The Division of Pediatric Cardiology at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine is located at Children's Memorial Hospital and is part of the Heart Center. The Division of Pediatric Cardiology has a long tradition in fellowship education and is committed to training physicians for a career in academic pediatric cardiology. There are two fellows for each year of fellowship, with a planned expansion to 3 fellows per year beginning in 2012. There is an additional opportunity for one fourth-year fellowship in either electrophysiology, echocardiography/non-invasive imaging, cardiomyopathy/heart transplantation, or cardiac critical care. To achieve this training, fellows will work closely with an expanding number of faculty members in each subsection of cardiology. It is expected that all fellows will be eligible for board certification after completing the 3 year fellowship.

The fellowship is organized into thirteen 4-week block rotations, with most of the clinical rotations in the first year. Fellows rotate through echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology, inpatient/consult, inpatient/critical care, as well as additional rotations in cardiomyopathy/heart transplant, advanced imaging, and outreach/ambulatory cardiology. The rotations are adjusted to fit the needs of individual trainees; individualized learning plans (ILP) are tailored within limits to allow fulfillment of training guidelines and requirements.  

Clinical Experience

The pediatric cardiology program allows fellows to develop strong clinical skills. The fellowship encompasses inpatient and outpatient services, with emphasis on echocardiography/noninvasive imaging, cardiac electrophysiology, cardiac catheterization, transplantation, teaching and working conferences, and research activities. The echocardiography/noninvasive imaging experience incorporates transthoracic, transesophageal  and fetal echocardiography as well as cardiac MRI and CT. Exercise testing is incorporated into the electrophysiology rotation. Children’s Memorial Hospital features one of the busiest cardiothoracic surgery services  and the only pediatric cardiac transplant center in the state.

During the first fellowship year, a cardiology fellow rotates formally through several major areas: inpatient floor consult service, cardiac intensive care (CICU), electrophysiology, echocardiography, and cardiac catheterization. The second year is devoted to improving clinical skills, as well as gaining exposure to research. The third year provides an opportunity to continue research work while assuming additional clinical responsibilities. Additional experiences are available in cardiac surgery, cardiac pathology, exercise and pulmonary function, interventional catheterization, fetal echocardiography, advanced imaging, preventive cardiology, and electrophysiology.

The inpatient rotations consist of rotations on the regular cardiac floor and separate rotations through the cardiac intensive care unit (CICU). The former has a focus on the care of post-operative cardiac patients, less sick inpatients (e.g. heart failure, transplant, stable congenital heart disease) as well as inpatient and ER consultations. The CICU rotation focuses on critically ill cardiac patients including immediate post-operative cardiac patients, acutely ill heart failure population and those requiring ventricular assist, such as ECMO. 

An outpatient rotation allows fellows to experience a month practicing outreach cardiology with three separate groups of physicians (academic, outreach, and private practice) at non-hospital-based sites. The fellows spend time with office personnel and managers to discuss issues involved in running an outpatient office. Fellows also have the opportunity of spending time in the Marfan, hyperlipemia, and adult congenital heart clinics.

In the noninvasive imaging rotation, fellows focus on MRI, and cardiac CT. During the second and third year of fellowship, trainees are given an advanced echocardiographic imaging experience to include TEE and fetal imaging.

There is the opportunity for adjusting the training experience according to the individual needs and interests depending on individual career goals and past performance. For example, with the approval of the program director, fellows interested in specializing in non-invasive imaging may organize their elective time to pursue additional training. They could elect to spend more time at Children’s Memorial Hospital, Northwestern Memorial Hospital, or another institution with an appropriate rotation in this area.

Inpatient Facilities

Children’s Memorial Hospital has a newly formed CICU, which promises an intense experience in caring for critically ill patients with all forms of heart disease.  Plans for a dedicated 36 bed cardiac floor, which include the CICU and the inpatient cardiac unit  in the new Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, opening in summer of 2012 will further enhance this experience.  

Outpatient Experience

In addition to the outpatient rotation noted above, fellows have a continuity clinic.   Fellows see continuity clinic patients with the same faculty member for the duration of their fellowship. Fellows acquire new patients through scheduling for routine cardiac concerns, by admitting new patients while on-call or on-service, or through consults.  These patients have a wide variety of diagnoses, affording the fellows exposure and a chance to manage issues from the simple to the complex.  These patients are the fellows' patients throughout the fellowship, with the fellow developing a relationship with these patients and  families. Fellows will continue to gain additional outpatient experience in outpatient offices during their sub-specialty rotations, for example, by attending EP clinic when on the EP rotation.

Research Time

The fellowship program allots a minimum of one year for fellows to gain excellent research experience, particularly in the third year of the program. Depending on career goals and prior achievements, third-year fellows may trade assignments for additional research time.

Educational Program

All fellows have the opportunity to participate in the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation (MSCI) program at the Feinberg School of Medicine during the second and third year of fellowship. This is a voluntary and not required endeavor. This program is geared for the physician who will be entering a career in academic medicine. The master’s degree program covers topics such as statistics, epidemiology, research methods and design, grant writing and human subjects/ethics. A research project is required as part of this degree program. MSCI classes meet on weekday evenings, usually one day a week. Funding for this program is available for a limited number of fellows competing within the Department of Pediatrics.  

There is a small discretionary fund available for books or conference attendance.

Conferences include a weekly cardiac care, echocardiography, and didactic teaching conference. The latter consists of a rotating curriculum over a two-year period. Monthly journal clubs are fellow-directed with active faculty participation. Fellows are responsible for teaching of residents and medical students and are expected to become eligible for certification in pediatric cardiology by the American Board of Pediatrics.

On-call Duty

Fellows cover night and weekend calls for the cardiology floor service with an attending cardiologist and the CICU with a cardiac intensivist. Fellow call is taken from home (as possible) except during the CICU rotation. Call frequency is non-graduated, and approximately every sixth night (60-65 calls per year)  per fellow for all levels of training.

Stipends

For fellowship salary information, visit McGaw Medical Center for Graduate Medical Education.

Application Requirements

The pediatric cardiology program’s acceptance criteria conform with those of the Graduate Medical Education program of Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and the Accreditation Council on Graduate Medical Education. Fellowship applicants must be board certified in pediatrics by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP) or must be eligible to sit for the ABP general pediatric examination during the first year of fellowship training.

Beginning 2011 (for the 2012 training year), applications will be via ERAS. For more information, contact: 

Evangeline Phillips
Division of Pediatric Cardiology
Children's Memorial Hospital
2300 Children's Plaza, Box #21
Chicago, Illinois 60614-3394
Phone: 773.880.4211 | Fax: 773.880.8111
E-mail: ephillips@childrensmemorial.org

Fellowship Program Director
Peter R. Koenig, MD
Associate Professor of Pediatrics

Fellowship Program Associate Director
Amy  S. Lay, MD
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics