Vascular Surgery Fellowship
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$12.5M
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About our Fellowship
Vascular Surgery Faculty
Alan Lumsden, MD
Walter W. Fondren III Distinguished Endowed Chair, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery
Houston Methodist Hospital
Eric Peden, MD
Chief, Vascular Surgery
Program Director
Houston Methodist Hospital
Marvin Atkins, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Charudatta Bavare, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Charlie Cheng, MD
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
Zsolt Garami, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Linda Le, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Richard Lee, MD
Houston Methodist Willowbrook
Tony Lu, MD
Houston Methodist Sugar Land
Gerald Motes, MD
Houston Methodist Willowbrook
Jacobo Nurko, MD
Houston Methodist Baytown
Maham Rahimi, MD, PhD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Thomas Loh, MD
Houston Methodist The Woodlands
Trisha Roy, MD, PhD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Phillip Auyang, MD
Houston Methodist West
Joseph Besho, MD
Houston Methodist The Woodlands
Meg Jackson, MD
Houston Methodist Baytown
Tam Huynh, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Kaled Diab, MD
Houston Methodist The Woodlands
Ammar Hashmi, MD
Houston Methodist West
Cardiac Surgery Faculty
Mahesh Ramchandani, MD
Chief, Cardiovascular Surgery
Houston Methodist Hospital
Michael Reardon, MD
Allison Family Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Research, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery
Houston Methodist Hospital
Marvin Atkins, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Ross Reul, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Michael Sweeney, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Andrea Quarti, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Fernando Ramirez-Del Val, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital
Houston Methodist has a long tradition of being home to leaders in vascular surgery through the efforts of Dr. Michael DeBakey and Dr. Stanley Crawford. Our mission is to develop academic clinical surgeons who will continue this tradition. With nationally recognized faculty, the program offers the educational resources to develop proficiency in diagnosing and treating diseases of the arterial venous and lymphatic systems. The program also provides the clinical educational experience for the fellows to excel in multidisciplinary communication and professionalism.
Fellows in the vascular training program gain a broad base of knowledge and skills in all aspects of vascular surgery, including preoperative, operative and postoperative care of patients. Rotations provide a high volume and balanced experience of open and endovascular cases:
- Emphasis on complex interventions
- Comprehensive exposure to ultrasound and cross-sectional imaging
- Complete experience in the management of inpatients and outpatients
The program offers ample opportunity for fellows to conduct, present and publish clinical research. Faculty mentors are available to guide these efforts.
Upon completion of the program, fellows will be proficient and knowledgeable in the indications and technical skills to perform procedures requiring traditional open and catheter based technology and will be prepared to enter an academic position in vascular surgery.
Two fellows are accepted into the program each year through the National Residency Matching Program. To qualify, they must have successfully completed five years of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited general surgery residency and must be eligible for examination by the American Board of Surgery.
Eligibility and Application
Enjoy this video from a recent alum, Simon Montelongo, DO, speaking about his experience.
Interview Date 2024 - 2025
2/7/2025
Please note that interviews for 2024 - 2025 will be held in-person
Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.
Responsibility
- Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
- Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.
- Graduates of medical schools in the U.S. and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
- Graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine in the U.S. accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
- Graduates of medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada or graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. who have completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school who meet the following qualifications:
- Official medical school transcript and diploma in original language and in English (copied and notarized, stating that it is a true copy of the original)
- Two letters of recommendation
- Personal statement
- Curriculum vitae
- USMLE/COMLEX scores (must possess a passing score of > 200)
- Valid ECFMG certificate/J-1 visa (if applicable)
- All information must be submitted prior to an application being reviewed.
