pediatric Multidisciplinary Care Conference, and Cardiology Core Curriculum. Fellows must have clinical experience in caring for patients in the context of a multidisciplinary disease management program, caring for patients with intellectual or emotional limitations, transitional care practices, end-of-life care, and evaluating patients for cardiac or pulmonary transplant or mechanical assist devices.

Fellows will be instructed in practice management relevant to ACHD, including transitional care, multidisciplinary care of the adult with Fontan circulation, and care for the intellectually disabled person. Each fellow will be assigned at least one research project at the beginning of their training, with direct mentorship of an ACHD faculty, and will have opportunities to participate in the department's clinical trials and quality improvement or process improvement projects.

Find out how to apply.