Clinical training in the cardiovascular disease fellowship at Tufts Medical Center
Building on a rich tradition of excellence in cardiovascular medicine spanning more than 50 years, the Tufts Medical Center Cardiovascular Fellowship Training Program is dedicated to developing highly competent physician-leaders who deliver compassionate, clinically astute patient care. Program leadership supports the principle of graded autonomy—giving fellows increasing responsibility as they progress, based on demonstrated clinical competence and achievement of key training milestones.
Our fully ACGME/RRC-accredited, three-year cardiovascular disease fellowship provides comprehensive clinical training across the full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular care. Fellows rotate through diverse clinical services, gaining hands-on experience that builds the skills needed for expert cardiology practice.
Core clinical rotations
Throughout the fellowship, trainees participate in diverse clinical rotations that provide exposure to both inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular care. These rotations include:
- Advanced cardiac imaging (CT/MRI): Exposure to cutting-edge imaging modalities.
- Cardiac catheterization: Hands-on experience with diagnostic and interventional procedures.
- Cardiac intensive care: Management of critically ill cardiac patients.
- Community cardiology: Engagement with diverse patient populations in community settings.
- Echocardiography: Training in transthoracic and transesophageal imaging techniques.
- Electrophysiology: Management of arrhythmias and device implantation.
- Heart failure and transplantation: Comprehensive care for advanced heart failure patients, including transplant evaluations.
- Nuclear cardiology: Utilization of nuclear imaging for cardiac assessments.
- Preventive cardiology: Strategies for cardiovascular risk reduction and health promotion.
- Vascular medicine: Diagnosis and treatment of peripheral vascular diseases.
Career-focused third year
During the third year of fellowship, trainees concentrate their clinical experiences in career-focused rotations, such as:
- Interventional cardiology
- Advanced heart failure
- Critical care cardiology
This year also emphasizes advanced imaging, including:
- Transesophageal echocardiography
- Cardiac CT
- Cardiac MRI
These experiences are tailored to prepare fellows for subspecialty training or transition into independent practice.
Subspecialty training opportunities
After completing core rotations, fellows have the opportunity to pursue advanced training in subspecialty areas, including:
- Electrophysiology Fellowship
- Advanced Heart Failure + Transplant Cardiology Fellowship
- Interventional Cardiology Fellowship
- Advanced Cardiac Imaging Program
- Cardiac Clinical Care Fellowship
Graduates from our fellowship program commonly go on to advanced training to serve as subspecialists. Many stay at Tufts Medical Center to continue their education through our ACGME-accredited programs. Exceptional fellows interested in electrophysiology may be eligible for our accelerated integrated residency education program, which combines the third year of general cardiology training with subspecialty electrophysiology training.
Research training opportunities
Fellows interested in formal research training may apply to pursue a master’s degree through the Tufts University Clinical and Translational Science Program. Those accepted into this program begin structured research work in the third year of fellowship and complete a dedicated fourth year focused primarily on developing clinical and translational research skills.
Affiliated training sites
Clinical training primarily occurs at Tufts Medical Center, an academic referral hospital. To complement this, fellows rotate through affiliated community hospitals, including:
- MelroseWakefield Hospital: Experience in consultative cardiology, critical care cardiology, and cardiac rehab.
- MetroWest Medical Center: Exposure to non-invasive imaging and outpatient cardiology services.
Training at these two community sites helps provide a broader array of clinical training experiences than can be obtained in an academic medical center alone. Both centers include active programs in interventional cardiology and electrophysiology.
