About the Program

The primary goal of UCLA's Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Training Program is to prepare individuals for a career in academic pediatric cardiology. Individuals are chosen for the program that will pursue creative, scholarly endeavors to advance the science and practice of pediatric cardiology.

The objectives of this program are to:

1) Enable the trainee to become competent in all diagnostic and therapeutic areas of clinical pediatric cardiology so that he/she is capable of acting as a consultant.

2) Familiarize the trainee with methods of clinical and basic investigation and with the skills to undertake a research project.

This program allows trainees interested in specialized areas of pediatric cardiology to become skilled in at least one of the following:

1) Advanced echocardiography (including fetal and transesophageal studies)

2) Interventional Catheterization (including ASD and VSD Device implantation)

3) Electrophysiology (including ablation and standard and biventricular pacemakers)

4) Cardiac Critical Care (including ventricular assist devices, ECMO)

5) Exercise Physiology

6) Cardiomyopathy and Cardiac Transplantation Medicine (including ECMO)

7) Preventative cardiology (including hyperlipidemia, obesity)

8) Adult Congenital Cardiology

9) Public Policy and Outcomes Research

For trainees interested in a career in basic science investigation, opportunities include:

1) Developmental cardiovascular biology

2) Biology of vascular endothelium and smooth muscle

3) Myocardial energetics

4) Cardiovascular genetics

Fellowship Training Program

UCLA’s Pediatric Cardiology fellowship program enables each fellow to design an individualized program and curriculum to meet his or her specific career needs. "The purpose of training during the three year fellowship is to provide a foundation for understanding normal and abnormal cardiovascular conditions, with a focus on the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease, and to prepare them to provide optimal care and consultation for pediatric patients with cardiovascular disease."

The three year fellowship program offers a rotation schedule that allows the fellow to advance from beginner to advanced skills with the appropriate amount of supervision throughout. During the first two years, the trainee primarily develops Clinical skills by maintaining close contact with the patients on the ward, intensive care units, in the operating room, and the clinic. The trainee acts as a consultant to the pediatric housestaff for all phases of the management of the patient, including emergency treatment, pre-operative and post-operative care. Research exposure and participation begins in the first year, but takes an important role during the second year. In the third year of training, the fellow has a major commitment to basic or clinical research. Finally, the Education program is rounded out with a structured didactic curriculum including a core curriculum in Clinical and Basic Science. Fellows participate in educational opportunities: receiving and giving didactic conferences.

The program for the academic pediatric cardiologist includes clinical, basic science, research and teaching components:

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