Interventional Cardiology Fellowship

The Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program is designed to train fellows in the use of percutaneous interventional techniques in the management of coronary, vascular and valvular heart disease. The one-year program is comprehensive, structured and carefully supervised by a Board Certified Staff including senior staff with collectively over 100 person/years of interventional experience. Program fellows train at both McGuire Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center.

The training includes didactic conferences, weekly case conferences, and individual fellow and faculty clinical patient reviews (pre- and post-procedure) to discuss risk, benefit, results, treatment strategies and complications. Trainees also assist in teaching diagnostic fellows, medicine residents and other student groups (biomedical, undergraduate, etc.). Included in the training is an opportunity to lead the case discussions at a weekly cath conference.

Program emphasis is placed on giving fellows ample opportunity to learn appropriate technical skills for safe coronary and peripheral intervention using multiple devices including rotational atherectomy, balloons, stents, filter devices, and to advance and refine diagnostic cath skills.  Ample coronary procedures are available to meet required procedure volumes. 

Facilities

The VCU Medical Center has four cath labs including one biplane.  All are digital with a mass storage archival device, including two with flat plate image acquisition.   All have “deep throats” for peripheral runoffs.  The McGuire VA Medical Center has two labs with digital acquisition and an archival storage system.  Both institutions have on site cardiac surgery with a shared cardiac and lung transplant program including destination LVADS and the Total Artificial Heart.

Clinical Program

The clinical program is very active at the VCU Medical Center and the McGuire Veterans Medical Center, allowing fellows to gain experience with a diverse patient population and a broad array of complex inpatient and outpatient cases. Fellows also have a weekly outpatient clinic to follow a select group of post revascularization patients.  During the clinical activities, fellows are encouraged to participate in ongoing research projects and/or to publish on topics of clinical interest.  Fellows interested in a second specific research year should make the program aware of this desire, as every attempt will be made to accommodate such an interest.

Research

Fellows also participate in clinical research projects related to interventional cardiology.  Current laboratory investigations are focused on improving efficiency and safety of guidewire deployment using of a magnetic guidance system. Other ongoing and eminent techniques include using cath lab based CT to enhance assessment of blockages and cardiac function. Finally, the laboratory has a longstanding tradition of evaluating new technologies, as well as drugs used as adjunctive treatment in association with coronary intervention. Fellows interested in a second specific research year should make the program aware of this desire, as every attempt will be made to accommodate such an interest.

Accreditation

We are fully accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education for a one year ABIM Board eligible Interventional training program for three fellows per year.  Board pass rates have been excellent.

Interventional Fellowship Contact Information

Program Director

George W. Vetrovec, M.D.
P.O. Box 980036
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0036
Phone: (804) 628-1215
Fax: (804) 828-8321  
E-mail: gvetrovec@hsc.vcu.edu

Program Coordinator

Cindy Dutilly
P.O. Box 980036
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0036
Phone: (804) 628-1215
Fax: (804) 828-8321
E-mail: cldutill@hsc.vcu.edu

Application

Fellowship application form (pdf format)

Current
Interventional Fellows

Patrick M. Quinn, DO

Suzanne Sorof, MD

Kevin F. Sumption, MD, FACC, FAC