Vascular Surgery Fellowship

29

Active Clinical Trials

6,225

CV Surgeries Annually

$12.5M

in Grant Funding

86

Peer-Reviewed Publications in 2024

About our Fellowship

Photo of Vascular Surgery Fellows 2024-2025

Vascular Surgery Faculty

Alan Lumsden, MD
Walter W. Fondren III Distinguished Endowed Chair, DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center
Chair, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery
Houston Methodist Hospital

Eric Peden, MD
Chief, Vascular Surgery
Program Director
Houston Methodist Hospital

Marvin Atkins, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Charudatta Bavare, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Charlie Cheng, MD
Houston Methodist Sugar Land

Zsolt Garami, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Linda Le, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Richard Lee, MD
Houston Methodist Willowbrook

Tony Lu, MD
Houston Methodist Sugar Land

Gerald Motes, MD
Houston Methodist Willowbrook

Jacobo Nurko, MD
Houston Methodist Baytown

Maham Rahimi, MD, PhD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Thomas Loh, MD
Houston Methodist The Woodlands

Trisha Roy, MD, PhD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Phillip Auyang, MD
Houston Methodist West

Joseph Besho, MD
Houston Methodist The Woodlands

Meg Jackson, MD
Houston Methodist Baytown

Tam Huynh, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Kaled Diab, MD
Houston Methodist The Woodlands

Ammar Hashmi, MD
Houston Methodist West

Cardiac Surgery Faculty

Mahesh Ramchandani, MD
Chief, Cardiovascular Surgery
Houston Methodist Hospital

Michael Reardon, MD
Allison Family Distinguished Chair of Cardiovascular Research, Department of Cardiovascular Surgery
Houston Methodist Hospital

Marvin Atkins, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Ross Reul, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Michael Sweeney, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Andrea Quarti, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

Fernando Ramirez-Del Val, MD
Houston Methodist Hospital

The Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program at Houston Methodist Hospital prepares vascular surgeons for their future in providing the highest quality surgical care. The two-year program allows them to gain experience in personalized and comprehensive treatment, as well as eligibility for the Certificate of Special Added Qualification in Vascular Surgery.

Houston Methodist has a long tradition of being home to leaders in vascular surgery through the efforts of Dr. Michael DeBakey and Dr. Stanley Crawford. Our mission is to develop academic clinical surgeons who will continue this tradition. With nationally recognized faculty, the program offers the educational resources to develop proficiency in diagnosing and treating diseases of the arterial venous and lymphatic systems. The program also provides the clinical educational experience for the fellows to excel in multidisciplinary communication and professionalism.

Fellows in the vascular training program gain a broad base of knowledge and skills in all aspects of vascular surgery, including preoperative, operative and postoperative care of patients. Rotations provide a high volume and balanced experience of open and endovascular cases:

Emphasis on complex interventions
Comprehensive exposure to ultrasound and cross-sectional imaging
Complete experience in the management of inpatients and outpatients

The program offers ample opportunity for fellows to conduct, present and publish clinical research. Faculty mentors are available to guide these efforts.

Upon completion of the program, fellows will be proficient and knowledgeable in the indications and technical skills to perform procedures requiring traditional open and catheter based technology and will be prepared to enter an academic position in vascular surgery.

Two fellows are accepted into the program each year through the National Residency Matching Program. To qualify, they must have successfully completed five years of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited general surgery residency and must be eligible for examination by the American Board of Surgery.

Eligibility and Application

Thank you for your interest in the Vascular Surgery Fellowship Program at Houston Methodist.

Enjoy this video from a recent alum, Simon Montelongo, DO, speaking about his experience.

Application Process

Fellowship applications and required documentation must be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS).

Interview Date 2024 - 2025

2/7/2025

Please note that interviews for 2024 - 2025 will be held in-person

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.

Application Requirements

Applicants must have graduated from a five-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited general surgery residency program and be eligible for examination by the American Board of Surgery. One out of the following criteria must be met:

Graduates of medical schools in the U.S. and Canada accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
Graduates of colleges of osteopathic medicine in the U.S. accredited by the American Osteopathic Association (AOA)
Graduates of medical schools outside of the U.S. and Canada or graduates of medical schools outside the U.S. who have completed a Fifth Pathway program provided by an LCME-accredited medical school who meet the following qualifications:

- Hold a current valid certificate from the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG).

