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Program Director: Vijay Ramu, M.D., FACC, FHRS
The Division of Cardiology inaugurated its fellowship program in 1981, and has grown steadily over the past decade to become a three-year fully accredited program. Two candidates are selected each year. Two major medical facilities provide the base for the training program: The James H. Quillen Veterans Affairs Hospital and
Johnson City
Medical
Center
. All trainees spend the major portion of their first year of fellowship at the VA hospital. This year focuses on developing competence in ECG, treadmill, and pharmacologic stress testing, Holter rhythm monitoring, pacemaker surveillance, management of patients in the CCU, patients referred for cardiology consultation, three months of basic echocardiography and Doppler and one month of introductory clinical research. All fellows are involved in participating in a weekly graphics conference (designed to enhance their expertise in ECG and complex arrhythmia interpretation as well as prepare them for this crucial segment of the subspecialty boards), weekly outpatient cardiology clinic, weekly professors' rounds, bi weekly journal club and bi-weekly subspecialty conferences. All fellows are required to become involved in at least one research project leading to submission of a suitable manuscript prior to their graduation. Second and third-year experiences are divided among the two hospitals. All fellows will spend a minimum of four months in the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Fellows will have an opportunity to focus their training in invasive, or noninvasive research areas. Research/academic track fellows will be given protected time to pursue their investigative interests and/or collaborate with faculty in clinical and basic science departments.
To view a list of all current fellows:
click here