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Interventional Cardiology Fellowship

Fellowship Mission

To produce physicians embodying the Ignatian value of cura personalis who aspire to become transformative leaders in their practice, institution and community by emphasizing clinical and scholastic excellence, patient-centered care, lifelong learning and wholesome development of the individual.

Vision

Our vision is that the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program will be the premier site for interventional cardiovascular training in the region. We will accomplish this through a comprehensive and varied experience with our outstanding faculty; a diversity of experience that encompasses the coronary, peripheral, and structural arenas; and an emphasis on quality care, appropriateness, and research. 

Program Aims

The goal of our Interventional Cardiovascular Fellowship is to train our fellows to be well prepared to navigate the complex world of interventional cardiology by fostering competence in the clinical knowledge, procedural skills, clinical judgment, professionalism, and interpersonal skills required as a specialist in interventional cardiology.

In order to achieve this goal, we expect our fellows:

  1. To understand the effectiveness and limitations of coronary, peripheral vascular and structural heart interventions in order to select patients and procedure types appropriately
  2. To achieve the appropriate cognitive knowledge and technical skills needed to perform interventional procedures at the level of quality attainable through the present state of the art
  3. To foster an attitude of lifelong learning and critical thinking skills needed to gain from experience and incorporate new developments
  4. To understand and commit to quality assessment and improvement in procedure performance

The Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program at Creighton University Medical Center is a one-year training program geared toward obtaining clinical competence in coronary intervention. The fellow will experience the full range of coronary diagnostic and interventional techniques including PTCA, stent placement, IVUS, FFR, etc. The fellow will become competent in both femoral as well as the radial approach. The majority of our interventions are performed via the radial approach. In addition to coronary intervention, the fellow will become experienced in carotid renal and peripheral interventions.  This program functions as an integral component of the general cardiology fellowship program. 

Accreditation

The training program fulfills the requirements for training as stated by the American Board of Internal Medicine. The program is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and was recently given the highest accreditation of 5 years.

Certification

You will be eligible to take the American Board of Internal Medicine’s subspecialty examination in interventional cardiology upon completion of the fellowship.

Positions

One position is available in the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at Creighton University annually.

Qualifications

To apply to the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program, applicants must have successfully completed three years of cardiovascular training in an accredited program in the U.S. or Canada and be board eligible or board certified.

How to Apply

You must apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). The application form and all supporting documentation must be submitted by February 1.

Step 1

To apply to the program, visit the ERAS website.

The application requires the following information:

  • Official medical school transcripts
  • Official test transcripts for all applicable examinations (USMLE, LMCC, COMLEX, NBOME, FMGEMS, FLEX or NBME)
  • Program director’s letter and at least two other letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum vitae
  • Personal statement
  • Valid ECFMG certificate (if you graduated from medical school outside of the U.S.)
  • Photograph

Step 2

If you are considered for an appointment, you will be asked to interview at Creighton University with the program director and selected faculty. Interviews are conducted between March and April of each year prior to the selection date.

The Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Program accepts only J1 Visas.

For information regarding benefits and compensation please visit our Graduate Medical Education Department.

Program Tour

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Message From the Program Director

Our founders, Vincent Runco, MD and Richard Booth, MD, first established high quality cardiovascular care in this region in 1962. Shortly thereafter, they developed the region’s first cardiovascular fellowship. In 2005, the Interventional Cardiovascular Fellowship was established and has been highly successful in graduating high quality interventional cardiologists who now practice from coast to coast, and border to border. Our fellows are in private practice as well as academic positions.

Our program has always prided itself on being on the forefront of the latest techniques and therapies for coronary, peripheral and structural disease. We participated in pivotal trials that established the use of anti-platelet agents in interventional procedures. We were the first in the state to do atherectomy and stenting. We began doing radial artery catheterization in 1999, long before it was practiced in the rest of the country, and we have one of the highest experiences in the country. In other words, we continue to innovate but with high quality and compassionate care.

Today, our fellows get a comprehensive experience in the ever-complex world of interventional cardiology. They are well trained in both radial and femoral intervention and closure. There is ample experience in all coronary lesion types, including stable, unstable and STEMI, as well as CTO lesions. Fellows are exposed to all types of imaging modalities, including, IVUS, FFR, IFR, CT FFR, etc. There is training in all interventional techniques including: stenting, all forms of ballooning, atherectomy, laser, antegrade and retrograde CTO approaches. Fellows also gain experience in peripheral and structural evaluation and management.

Our training program offers an excellent balance between supervision and independence. Our faculty provide a nurturing environment as teachers, coaches and mentors. This environment facilitates stress-free learning and fosters life-long friendships beyond the training period. The camaraderie between fellows and faculty and the focus on the well-being of fellows are the distinguishing features of the Creighton cardiology training program and will be palpable when you visit us.