- Has a J-1 Visa, or is a U.S. citizen, naturalized U.S. citizen or permanent resident

The documentation listed below must be submitted with the application:

Official medical school transcript and diploma in original language and in English (copied and notarized, stating that it is a true copy of the original)
Two letters of recommendation
Personal statement
Curriculum vitae
USMLE/COMLEX scores (must possess a passing score of > 200)
Valid ECFMG certificate/J-1 visa (if applicable)

Interview Selection Process

All information must be submitted prior to an application being reviewed.

Our Fellows

Annabella Olson, DO - PGY7

Residency: St. Joseph's Hospital
Medical School: Western University of Health Sciences
Undergraduate: Loyola Marymount University
Hometown: Denver, Colorado

Brianna Elys Whithorn, DO - PGY6

Residency: Saint Louis University
Medical School: Campbell University
Undergraduate: George Fox University
Hometown: Vancouver, Washington

Asad Shaikh, MD - PGY6

Residency: Houston Methodist Hospital
Medical School: Texas A&M College of Medicine
Undergraduate: Texas A&M
Hometown: Bryan, Texas

Our Alumni

Name	Year of Graduation	Current Location
Zulqifar Cheema	2011	CLS Health
Christopher Smolock	2012	Mount Sinai
Charudatta Bavare	2013	Houston Methodist Hospital
Mitul Patel	2013	Valley Hospital
Abindra Sigdel	2014	University of Louisville
Houssam Younes	2014	Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Uwe Fischer	2015	Yale
Marie Unruh	2015	Louisiana State University
Cassidy Duran	2016	Lam Vascular & Associates
Sashi Inkollu	2017	West Virginia University
Zack Nash	2017	Guadalupe Regional Medical Center
Tony Lu	2018	Houston Methodist Hospital
Matthew Bennett	2018	Virginia Mason
Ali Irshad	2019	Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Vanderbilt
Dong Lee	2019	University of Kentucky
Thomas Loh	2019	Houston Methodist Hospital
Luis Gomez	2020	St. Joseph Health System
Edward Andraos	2020	Mount Sinai Medical Center
Ahmed Mohamed	2020	Houston Methodist Hospital
Mujeeb Zubair	2021	Congenital Cardiac Surgery Fellow, University of Michigan
Manuel Rojo	2021	Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Loyola University
Phillip Auyang	2021	Houston Methodist Hospital
Travis Vowels	2022	BSA Health System
Dalila White	2022	White Plains Hospital
Ross McFall	2022	Cardiac Surgery Fellow, Brigham & Women's
Yusuf Chauhan	2023	LAM Vascular & Associates
Kaled Diab	2023	Houston Methodist Hospital
Simon Montelongo	2023	CLS Health

Curriculum

PGY-6
Rotation Duration
Vascular 7 months
Vascular Baytown 2 months
Vascular Sugarland 2 months
Ultrasound 1 month

PGY-7
Rotation Duration
Vascular 11 months
Elective 1 month

Research

Fellows at all levels of training are encouraged to actively engage in research endeavors. Opportunities exist to get involved in clinical outcomes, basic science and device development research. Institutional support exists for Houston Methodist residents who routinely present annually at local, regional and national conferences.

Pre-intern Bootcamp

This course, for medical students who have matched into integrated vascular surgery residencies, is designed to ease the transition from medical school to a vascular surgery residency. Medical students will learn skills which will allow them to excel on the floor and in the OR starting their first day. This course covers a three-day period, during which time the attendees will have lectures on vascular anatomy, exposures, endovascular basics, vascular ultrasound, wound care, and note writing/charting. Additionally, there are multiple practical sessions to teach endovascular skills and vascular suturing technique.