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences
Undergraduate: Loyola Marymount University
Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Medical School: Campbell University
Undergraduate: George Fox University
Hometown: Vancouver, Washington
Our Alumni
| Name | Year of Graduation | Current Location |
|---|---|---|
| Zulqifar Cheema | 2011 | CLS Health |
| Christopher Smolock | 2012 | Mount Sinai |
| Charudatta Bavare | 2013 | Houston Methodist Hospital |
| Mitul Patel | 2013 | Valley Hospital |
| Abindra Sigdel | 2014 | University of Louisville |
| Houssam Younes | 2014 | Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi |
| Uwe Fischer | 2015 | Yale |
| Marie Unruh | 2015 | Louisiana State University |
| Cassidy Duran | 2016 | Lam Vascular & Associates |
| Sashi Inkollu | 2017 | West Virginia University |
| Zack Nash | 2017 | Guadalupe Regional Medical Center |
| Tony Lu | 2018 | Houston Methodist Hospital |
| Matthew Bennett | 2018 | Virginia Mason |
| Ali Irshad | 2019 | Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Vanderbilt |
| Dong Lee | 2019 | University of Kentucky |
| Thomas Loh | 2019 | Houston Methodist Hospital |
| Luis Gomez | 2020 | St. Joseph Health System |
| Edward Andraos | 2020 | Mount Sinai Medical Center |
| Ahmed Mohamed | 2020 | Houston Methodist Hospital |
| Mujeeb Zubair | 2021 | Congenital Cardiac Surgery Fellow, University of Michigan |
| Manuel Rojo | 2021 | Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Loyola University |
| Phillip Auyang | 2021 | Houston Methodist Hospital |
| Travis Vowels | 2022 | BSA Health System |
| Dalila White | 2022 | White Plains Hospital |
| Ross McFall | 2022 | Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Brigham & Women's |
| Yusuf Chauhan | 2023 | LAM Vascular & Associates |
| Kaled Diab | 2023 | Houston Methodist Hospital |
| Simon Montelongo | 2023 | CLS Health |
Curriculum
PGY-6
Rotation Duration
Vascular 7 months
Vascular Baytown 2 months
Vascular Sugarland 2 months
Ultrasound 1 month
PGY-7
Rotation Duration
Vascular 11 months
Elective 1 month
Research
Fellows at all levels of training are encouraged to actively engage in research endeavors. Opportunities exist to get involved in clinical outcomes, basic science and device development research. Institutional support exists for Houston Methodist residents who routinely present annually at local, regional and national conferences.
Pre-intern Bootcamp
This course, for medical students who have matched into integrated vascular surgery residencies, is designed to ease the transition from medical school to a vascular surgery residency. Medical students will learn skills which will allow them to excel on the floor and in the OR starting their first day. This course covers a three-day period, during which time the attendees will have lectures on vascular anatomy, exposures, endovascular basics, vascular ultrasound, wound care, and note writing/charting. Additionally, there are multiple practical sessions to teach endovascular skills and vascular suturing technique.
Weekly Didactics and Conferences
Each week, there are multiple mornings which are set aside for resident education in the form of didactics, conferences, case planning meetings, M&M sessions, and mock orals. The didactics sessions comprise of Vascular Surgical Core modules and other resources and follow a question based structure in preparation for the yearly VSITE examination. On Thursday mornings, our weekly case conference is held. These presentations, which are put together and presented by a trainee, review the decision making taken prior to operative intervention and include a recorded, de-identified video of the surgical procedure. All of the morning meetings are resident run and moderated by faculty, with the goal of establishing fundamental knowledge, situational application, and continuous improvement for the best possible in vascular surgical patient care. We strive to harbor an open environment of discussion and education.
Additionally, journal club is held once a month at an offsite local venue and covers two recent journal articles.
Vascular Surgical Training Association of Houston (VaSTAH)
VaSTAH is a bi-annual cadaver workshop for the integrated vascular residents and fellows with the purpose of teaching common vascular exposure anatomy and techniques. As the trainee progresses, the level of exposures taught becomes more advanced. Typically, VaSTAH spans two days, with the first day dedicated to faculty teaching the exposures and the second day consisting of a practical examination in which the trainee exposes a vessel without assistance. Examples of important exposures covered in VaSTAH workshops include below/above knee popliteal, femoral, axillary, carotid, vertebral, aortic, and mesenteric vessels.
