Clinical Training

UC San Diego fellows are trained to become future leaders in Advanced Heart Failure, Mechanical Circulatory Support (MCS), and Heart Transplantation through a comprehensive program aligned with ACGME requirements and the ACC Core Cardiology Training Statement (COCATS 4). The curriculum is designed to foster progressive independence, with graduated autonomy supported by close mentorship from dedicated faculty.

Fellows develop expertise in the evaluation and management of new-onset heart failure and cardiogenic shock, including the use of temporary and durable mechanical circulatory support devices, as well as pre-transplant candidate assessment, post-transplant management, and donor evaluation. Procedural competency is achieved in right heart catheterization and endomyocardial biopsy. Fellows are also actively engaged in clinical research and heart failure trials, building skills essential for academic and clinical leadership.

The didactic program supports this mission through weekly Heart Failure conferences led by UC San Diego faculty and distinguished national and international speakers. Additional opportunities include biannual Heart Failure Society of America–sponsored symposia and structured board preparation. Multidisciplinary collaboration—with nurses, dietitians, social workers, pharmacists, and other healthcare professionals—is a core component of training.

Clinical training is centered at the Sulpizio Cardiovascular Center (SCVC) and emphasizes increasing responsibility over time, enabling fellows to function as independent consultants by the completion of training. Core clinical experiences include:

• Inpatient ICU service, managing critically ill patients with advanced heart failure, cardiogenic shock, and post-transplant and MCS issues with graduated decision-making responsibility
• Inpatient heart failure consult service, with increasing autonomy in diagnostic and management strategies
• Outpatient heart failure and transplant clinics, fostering longitudinal patient relationships and independent clinical judgment
• Management of patients supported with temporary and durable mechanical circulatory support devices
• Comprehensive pre- and post-heart transplant care, including participation in donor evaluation and selection

Fellows also receive focused subspecialty clinical training in:

• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM)
• Genetic cardiomyopathies
• Cardiac amyloidosis
• Cardiac sarcoidosis
• Cardio-oncology
• Cardio-obstetrics
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Pulmonary angiography

Throughout training, fellows are supported by engaged faculty who are committed to mentorship, feedback, and professional development. Evaluation is conducted using a comprehensive 360-degree process that includes input from faculty, nurses, pharmacists, allied health professionals, residents, and general cardiology fellows.

Graduates of the program are well prepared for independent practice and leadership roles in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology, both in academic and private practice environments. Fellows consistently perform well on the ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology certification examination, and more than 75% pursue careers in academic medicine, with alumni holding positions at institutions across the country.