Weekly Didactics and Conferences

Each week, there are multiple mornings which are set aside for resident education in the form of didactics, conferences, case planning meetings, M&M sessions, and mock orals. The didactics sessions comprise of Vascular Surgical Core modules and other resources and follow a question based structure in preparation for the yearly VSITE examination. On Thursday mornings, our weekly case conference is held. These presentations, which are put together and presented by a trainee, review the decision making taken prior to operative intervention and include a recorded, de-identified video of the surgical procedure. All of the morning meetings are resident run and moderated by faculty, with the goal of establishing fundamental knowledge, situational application, and continuous improvement for the best possible in vascular surgical patient care. We strive to harbor an open environment of discussion and education.

Additionally, journal club is held once a month at an offsite local venue and covers two recent journal articles.

Vascular Surgical Training Association of Houston (VaSTAH)

VaSTAH is a bi-annual cadaver workshop for the integrated vascular residents and fellows with the purpose of teaching common vascular exposure anatomy and techniques. As the trainee progresses, the level of exposures taught becomes more advanced. Typically, VaSTAH spans two days, with the first day dedicated to faculty teaching the exposures and the second day consisting of a practical examination in which the trainee exposes a vessel without assistance. Examples of important exposures covered in VaSTAH workshops include below/above knee popliteal, femoral, axillary, carotid, vertebral, aortic, and mesenteric vessels.

Vascular Surgery Workshops

Hands on training and simulation lab workshops are frequently held in order to give trainees practical experience in common vascular skills and increase the comfort level in the operating room. Examples of these workshops include an endovascular sheep lab to demonstrate IVC filter placement and retrieval, a closure device workshop sponsored by industry, sessions covering correct ultrasound technique, and a ruptured AAA skills course.

Cardiovascular Fellows' Bootcamp

The CV Fellows' Bootcamp is a weekend course held annually in August. Hundreds of vascular surgery, vascular medicine, interventional radiology, and interventional cardiology fellows attend this training course. Boot Camp provides two days of expert-led lectures on the fundamentals of cardiovascular disease and management, and a one-day of hands-on training. The guiding principles for this course are “Teach broadly. Teach early. Teach basics.” The vascular surgery track offers expert-led interactive lectures that are complemented with hands-on training, including demonstrations of ultrasound-guided access, dissection and exposures on cadavers, and open vascular and endovascular surgical training. The Friday sessions features intensive hands-on training at the Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation & Education (MITIE), with two tracks (cardiology and vascular surgery) to allow specialty-specific training. This is an excellent opportunity to network, consolidate skills, and pick up tips, tricks and nuances.

Pumps & Pipes

A unique annual conference that brings together technological giants based in the city of Houston representing medicine, energy and aerospace sectors. Through this partnership between Houston Methodist, ExxonMobil, NASA and others, researchers delve into the complex technological problems facing each of those industries and see what’s in “the other guy’s toolkit”. The goal of this problem-focused forum is to promote cross-industry collaboration and transfer of knowledge and technological know-how between industries. Pumps & Pipes was co-founded by Alan Lumsden, MD, chair of the Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center. Residents are encouraged to attend and participate if they are able.

DeBakey Cardiovascular Education

Building on Dr. Michael E. DeBakey's commitment to excellence in education, Houston Methodist's DeBakey CV Education is an epicenter for cardiovascular academic and clinical educational programs that support the provision of optimal care to patients suffering from cardiovascular conditions and diseases. One of the highlights of Debakey CV Education is our Youtube channel, which features hundreds of in-depth surgical videos created by the trainees and faculty, advanced lectures on the latest cardiovascular topics, interviews, and much more. The channel now has over 85,000 subscribers and over 13,000,000 views.

Houston Methodist Institute for Technology, Innovation, & Education (MITIE)

MITIE is one of the most advanced clinical training facilities in the world, and provides a space for health care professionals to acquire new skills and industry partners to showcase new devices. The facility has a large procedural skills area where cadaveric and animal simulation labs can take place, as well as other suites containing a 1.5T MRI, CT scanner, and hybrid OR suite for research and education purposes. The goal of MITIE is to improve patient safety through these educational pursuits and to conduct research on skills acquisition and technological development. This is the location of many of the vascular program's workshops and simulations labs.

Take a virtual tour of this cutting edge facility by clicking here.

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