Vascular Surgery Workshops
Hands on training and simulation lab workshops are frequently held in order to give trainees practical experience in common vascular skills and increase the comfort level in the operating room. Examples of these workshops include an endovascular sheep lab to demonstrate IVC filter placement and retrieval, a closure device workshop sponsored by industry, sessions covering correct ultrasound technique, and a ruptured AAA skills course.
Cardiovascular Fellows' Bootcamp
The CV Fellows' Bootcamp is a weekend course held annually in August. Hundreds of vascular surgery, vascular medicine, interventional radiology, and interventional cardiology fellows attend this training course. Boot Camp provides two days of expert-led lectures on the fundamentals of cardiovascular disease and management, and a one-day of hands-on training. The guiding principles for this course are “Teach broadly. Teach early. Teach basics.” The vascular surgery track offers expert-led interactive lectures that are complemented with hands-on training, including demonstrations of ultrasound-guided access, dissection and exposures on cadavers, and open vascular and endovascular surgical training. The Friday sessions features intensive hands-on training at the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE), with two tracks (cardiology and vascular surgery) to allow specialty-specific training. This is an excellent opportunity to network, consolidate skills, and pick up tips, tricks and nuances.
Pumps & Pipes
A unique annual conference that brings together technological giants based in the city of Houston representing medicine, energy and aerospace sectors. Through this partnership between Houston Methodist, ExxonMobil, NASA and others, researchers delve into the complex technological problems facing each of those industries and see what’s in “the other guy’s toolkit”. The goal of this problem-focused forum is to promote cross-industry collaboration and transfer of knowledge and technological know-how between industries. Pumps & Pipes was co-founded by Alan Lumsden, MD, chair of the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. Residents are encouraged to attend and participate if they are able.
DeBakey Cardiovascular Education
Building on Dr. Michael E. DeBakey's commitment to excellence in education, Houston Methodist's DeBakey CV Education is an epicenter for cardiovascular academic and clinical educational programs that support the provision of optimal care to patients suffering from cardiovascular conditions and diseases. One of the highlights of Debakey CV Education is our Youtube channel, which features hundreds of in-depth surgical videos created by the trainees and faculty, advanced lectures on the latest cardiovascular topics, interviews, and much more. The channel now has over 85,000 subscribers and over 13,000,000 views.
Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, & Education (MITIE)
MITIE is one of the most advanced clinical training facilities in the world, and provides a space for health care professionals to acquire new skills and industry partners to showcase new devices. The facility has a large procedural skills area where cadaveric and animal simulation labs can take place, as well as other suites containing a 1.5T MRI, CT scanner, and hybrid OR suite for research and education purposes. The goal of MITIE is to improve patient safety through these educational pursuits and to conduct research on skills acquisition and technological development. This is the location of many of the vascular program's workshops and simulations labs.
Take a virtual tour of this cutting edge facility by clicking here.
Get In Touch
Program Contact
Program Coordinator
6550 Fannin St., Smith Tower 1401
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: 713.441.9319
Email: svale@houstonmethodist.org
Program Directors
Program Director
6550 Fannin St., Smith
Tower 1401
Houston, TX 77030 Tel: 713.441.9319
Email: ekpeden@houstonmethodist.org
Maham Rahimi, MD, PhD, RPVI
Associate Program Director
6550 Fannin St., Smith Tower 1401
Houston, TX 77030
Tel: 713.441.9319
Email: mrahimi@houstonmethodist.org
Upcoming Academic Events
Grand rounds, tumor boards, regularly scheduled series and case presentations are offered in multiple clinical disciplines and Houston Methodist locations.
Fundamentals of Responsible Conduct of Research
Houston Methodist Research Institute
Feb 24 @ 11AM
See Details
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Grand Rounds conducted in 2023Donate to Houston Methodist
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