Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship Program

Introduction

The Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology is proud to support the Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology (ACTA) Fellowship Program at Montefiore Medical Center. For more than twenty years, the ACTA Fellowship Program has trained clinicians who have become leaders in the field. The program, which has been ACGME-accredited since 2007, currently offers four accredited fellowship positions every year.

Clinical Experience

Our ACTA fellows serve a diverse population from the Bronx, NY and surrounding areas undergoing a variety of complex cardiothoracic operations and cardiac interventions. Fellows receive clinical instruction in anesthetic management as well as perioperative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) from our team of expert faculty, who are all fellowship trained and board-certified echocardiographers. Case exposure for fellows includes:

• Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)
• Open valve replacement and repair
• Open and endovascular thoracic aorta procedures
• Temporary and durable ventricular assist device (VAD) implantation
• Heart and lung transplantation
• Congenital heart operations
• Transcatheter Valve Replacements and Repair (e.g. TAVR, TMVR, TEER)
• Left atrial appendage occlusion/closure

Educational Experience

ACTA fellows undergo a curriculum that includes numerous didactic sessions and workshops. Many elements of the curriculum take advantage of our strong relationships with other departments at Montefiore to deliver multidisciplinary teaching. Fellow didactic sessions include:

• Echo rounds
• Problem based learning discussions
• Journal club
• Workshops:
  • Pig heart dissection with CT Surgery
  • Point of care ultrasound
  • Three-dimensional echocardiography

The Department of Anesthesiology has also created a monthly Fellows’ College conference series for all fellows that covers many non-clinical topics. This provides fellows of different subspecialty backgrounds to interact with faculty in a less formal venue. Past session topics have included:

• Medical litigation
• The business of anesthesiology
• Onboarding for a new job
• Scientific methods
• Financial planning

In addition, fellows participate in giving formal didactic sessions to our anesthesiology residents. For fellows that are actively participating in the American Board of Anesthesiology examination process, department support is provided to aide with preparation. This includes mock exams with our many faculty board examiners, departmental OSCE practice sessions, and didactic resources.

Scholarly Activity

The Division of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology has numerous active clinical research projects. Fellows receive support from faculty mentors, as well as the department’s dedicated research staff. All fellows are expected to participate in an IRB-approved research study, as well as to submit an abstract to the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting. Fellows receive up to one non-clinical day every two weeks to devote to scholarly activity.

Quality Improvement

The ACTA fellows are involved in quality improvement processes, including:

• Presenting at monthly Divisional Morbidity and Mortality Conferences
• Attendance at multidisciplinary CT Surgery Morbidity and Mortality Conferences
• Participation in a faculty-mentored group quality improvement project

Many previous fellows have also joined in quality related committees within the institution.

Wellness

The Department of Anesthesiology’s Wellness Committee is devoted to ensuring the well-being of all trainees. The ACTA Fellowship Program has developed a curriculum devoted to wellness and offers many resources for fellows.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

The ACTA Fellowship Program, along with the Department of Anesthesiology and Montefiore Medical Center, is committed to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). In addition to caring for one of the most diverse population areas in the country, fellows receive a structured curriculum devoted to DEI. Fellows are also encouraged to work with the departmental DEI Committee on projects and initiatives.

Applying for ACTA Fellowship

The Montefiore ACTA Fellowship Program only receives applications through the San Francisco Match (www.sfmatch.org). For details regarding fees, timeline and the common application service (CAS) process, please visit the SF Match website for ACTA Fellowship Programs. Candidates that apply to our program will then be asked to complete a short supplemental application. Applications are reviewed by our program leadership across multiple dimensions. Interviews are then offered to select candidates through the SF Match. Applicants will receive details regarding the supplemental application and interview process after submitting their application on SF Match.

For any questions about applying to the Montefiore ACTA Fellowship Program, please contact the program coordinator, Ms. Debbie Lopez (deblopez@montefiore.org) by e-mail

We thank you for learning about our ACTA Fellowship Program at Montefiore Medical Center. The faculty are proud of the program and are excited to continue training future leaders in cardiac anesthesiology.