Interventional Cardiology Program Director Michael Del Core

Michael Del Core
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General Information

Education

Our fellows spend their one-year fellowship in the cardiac catheterization labs, as well as the hybrid operating room of CHI Omaha, participating in all procedures. Fellows are given gradual autonomy in performing procedures but with adequate supervision at all times. There are in-service opportunities to provide training in various techniques and a simulation curriculum is provided. Unbiased industry- sponsored training is also encouraged when available. Besides the practical nature of the fellowship, the year is spent going through CathSap to prepare for the boards, and the fellow is expected to attend grand rounds, as well as Journal Club.

Experience

Our fellows perform over 500 coronary interventions and are exposed to:

  1. All coronary lesion types including: Type A, B, C, stable, unstable, calcified, bifurcation, STEMI, CTO, left main, etc.
  2. All types of coronary approaches, including: stenting, all manner of balloons, atherectomy, laser, antegrade and retrograde approaches for CTO
  3. All types of coronary evaluations, including: IVUS, FFR, IFR, etc.

Depending on their interest, fellows can develop skills in peripheral interventions of both lower and upper extremities.

  1. All peripheral lesion types including total occlusions
  2. All peripheral approaches including: antegrade and retrograde, stenting, balloons, atherectomy, and laser.

Depending on their interest, fellows can develop skills in structural heart disease, including: TAVR, Mitral Clip, PFO and ASD closure.

Training Locations

The CHI Health Omaha hospital system includes five hospitals with seven cardiac catheterization labs. Fellows can participate in all procedures at any of the labs. Fellows participate in STEMI call at all of the hospitals.

Hear From Our Fellows

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The fellowship will consist of one year and will be primarily spent under direct supervision in the cardiovascular laboratories performing diagnostic and interventional procedures, as well as time spent doing preoperative as well as postoperative evaluations of patients. Ample time is also given for fellow-directed independent research. The majority of the experience will take place at the CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center, but may include the VA, as well as three other community hospitals. At the end of the first year the fellow will have completed the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements for training in interventional cardiology.

Each fellow will have the responsibility for the care of patients while in hospital that have undergone these procedures. The full-time faculty will supervise this care. The fellows will also be responsible for evaluating patients who return to the clinic or emergency room for complications. On-call responsibilities are up to the fellow, but is home call for STEMI procedures. Our fellows participate in approximately 75 STEMIs per year. Each fellow will end up doing approximately 500 coronary interventions during the fellowship.

The fellow will also help with the training of the general cardiology fellows in the performance of diagnostic procedures.

Each year the fellow is given vacation time as well as educational leave for meetings relating to interventional cardiology. Fellows will be evaluated on a quarterly basis by all full-time faculty. They will meet with the program director each quarter to discuss their evaluations.

The fellow is expected to attend and participate in all grand rounds, as well as Journal Club. In addition, the fellow will be expected to complete the CathSAP curriculum provided the American College of Cardiology during their fellowship. The principle teaching follows the recommendations and guidelines set forth by the American College of Cardiology, the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions, and the American Heart Association and covers the following:

  • Anatomy: Cardiac, vascular and coronary artery anatomy, including anatomic variants and congenital abnormalities
  • Physiology: Basic circulatory physiology, coronary vascular physiology, myocardial blood flow regulation, myocardial physiology and metabolism
  • Vascular biology and pathology: Normal vascular structure and function, response to injury, mechanisms of atherosclerosis and mechanisms of restenosis
  • Hemostasis: Intrinsic and extrinsic coagulation cascade and platelet physiology
  • Pathophysiology: Myocardial ischemia and infarction, myocardial reperfusion, circulatory shock, anaphylaxis and cardiac arrhythmias
  • Pharmacology: Anticoagulants, antiplatelet drugs, thrombolytic drugs, X-ray contrast agents, myocardial inotropes, vasopressors, vasodilators, antiarrhythmic drugs and drugs affecting lipid metabolism
  • Radiology imaging and radiation safety: Principles of X-ray imaging, quantitative coronary arteriography, operation of cinefluorographic X-ray equipment, operation of digital video imaging systems, radiation biology and radiation protection
  • Intracoronary imaging and coronary physiology: Principles of intravascular ultrasound imaging and Doppler coronary flow velocity and coronary pressure measurements
  • Interventional device design and performance: Device materials and characteristics
  • Clinical management strategies: Performance and limitations of interventional devices, spectrum of coronary ischemic syndromes, results of interventional cardiology clinical trials, management of acute hemodynamic alterations and mechanical and pharmacological circulatory support.

Interventional Cardiology Faculty Arun Kanmanthareddy 

Arun Kanmanthareddy
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Contact Us

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Elle Cooper

Elle Cooper
ellecooper@creighton.edu
402.280.4235

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Michael Del Core, M.D.
Program Director
michaeldelcore@creighton.edu
402.280.4626

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