A message from the program director
Thank you for your interest in the Tufts Medicine Advanced Heart Failure program. Your interest in advanced heart failure training means you already know that heart failure is the most dynamic, intellectually engaging, and emotionally fulfilling cardiology subspecialty. If you're like me, you know there is no other patient population you could imagine working with for the rest of your career. I hope that through this process, you will come to realize something else: that the Tufts Medicine program is the best place to train to be a heart failure cardiologist.
I came to this program as a trainee because I wanted to learn from this group of smart, motivated, caring, and dedicated physicians. I knew they had built a program far bigger than one would expect for the size of the faculty, which meant they had earned the trust of patients and referring cardiologists throughout New England through their hard work and commitment to the mission of patient care. I was honored to join that faculty at the conclusion of my training and am excited to now lead this training program. I think there are several reasons why the Tufts Medicine program is the best place to train:
Unmatched clinical exposure
Because this is only a 1-year fellowship, it is important to have as much exposure to different pathology as possible. We perform over 60 heart transplants annually, more than most other training programs. We use all available mechanical circulatory support devices and manage these patients in our CCU, not the cardiac surgery ICU, so you will learn firsthand when and how to use these devices to manage cardiogenic shock.
Commitment to fellows
All the faculty members are committed to your professional development. At the beginning of your fellowship year, we will meet to pair you with a faculty mentor based on your interests and career goals. We will work with you to structure your elective time around individualized tracks to allow you focus on the things you're passionate about. The shock simulation course is a real gem of the program, giving you hands-on experience with different MCS devices and the opportunity to ask questions and make mistakes. In addition, fellows have protected time to attend weekly lectures, review gross and microscopic specimens with cardiac pathologists, and work directly with heart failure faculty in the cath lab. Finally, because of our connections around the country, we are able to help our graduates find jobs in their preferred geographic area.
People
Heart failure is a multidisciplinary specialty. We cannot do what we do without the help of other medical specialties, APPs, nurse coordinators, social workers, pharmacists, financial coordinators, and countless other team members. The multidisciplinary team at Tufts Medicine has the most dedicated, kind, and supportive people I've ever met. They are ready to welcome you, teach you, and become your lifelong colleagues.
I know that choosing a place to train in what is likely to be your final year of training is a big decision. As you read the information presented here, I hope you find that the Tufts Medicine program is a place where you can thrive. We look forward to meeting you!
Gaurav Gulati, MD, MS
Program Director
