Curriculum
First Year
4 weeks orientation/boot camp
3 months inpatient general cardiology
2 months Cardiac Catheterization
2 months Echocardiography/TEE
1 month Congestive Heart Failure
1 month Electrophysiology
2 month Nuclear Medicine
Second Year
2 months inpatient general cardiology
2 months Cardiac Catheterization
2 months Echocardiography/TEE
1 month CCU
1 month Nuclear Medicine
2 months cardiology imaging
3 weeks elective
Third Year
2 months Echocardiography/TEE
4 weeks inpatient general cardiology
1 month CCU
1 month heart failure
1 month electrophysiology
18-21 weeks elective/research
1 month cardiology imaging
6 weeks elective
Cardiology Block Diagram (click image to expand)
Orient/Intro = Orientation and Intro to Cardiology
Incoming first year fellows spend first two weeks getting access, completing institutional orientation, training in the EMR, and "cardiology bootcamp" didactics, and hands-on experiences. This includes cardiology, research, and QI online training modules, didactics, and hands-on experiences.
The third and fourth weeks are comprised of an in-depth experiential introduction to echo, nuc/stress, cath lab, Gen Card, Heart Failure, and EP rotations.
Electives
Any core required rotations, Vascular, CT Surgery, Prevention Clinic, Research; away rotations, or other requests as approved by the Program Director. Clinical elective can be split with research.
Any core required rotations, Vascular, CT Surgery, Prevention Clinic, Research; away rotations, or other requests as approved by the Program Director. Clinical elective can be split with research.
Vacation
Fellows receive 20 weekdays (4 weeks) off per year in addition to at least one major holiday. PTO may be taken during any rotation except Gen Card or Night Float. They are encouraged to take 5 weekdays (1 week) off in a block and no more than 2 weeks consecutive, unless approved by PD.
Fellows receive 20 weekdays (4 weeks) off per year in addition to at least one major holiday. PTO may be taken during any rotation except Gen Card or Night Float. They are encouraged to take 5 weekdays (1 week) off in a block and no more than 2 weeks consecutive, unless approved by PD.
Research
Fellows are expected to devote a portion of their elective time to scholarly activities and are expected to submit at least one scholarly work to a peer-reviewed journal.
Fellows are expected to devote a portion of their elective time to scholarly activities and are expected to submit at least one scholarly work to a peer-reviewed journal.
Fellows participate in clinical research, QI projects, case reports or clinical series.
Ambulatory Cardiology
Continuity Clinic
Fellows attend continuity clinic one half day per week
Prevention Clinic
Prevention Clinic
First year fellows attend Prevention clinic and associated activities (such as cardiac rehab and nutrition counseling) 12 half-days over 12 months.
Subspecialty Clinics
Subspecialty Clinics
Second- and third-year fellow's complete subspecialty clinic blocks consisting of 6 half-days each 6 months
(Over 2 years, fellow will attend 2 Vascular, 2 Structural Heart, 4 Pre-Op, 2 HF, 2 EP, 12 Subspecialty of choice half-day clinics; Rural Cardiology 4 full-day clinics)
Didactics
Orientation/Introduction to Cardiology (yearly, July) – F1 required attendance
ACC MN FIT Echo bootcamp – 4-lecture series presented yearly by Dr. Marcus, through the Midwest
ACC, broadcast nationally, attended in-person by all MercyOne Des Moines/PHC Cardiology fellows
(attended virtually by fellows from other fellowships/locations)
Cardiology Lunch & Learn – series of introductory core cardiology lectures presented by cardiology
faculty and attended by Internal Medicine residents and Cardiology Fellows (Mon-Th 12-1pm) – F1
attendance required. Topic examples follow (these topics were presented July 2022):
- Pregnancy & Heart Disease
- Acute Coronary Syndrome
- Intro to Heart Failure
- Advanced Heart Failure
- Congenital Heart Disease
- Cardiometabolic Disease
- Atrial Fibrillation
- Chest Pain
- Perioperative CV Risk
- RV Failure
- Shock/Hemodynamics
- CV Imaging
- SVT/Arrhythmia
Moderate sedation training - asynchronous, online learning (https://Education.ASAHQ.Org)
Radiation Safety training – presented by Radiation Safety Officer
Patient safety curriculum/modules - asynchronous, online learning (Institute for Healthcare
Improvement); first year fellows
Quality curriculum/modules - asynchronous, online learning (Institute for Healthcare Improvement);
first year fellows
LVAD training – hands on Heartmate 2 and Heartmate 3 LVAD training facilitated by lead Iowa Heart
Center LVAD coordinator; and, asynchronous, online learning modules (Abbott)
CRM (pacemakers/ICD) device training – hands on training and didactics presented by Iowa Heart
Center device nurses and Rhythm Clinic Education Specialist
Documentation/Billing and Coding introduction – Iowa Heart Center Compliance specialist
Required Recurring educational events – all fellows
Board review series/ACCSAP - weekly on Mondays; faculty facilitator Martin/Veer +/- faculty content
expert
ECG conferences - weekly on Tuesdays; faculty facilitator Tom Brown
Clinical case review - weekly on Wednesdays; presented by fellows; faculty facilitator Veer and faculty
involved in cases selected by fellows
involved in cases selected by fellows
Imaging/Cath Case correlation – once monthly on Thursdays, presented by fellows, facilitated by core
faculty (starting in late fall/early winter)
Core curriculum series - weekly on Thursdays (presented by Marcus) and Fridays (presented by faculty)
Nuclear core curriculum and radiation training – presented by faculty (Martin) on nuclear block
Imaging (CT/cMRI) core curriculum – presented by faculty (Martin) on imaging block
Iowa Heart Center Grand Rounds – 2 multidisciplinary meetings per year; presented by senior fellow
(F2/F3), facilitated by content expert faculty; responsible faculty Goerbig-Campbell
Iowa Heart Center M&M/Clinical Case Conference – 2 multidisciplinary meetings per year (~every
6mos); presented by senior fellow (F2/F3), facilitated by content expert faculty; responsible faculty
Goerbig-Campbell
Cardiology Journal club - every 2 months; presented by fellow; faculty facilitator Veer and content expert
faculty
GME- wide M&M – presented by trainees (fellows, residents) quarterly, facilitated by faculty from
various disciplines
Mayo Clinic Board Review Course - F3 attendance required. Virtual or on-site attendance (MercyOne
currently mandates virtual attendance) of this Cardiology Board Review conference, presented by Mayo
Clinic and world-renowned faculty one week per year.
ACCSAP - asynchronous, online learning; videos, written materials, and quizzes. Used as the primary
resource for the fellows’ on-site Board Review series
MedMastery - asynchronous, online learning, video and quiz format
Optional (unless fellow is presenting a case)
Advanced Heart Failure Multidisciplinary meeting and M&M - monthly; presented by faculty. Fellows
present all M&Ms cases. Attendance at all other weekly meetings is optional, when/if it does not
conflict with core fellowship didactics.
Iowa Heart Interventional Cardiology case conference and M&M - monthly; presented by faculty.
Optional, but encourage fellow participation, when/if it does not conflict with core fellowship didactics.
Electrophysiology M&M - quarterly; presented by faculty. Optional, but encourage fellow participation,
when/if it does not conflict with core fellowship didactics.
when/if it does not conflict with core fellowship didactics.
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Multidisciplinary meeting - weekly. Optional, but encourage fellow
participation, when/if it does not conflict with core fellowship didactics.
participation, when/if it does not conflict with core fellowship didactics.
