Electrophysiology Fellowship

Faculty

Our outstanding faculty members are among the nation’s leaders in electrophysiology bringing the latest advances in cardiovascular diagnosis and care into clinical practice. All faculty are on the academic staff of Tufts University School of Medicine.

N. A. Mark Estes, MD

Caroline Foote, MD

Ann Garlitski, MD

Munther K. Homoud, MD

Mark S. Link, MD

Jonathan Weinstock, MD

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Goals

• Understand the principals of basic electrophysiology, including basic determinants of normal cardiac electrophysiology and abnormal pathophysiology
• Understand the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias, including congenital and acquired arrhythmia syndromes and action of anti-arrhythmic drugs
• Develop advanced competency in the interpretation of surface electrocardiography and the interpretation of normal and abnormal intra-cardiac recordings
• Learn to evaluate non-invasive testing modalities, such as ambulatory EKG recordings, telemetry, event recordings, signal-averaged EKG's, exercise and pharmacological stress testing, heart rate variability, and T wave alternans in the management of cardiac electrophysiologic disorders
• Understand the basic and advanced concepts underlying bradyarrhythmias (sinus node dysfunction, AV conduction disorders) and their management
• Understand the basic and advanced concepts underlying supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias, their evaluation and determining the best course of management to undertake
• Understand the basic and advanced concepts behind primary electrophysiological disorders such as long QT syndrome, Brugada syndrome, idiopathic ventricular fibrillation and hereditary cardiac conditions with pronounced electrophysiological manifestations such as arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Develop advanced skills in performing invasive electrophysiological evaluation including principles of premature stimulation, evaluating the sinus node, and the AV conduction system, the invasive evaluation of patients with supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias
• Develop the necessary skills for the safe and competent catheter ablation of complex left- and right-sided supraventricular and ventricular arrhythmias
• Understand the concepts of mapping using both basic and advanced, electroanatomical, three-dimensional systems, contact and non-contact mapping in order to create, anatomic, voltage and activation maps
• Understand the role and use advanced imaging techniques to help guide the interventional procedure such as using intracardiac echocardiography
• Comprehend the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of anti arrhythmic and other drugs used in electrophysiology
• Establish a comprehensive method to evaluate patients with electrophysiological disorders, both on an inpatients and outpatient basis and to assess the future risk for sudden cardiac death in certain high risk populations with cardiovascular disorders
• Safely and competently perform electrical cardioversion
• Develop advanced skills in the safe and successful implantation of pacemakers, implantable cardioverter defibrillators (ICDs) and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices
• Participate in and acquire the expertise to perform outpatient device evaluation in the pacemaker and ICD clinics

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Research Opportunities

Fellows are expected to become involved in research during advanced electrophysiology training. Fellows are exposed to a wide range of research opportunities, including basic science, translational and clinical research. Most fellows also become involved in ongoing EP clinical trials and will have the opportunity to present at local and national meetings. They will also have the opportunity to apply for publication of manuscripts in peer review journals. The Molecular Cardiology Research Institute within the Division of Cardiology offers a variety of research areas related to heart failure and ventricular function. Fellows work closely with mentors to design a curriculum and research program that are educational and productive.

Teaching Opportunities

Fellows are expected to present, on a rotational basis, either unknown cases from the EP laboratory or didactic lectures. The CCEP fellows are also included in the teaching assignments of electrocardiograms to the general cardiology fellows, residents and medical students.

Resources

A full range of inpatient, outpatient, clinical and research laboratory facilities are available to the cardiology fellows at the medical center. Fellows are exposed to high quality and state-of-the-art equipment.  In addition, a complete medical library is available at Tufts University School of Medicine. Through very close coordination, the CCEP fellows are expected to attend the core competence lectures given to the general cardiology fellows. These include lectures in risk management, ethics, biostatistics, combined cardiology/cardiothoracic conferences and morbidity mortality conferences.

Requirements

Prospective fellows are encouraged to apply provided they have completed the necessary training to become ABIM board-eligible in cardiovascular medicine.

How to Apply

Interested applicants are encouraged to apply in the fall, no later than November 1. Please send a curriculum vitae to the address below. Applicants will also be required to have three letters of reference.  A thorough review is undertaken of each application and a select number of applicants are invited for an interview to meet with staff and to tour the facilities.