Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship
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Program Overview
Program Highlights
Objectives of the Fellowship
CCEP encompasses the special knowledge and skills required of cardiologists who care for patients with complex cardiac arrhythmia disorders, particularly those receiving diagnostic and therapeutic interventional electrophysiologic procedures. CCEP focuses on diagnosis and treatment of atrial and ventricular arrhythmias, including the use of cardiac implantable electrical devices, and the application of other interventional ablative techniques and pharmacologic treatments. The program will provide training and experience in the EP laboratory, surgical suite, simulation lab, inpatient service, ambulatory clinic, didactic sessions, and research participation to reach the goals and objectives to successfully complete the CCEP program. By the completion of the 24-months training program, the CCEP fellow will demonstrate the knowledge, skills and required competencies to practice independently, without supervision, as a Cardiac Electrophysiology consultant.Program Highlights
Full breadth of CCEP experience
- Involvement in clinical trials of most of the upcoming left atrial appendage closure devices, ablation tools, etc.
- We use all three major mapping systems (ESI, Carto, Rhythmia)
- Exposure to advanced EP including epicardial access, LAA closure, laser lead extractions, etc.
- Our cardiology colleagues include the past presidents of the ACC, ASE, etc.
- Strong cardiac MRI and cardiac CT program
- Research opportunities, including an animal lab, many clinical and basic research protocols, post-doctoral fellow, multiple optical mapping systems, etc.
Structure of the program
Two CCEP fellows at a time (one first year, one second year). Others on the service include a rotating general cardiology fellow (most months) and nurse practitioner.
Clinical Skills
| First Year | Second Year |
|---|---|
| Outpatient and inpatient EP consultation | First year skills, PLUS |
| Device implant, ICD, BiV, PM, His-bundle, ILR, etc. |
LAA closure VT ablation |
| Suturing | Epicardial access |
|
Electrophysiological study, SVT ablation, |
Laser lead extraction |
| AF/flutter ablation, more advanced ablations |
Didactic Schedule: Conferences
- Weekly Friday AM case conference
- EP tracings review
- Monthly journal club
- Thursday cardiology grand rounds
- Monthly research conference
State-of-the-Art Facilities
Houston Methodist is a 915-bed acute-care referral hospital with a historical emphasis on cardiovascular disease. The facilities include a 56-bed post-operative cardiovascular ICU and an 24-bed CICU, as well as state-of-the-art laboratories and procedural facilities. The cardiology procedure facilities include designated catheterization laboratories with stereotaxis and robotic technology, two cardiac MRI suites, and state-of-the-art echocardiography, nuclear cardiology and computed tomography (CT) laboratories.
In August 2018, Houston Methodist opened a new 22-story building named Walter Tower, with nearly 1 million square feet, to include sophisticated cardiovascular surgical suites specially designed for highly technical and minimally invasive image-guided heart procedures. The building features 14 heart catheterization labs with expanded space and MRI and CT conveniently located next to post-op rooms, and a helipad that will give emergency personnel direct access to the OR, cath lab and intensive care units.
Our facilities also include a state-of-the-art research institute that houses the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE), which is an educational resource for health care professionals and trainees who wish to improve their skills and acquire new ones through procedural simulation technology.
World-Renowned Faculty
The Houston Methodist Department of Cardiology is a world-renowned center for every aspect of cardiovascular care and research. The department's more than 40 full-time faculty have enormous expertise in every aspect of cardiac care, ranging from standard procedures such as outpatient consultation, echocardiography, angiography, electrophysiology testing, percutaneous coronary revascularization and heart transplantation, to advanced clinical research into heart failure, cardiac rehabilitation, preventive cardiology, radio-frequency ablation, laser revascularization and cardiac MRI.
Our faculty include past-presidents of the American College of Cardiology, American Society of Nuclear Cardiology and American Society of Echocardiography. Many of them hold national and international recognition and are also leaders in establishing national guideline documents in Cardiology.
Eligibility and Application
Selection Process
Thank you for your interest in the Houston Methodist Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship program. Our program participates in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) and is registered with Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS); ACGME Program ID: 1544814135 - July Application Cycle. Please note, all applicants, including those local to the Greater Houston Area, will be interviewed virtually.
To be considered for Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship Program, certain requirements must be met:
Criteria
- Must apply via the Electronic Residency Applicant Service (ERAS) and must enroll in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP)
- Be of good professional character with at least three letters of recommendation attesting to your academic and personal qualifications
- Graduate of a U.S. or Canadian Medical School accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), or a medical school outside the United States and Canada with a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
- Graduate of an ACGME-accredited or RCPSC-accredited (Canadian) three-year cardiovascular disease training program
- All applicants must have taken and passed all three steps of USMLE exams (first attempt preferred). DO graduates must have taken and passed all three steps of COMLEX USA.
