Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship

105

Active Clinical Trials Underway

10

Appointed Endowed Faculty

283

Peer-Reviewed Publications in 2023

Program Overview

The Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship program at Houston Methodist is a one-year training program starting July 1st and concluding June 30th of each academic year. At the conclusion of training, fellows are eligible for certification in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM). We currently have 3 ACGME-accredited fellowship positions each year. Our training meets or exceeds the standards set forth by United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) and the American Society of Transplantation (AST) guidelines.

Objectives of the Fellowship

Our fellowship program offers the entire breadth of clinical exposure from ICU, post-LVAD/transplant floors, cardiac catheterization lab, dedicated HF IMU and outpatient clinic setting. Specialized aspects of our clinical training, in addition to MCS/transplant, include pulmonary hypertension, cardiac amyloidosis, multi-organ transplant (heart-liver, heart-lung, and heart-kidney), cardio-oncology and HFpEF. Our program is unique in a sense that fellows rotating through the cardiac catheterization lab receive hands-on training in implantation of the CardioMEMS device and intra-aortic balloon pump (IABP) placement via a novel approach utilizing axillary artery access. This is in addition to the ample amount of exposure provided in performing endomyocardial biopsies, coronary angiography and invasive hemodynamic studies including exercise right heart catheterizations, constriction-restriction studies and LVAD speed optimization studies using concomitant RHC and TTE.

We also have primary focus on fellow education with incorporation of a formal didactic series dedicated to advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology that is imparted throughout the academic year. All advanced heart failure fellows participate in at least one original research project pertaining to their interest and are an integral part of our ongoing research efforts including our prominent involvement in ongoing national clinical trials in heart failure. Currently, we consistently perform over 100 interventions for end stage HF including, on average, approximately 65 LVADs and 45 heart and/ or heart multi-organ transplants per year.

In summary, we prepare fellows for an academic career in advanced heart failure and transplant cardiology who we hope will eventually be future leaders in the field of heart failure.

Eligibility and Application

To be considered for The Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship Program, certain requirements must be met:


Criteria
  • Must apply via the Electronic Residency Applicant Service (ERAS) and must enroll in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP)
  • Be of good professional character with at least three letters of recommendation attesting to your academic and personal qualifications
  • Graduate of a U.S. or Canadian Medical School accredited by the Liaison Committee for Medical Education (LCME), or a medical school outside the United States and Canada with a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG)
  • Graduate of an ACGME-accredited or RCPSC-accredited (Canadian) three-year cardiovascular disease training program
  • All applicants must have taken and passed all three steps of USMLE exams (first attempt preferred). DO graduates must have taken and passed all three steps of COMLEX USA.
  • American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM)-board certified in internal medicine and board-eligible in cardiology by completion of cardiology fellowship
  • Applicants must be eligible for licensure (Physician in Training or Full License) by the Texas Medical Board
  • Valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate for all foreign medical graduates
  • Our program sponsors J1 visas. If you are an J1 visa holder, you must be eligible for one year of training at the beginning of the fellowship.
  • Training is from July 1 through June 30 (no exceptions)

Houston Methodist is committed to improving the health of our patients, employees, and communities around us. As a health care provider, it’s our responsibility to promote a healthier environment for our employees.


Responsibility
  • Drug and Tobacco Screening- Job seekers will be tested for nicotine and drug usage during the post-offer physical. If a job seeker tests positive for nicotine use, including nicotine gum and patches, the offer will be rescinded, and individuals will be given the opportunity to participate in a free Houston Methodist-provided tobacco cessation program. Job seekers wishing to reapply after testing positive for nicotine may do so 90 days after the date the initial offer was rescinded. If the job seeker tests positive for drug use, the offer will be rescinded. Job seekers wishing to reapply after the drug screening is positive may do so one year after the date the initial offer was rescinded.
  • Background Check - Prior to employment start date, job seekers must complete a criminal background check.

Our Team

AHF Faculty Group
Our Fellows
Shehab Alansari, MD
PGY7
 
Cleveland Clinic (IM)
UT Health Houston (CARD)
Omar Chaabo, MBBS
PGY7
 
Hamad Medical Corporation 
Doha, Qatar (IM)
American University of Beirut (CARD)
Our Alumni



Aditi Singhvi, MD - Class of 2019

We are extremely proud of our Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology fellowship program graduates. Each year the Houston Methodist Department of Cardiology hosts an alumni reception at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) annual meeting.

Class of 2023

 

Javier Aimone Guerra, MD 
Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiologist, Methodist Hospital in San Antonio

 

Amna Aijaz, MD
General Cardiology Fellowship, University of Texas  


 

Class of 2022

 

Syed Adeel Ahsan, MD
Cardiology Faculty, Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center, Houston, TX  

 

Kavitha Kalvakuri-Meduru, MBBS
University of Illinois, College of Medicine Peoria, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center, IL

 

Eesha Khan, MBBS
Ochsner Rush Health System, Meridian, MS


       

Class of 2021

 

Miguel Castro, MD
Memorial Regional Health Care System


Anusha Sunkara, MD
HF-Transplant Cardiologist-Baptist Hospital


Pakpoom Tantrachoti, MD
INTEGRIS Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute



Class of 2020

 

Carolina Marzbani, MBBS
Staff Physician, Kelsey Seybold, Houston, TX

Harsh Patel, DO
Private Practice, Cypress, TX

Benjamin Salgado, MD
Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, Medford, OR

 
     

Class of 2019

 

Bashar Hannawi, MD
Staff Physician, Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI

David Miranda, MD
Staff Physician, Saint Cloud Heart & Vascular Center, Cloud, MN

Aditi Singhvi, MD
Staff Physician, Mount Sinai, New York City, NY



Class of 2018

 

Aamir Abbas, MD
Staff Physician, Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, Houston, TX

Jonathan Gardner, MD
Private practice, Pulse Heart Institute, Tacoma, WA

 
    

Class of 2017

 

Laurie Letarte, MD
Staff Physician, Newark Beth Israel Medical Center, Newark, NJ



Class of 2016

 

Jessica Brown, MD
Staff Physician, Woodlands North Houston Heart Center, The Woodlands, TX



Class of 2015

 

Carrie Eshelbrenner, MD
Private practice, Integris Advanced Cardiac Care, Oklahoma City, OK

Get In Touch

Program Coordinator

Lianna White
6550 Fannin St, Smith Tower 18-209
Houston, Texas 77030
Tel. 346.238.5039
Email: CardioFellowship@houstonmethodist.org

Program Director

Imad Hussain, MD
Department of Cardiology
6550 Fannin St, Smith Tower 1901
Houston, Texas 77030
Email: IHussain@houstonmethodist.org

Upcoming Academic Events

Grand rounds, tumor boards, regularly scheduled series and case presentations are offered in multiple clinical disciplines and Houston Methodist locations.
CV Live: At the Cutting Edge of Cardiovascular Sciences

John P. Cooke, MD, PhD, and Li Lai, PhD

Oct 14 @ 11AM

See Details
How to Use NIH RePORTER 10.15.2024

Oct 15 @ 11AM

See Details

55

Grand Rounds conducted in 2023
These educational events are held according to varying schedules by departments and divisions within the Houston Methodist Academic Institute

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