Interventional Cardiology Fellowship

The Interventional Cardiology Fellowship at Houston Methodist Hospital is a one-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-approved program (ACGME ID: 1524814171) organized under the directorship of Neal S. Kleiman, MD. The fellowship functions as an integral component of the subspecialty fellowship in cardiology. During the year of interventional training, fellows are expected to master the techniques involved in coronary intervention, while developing perspective on procedural risk and benefit, patient selection and clinical decision-making in cardiovascular patient care. At the end of the year, fellows should function as independent operators during interventional procedures. The program adheres to the tenets outlined in the ACGME training requirements, American College of Cardiology (ACC) Core Cardiology Training Symposium (COCATS) guidelines document and the American Heart Association (AHA) statement on clinical competency in interventional cardiology.

Learn more about our program by watching our Intro Video

Objectives of the Fellowship

The primary goal of the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship is to train future leaders in the field of interventional cardiology. The fellowship program provides the opportunity to acquire fundamental knowledge in the field of interventional cardiology as well as procedural expertise, and training in integrating new knowledge into the practice of interventional cardiology:

• Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty
• Balloon angioplasty
• Stent deployment
• Intravascular imaging
• Rotational atherectomy
• Orbital atherectomy
• Intravascular lithotripsy
• Laser atherectomy
• Mechanical thrombectomy
• Distal protection devices
• Carotid and peripheral stenting
• Renal denervation
• Alcohol septal ablation for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Transcatheter closure of intracardiac communications

Clinical investigations include the use of novel devices for percutaneous treatment of coronary artery disease, non-coronary cardiac interventions, such as percutaneous valve replacement, drug-eluting stent studies, and peripheral arterial disease and novel imaging technologies.

Fellows graduating from the one-year program will easily exceed the minimum ACGME requirement of 250 coronary interventions. Our curriculum meets the requirements specified by the American College of Cardiology (ACC) for interventionalists; and our high volume and high level of case complexity provide an excellent foundation to develop expertise as an independent operator.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

All training will take place in the Houston Methodist Hospital (915 beds). The Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center cardiac catheterization laboratory facilities are located in Houston Methodist Hospital.

In August 2018, Houston Methodist opened a new 22-story building named Walter Tower, with nearly 1 million square feet, to include sophisticated cardiovascular surgical suites specially designed for highly technical and minimally invasive image-guided heart procedures. The building features 14 heart catheterization labs with expanded space and MRI and CT conveniently located next to post-op rooms, and a helipad that will give emergency personnel direct access to the OR, cath lab and intensive care units.

Our facilities also include a state-of-the-art research institute that houses the Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE), which is an unparalleled educational resource for health care professionals and trainees who wish to improve their skills and acquire new ones through procedural simulation technology.

Neal S. Kleiman, MD, FACC, MSCAI is professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and program director of the interventional cardiology training program at Houston Methodist Hospital. He is also the medical director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratories for Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center.

Dr. Kleiman is recognized internationally for his expertise in interventional cardiology. As principal investigator of multiple clinical and device studies, he has published more than 300 peer-reviewed papers and his laboratory is recognized nationally as a select site for platelet research and is recognized as one of the top recruiting centers for the TransAortic Valve Replacement (TAVI/TAVR) study.

In 2018, Dr. Kleiman was inducted as a Master Interventionalist (MSCAI) with the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI). The MSCAI designation recognizes outstanding members of SCAI who are nominated by their peers for having demonstrated excellence over the course of their careers and for their commitment to the highest levels of clinical care, innovation, publication and teaching.

Eligibility & Application

Thank you for your interest in the Houston Methodist Interventional Cardiology Fellowship program. Our program is registered with Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS); ACGME Program ID: 1524814171 - December Application Cycle.  Please note, at the current time all applicants, including those local to the Greater Houston Area, will be interviewed virtually.

Criteria

To be considered for the Interventional Cardiology Fellowship, certain requirements must be met:

• 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)

Responsibility

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.

• 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.

Selection Process

Two (2) fellows are selected from a highly competitive field of applicants for the training program. Fellows are selected from among eligible applicants on the basis of their ability, academic credentials, aptitude, communication skills, intellectual and humanistic qualities, personal attributes (such as motivation and integrity), preparedness, and their ability to benefit from the program. These qualities may be accessed through the review of academic records, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores and other means, including interviews. The department does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race, age, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation or veteran status. Interviewing is conducted during the month of December.

Applications will be accepted through December 31. Interviews will be scheduled based on review by the program director and interventional faculty.