Cardiology

Training and Curriculum

Our Programs Mission

The UCLA Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Program aims to strike an appropriate balance between academic endeavors and clinical service. The trainee will be encouraged and given the resources to develop a dedication to continuing education and scholarship. The training will also focus on the role that the advanced heart failure specialist is likely to play in the rapidly evolving health care delivery system.

Fellow Schedule
Clinical Sites
Healthcare professional in scrubs stands by a table with medical supplies.

In accordance with ACGME guidelines, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Program fellows will receive the following training: 

  • Transplantation training in candidate selection for heart transplantation and mechanical circulatory support, donor selection and management, physiology of the transplanted heart, immunosuppression, immediate postoperative and long-term care, including management of post-transplant complications. Additionally, fellows will be trained in performing endomyocardial biopsies.
  • Knowledge in diagnosis and treatment of congestive heart failure with an emphasis on pathophysiology, evaluation, management, and prevention, as well as on the humanistic, moral, and ethical aspects of medicine.
  • Active participation in research will provide the trainee with further experience in thinking critically, evaluating the clinical literature, and potentially preparing her/him for a career in academic medicine.
  • Comprehensive Management of patients with durable mechanical circulatory support, including early post-operative management and long-term care. 
A group of clinical training students in the classroom

Didactics Conferences

  • Heart Failure Journal Club
  • Immunogenetics Lecture Series
  • Heart Transplant Morbidity and Mortality
  • Adult Congenital Heart Disease and Transplant Meetings
  • Cardiac Pathology Gross Conference

Fellow Schedule

Inpatient Rotation at UCLA: Monday - Saturday (Sunday off)

*Fellows alternate between inpatient and outpatient blocks every 2 weeks

  • Transplant selection committee meeting Fridays 7-9 am
  • No night call

Outpatient Rotation (UCLA & West LA VA):

  • Fellows will have a clinic at UCLA and the West LA VA Medical Center
  • Fellows participate in dedicated cardiomyopathy, heart transplant, LVAD, pulmonary HTN and amyloid clinics
  • Weekends off

Sample Schedule

Week Monday AMMonday PMTuesday AMTuesday PMWednesday AMWednesday PMThursdayFriday AMFriday PM 
July 1INPATIENT--------
July 9INPATIENT--------
July 16TransplantCMY/ResearchVAVATransplant/VADCMYBiopsyCMYResearch
July 23TransplantCMY/ResearchVAVATransplant/VADCMYBiopsyCMYCMY

Opportunities to join specialty clinics based on your interests:

  • Cardio-oncology
  • Cardio-obstetrics
  • Sports Cardiology
  • Pulmonary Hypertension
  • Cardiovascular Genetics
  • Long Covid Cardiology
  • Infiltrative Cardiomyopathy
  • Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Vacation Time and Educational Opportunities:

  • 28 days of vacation
  • Protected time to attend heart failure conferences (see additional information section for specifics)

 

Clinical Sites

UCLA Ronald Reagan Medical Center

  • Tertiary care center with 525 beds
  • Level 1 trauma center
  • Prominent research center
  • Ranked in the top 10 nationally for twelve medical specialties
  • Mobile ECMO program
  • Home to the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine
the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center building exterior in the daytime

Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiomyopathy Center

Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Program fellows are exposed to various outpatient clinics in the Ahmanson-UCLA Cardiovascular Center, such as:

  • Cardiomyopathy clinic
  • Post heart transplant clinic
  • VAD clinic
  • Outpatient biopsies
UCLA Health 100 Medical Plaza

West Los Angeles VA Medical Center

  • Main referral center for Southern CA VA patients
  • Outpatient clinic, occasional inpatient consults
  • Clinics our fellows go to: 
    • Cardiomyopathy clinic
    • HCM/amyloid clinic
    • Transplant clinic
    • Pulmonary Hypertension clinic
VA Greater Los Angeles Hospital Exterior