- American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)-board certified in internal medicine and board-eligible in cardiology by completion of cardiology fellowship
- Applicants must be eligible for licensure (Physician in Training or Full License) by the Texas Medical Board
- Valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate for all foreign medical graduates
- Our program sponsors J1 visas. If you are an J1 visa holder, you must be eligible for one year of training at the beginning of the fellowship.
- Training is from July 1 through June 30 (no exceptions)
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.
Selection Process
One (1) fellow each year is elected from a highly competitive field of applicants for the training program. Fellows are selected from among eligible applicants on the basis of their ability, academic credentials, aptitude, communication skills, intellectual and humanistic qualities, personal attributes (such as motivation and integrity), preparedness, and their ability to benefit from the program. These qualities may be accessed through the review of academic records, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores and other means, including interviews. The department does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, age, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation or veteran status. Interviewing is conducted each Fall.
Our Team
Houston Methodist’s Department of Cardiology is made up of prominent physicians who are internationally recognized for their contributions to patient care. Through education and training they have been able to develop new treatments improve heart health for patients around the world.
The Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology faculty at Houston Methodist are cardiac specialists highly skilled in managing the full spectrum of cardiac rhythm disorders. Learn more >
Program Director
Miguel Valderrábano, MD, FACC
Faculty
Akanibo Da-Wariboko, MD
Adi Lador, MD
Nilesh Mathuria, MD
Apoor Patel, MD
Paul Schurmann, MD
Amish Dave, MD, PhD
About The Program Director
Miguel Valderrábano, MD, FACC is the program director for the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship program.
Dr. Valderrábano attended medical school in Madrid, Spain, graduating in 1994. Thereafter, he completed his Internal Medicine, Cardiology and Cardiac Electrophysiology training in Los Angeles, at the UCLA, VA program, and at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he also completed a basic research fellowship funded by the American Heart Association. Following training, he joined the faculty at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine, where he continued his basic and clinical research as Assistant Professor of Medicine. In 2006, he became the Director of the Division of Cardiac Electrophysiology at the Houston Methodist Hospital, and Associate Professor or Medicine at Weil Cornell School of Medicine. His research evolved from basic mechanisms of electrical excitation, propagation and cardiac fibrillation using optical mapping in ex vivo hears and cultured cardiomyocytes, to more translational and clinical aspects of cardiac electrophysiology.
He has pioneered novel treatment approaches for ablation of cardiac arrhythmias, including the procedure of retrograde ethanol infusion in the vein of Marshall as an ablation tool in the treatment of atrial fibrillation and flutter. He has led an NIH-funded multicenter clinical trial to validate this approach. He also expanded the retrograde venous ethanol infusion technique to ablation of refractory ventricular tachycardia. He is also known for his contributions in left atrial appendage occlusion procedures for stroke prevention in atrial fibrillation. Besides his work in original research, he actively participates in clinical trials in novel treatments of cardiac arrhythmia.
Miguel Valderrábano, MD, FACC
Program Director, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship
Lois and Carl Davis Centennial Chair, Methodist DeBakey Heart and Vascular Center
Associate Professor of Medicine, Weill College of Medicine, Cornell University
Director, Division of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Department of Cardiology
Our Alumni
|
Class of 2024 Stephanie Fuentes Rojas, MD (ACHD EP) Fellowship at the Montreal Heart Institute Class of 2023 Peter Rothstein, MD |
Class of 2022 Thomas Flautt, DO Stern Cardiovascular Foundation, Baptist Oxford Hospital, Oxford, MS |
Class of 2021 Akanibo Da-Wariboko, MD Faculty, Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center |
Class of 2020 Adi Lador, MD Advanced CCEP Fellow, Houston Methodist Hospital |
Get In Touch
Program Contact
6550 Fannin St, Smith Tower 18
Houston, Texas 77030
Tel. 346.238.5039
Email: CardioFellowship@houstonmethodist.org
Program Director
Upcoming Academic Events
Grand rounds, tumor boards, regularly scheduled series and case presentations are offered in multiple clinical disciplines and Houston Methodist locations.
NIH Research Performance Progress Reports
Dorothy Lewis, PhD, and Israel Ramirez, MS
Dec 03 @ 11AM
See Details
Institutional Review Board Seminar
Houston Methodist Research Institute
Bevin Lopez, MS, CEP, CCRP
Dec 04 @ 12PM
See Details55
Grand Rounds conducted in 2023Donate to Houston Methodist
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