Interventional Cardiology Fellowship

The Interventional Cardiology fellows rotate through 6 state-of-the art cath labs staffed by 9 academic interventionalists committed to the highest standards of clinical training. Fellows rotate through the labs at the Presbyterian/Shadyside/Passavant and the Veteran’s Administration Campus. They are mentored in all aspects of clinical management of patients with complex coronary and structural disorders.

1. ACGME-accredited Interventional Year: The focus in this year is on advancing their coronary technical skills including supervising diagnostic coronary procedures with the general cardiology fellow, advancing their PCI technical skills and decision making in both stable CAD and ACS. Advancing their knowledge/applicability and technical skills around adjunctive coronary therapies including physiologic coronary assessment (including CMD), intravascular imaging, calcium modification/atherectomy, mechanical circulatory support and CTO PCI. There is exposure to additional procedures as the fellow has interest including PE therapies, Pulmonary balloon angioplasty, carotid stenting, renal denervation and early structural skills. The fellow is also in an outpatient clinic one half-day each week.

2. Structural Heart Disease Year (non-ACGME accredited): This year is an independent year dedicated to advancing the fellow’s structural knowledge, experience and technical skills. The fellow will get in-depth experience with TAVR (including multiple different platforms of both SEV and BEV), as well as leaflet modification techniques. Mitral TEER, TMVR, Tricuspid TEER, Paravalvular leak closure, ASD/PFO closures, VSD closures, etc… There are dedicated multidisciplinary heart team meetings for both aortic and mitral/tricuspid valve interventions, as well as dedicated, PA-supported structural clinic for outpatient work-up. Post-op care is coordinated through a PA-supported clinical service that the fellow is an integral member. An emphasis will be placed on the longitudinal care of patients from evaluation through hospital admission, treatment, post-operative care, and discharge. Fellows are expected to participate in faculty-directed clinical research projects, which culminate in presentation at a major scientific meeting and journal publication, as well as participating in the enrollment and follow-up of patients in clinical trials.

3. Complex Coronary/CHiP/CTO Year (non-ACGME accredited): This year can be tailored to a fellows desire to increase their knowledge and technical skills around complex coronary subsets, including high-risk PCI due to either patient co-morbidity, hemodynamic instability or coronary lesion subset. Adjunctive therapies are expanded upon including intravascular imaging, rotational/orbital/laser atherectomy, IVL, and mechanical circulatory support. We have a robust Chronic Total Occlusion (CTO) program that the fellow will learn hybrid algorithm with goal to be first operator by the end of this year on both antegrade and retrograde interventions, as well as complication management.

 

The UPMC staff interventionalists publish on a wide range of basic, translational, clinical, and epidemiologic research. Each interventional fellow is expected to identify research projects that are of interest to them. A faculty mentor supervises and assists in the completion of these projects and coordinates additional research training throughout the year. Fellows are expected to present at monthly UPMC Interventional research conferences as well as regional or national meetings and work toward submitting completed manuscripts. Interventional fellows are actively involved in aspects of device clinical trials. Advanced training is available for fellows planning on a research career with Masters Programs and funding with a T32 Grant.

UPMC Presbyterian and UPMC Shadyside are united into one integrated system known as UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside. UPMC Presbyterian is a major adult tertiary-care hospital and academic medical center located in the heart of the Oakland neighborhood. With more than 750 licensed beds, the hospital provides extensive adult inpatient medical and surgical services. As a designated Level I Trauma Center and certified Comprehensive Stroke Center, the hospital’s Emergency Department sees more than 55,000 patients each year.

The UPMC Shadyside campus of this hospital (located several miles away in the Shadyside neighborhood) is a major tertiary-care teaching hospital. With approximately 500 beds, the hospital offers primary medical care, physician and nursing education, and a broad range of specialties. This campus is home to the UPMC Hillman Cancer Center.

UPMC Presbyterian Shadyside Hospital is the flagship hospital of the UPMC consortium and serves as the primary tertiary referral center for complex coronary and structural heart care in Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and West Virginia. This mix of cases provides the trainee with an exceptional clinical experience and the proximity to the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine provides an opportunity to learn from some of the leaders in basic and that reside at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.

Applications for the fellowship are accepted from the opening of ERAS from physicians who will have completed a three-year ACGME-accredited cardiovascular disease fellowship by the time the clinical cardiac electrophysiology program begins in July. All applicants must register and complete an application through the ERAS electronic residency application system.

Applying to Residencies with the ERAS® System | Students & Residents (aamc.org)

Each application is reviewed in its entirety by the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program Director and the Interventional Cardiology Lab Director, and at least one other staff interventionalist. Candidates are selected for interviews based on character, integrity, work ethic, leadership, clinical excellence, research productivity, educational accomplishments, and potential for a productive career. While we receive applications from many well-qualified candidates, it is not possible to interview all who apply.

Interviews will be conducted virtually from mid-September to mid-November. Each candidate will meet with the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program Director, the Interventional Cardiology Lab Director and at least two other staff interventionalists. All applicants will also interview with the current UPMC interventional fellows.

Current Fellows

	Francheska Castro, MD Medical School: Ross University Residency: UCF/HCA GME Consortium of Greater Orlando Fellowship: University of South Florida
	Sebastian Estrada, MD Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine Residency: Duke University Hospital Fellowship: UPMC

Advanced Interventional Fellows

	Kathryn Harris, MD Medical School: Meharry Medical College Residency: University of Maryland Fellowship: UPMC
	Brent Medoff, MD Medical School: Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine Residency: UPMC Fellowship: UPMC

 

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Alumni

Graduated 2024

Jared Romeo, DO
Medical School: University of New England COM
Residency: UPMC Cardiology
Fellowship: UPMC

Michael Bashline, MD
Medical School: Lewis Katz SOM/Temple University
Residency: UPMC Cardiology
Fellowship: UPMC

Philip Lavenburg, DO
Medical School: Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: State University of New York at Stony Brook University Hospital, Cardiology
Fellowship: Temple University