The Fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases at Boston University Medical Center is somewhat unique in that fellows participating in this program have access to research opportunities at the level of clinical trials, basic cardiology research, and basic science research. Clinical and basic science opportunities in cardiovascular research are available at both the Boston Medical Center and at the VA Boston Healthcare System.
Fellows are expected to participate in a research or academic project (original research, clinical case presentation, review, etc.) during their 3 year fellowship. There is ample time throughout your fellowship and dedicated time during the 3rd year to achieve this objective. There is also additional time possible for fellows interested in an academic research career. Additional training for fellow research is also possible through the various funding mechanisms available to cardiology faculty.
Fellows may elect to organize their clinical training in the following pathways:
Standard Track
We expect that most fellowship candidates will be drawn to the standard track. In this three-year program, two years are devoted to scheduled rotations with a third year available to pursue level II training in areas of sub-specialization such as echocardiography, cardiac MRI, nuclear imaging, or invasive cardiology. Cardiology fellows may choose a third year devoted to directed basic science or clinical research with an optional fourth year that can be supported by a host of NIH-sponsored mechanism including an NIH-sponsored Basic Science Training Grant in existence at Boston University for more than 30 years.
Research Track
Each year we have one to two cardiology fellows enter the research track component of our fellowship program. Typically, these individuals either have prior research experience or a strong commitment to independent research as a major career goal. Research track participants will spend one to two years in research training under the supervision of a mentor with an established record of research training and cardiovascular investigation at the highest level. Participants in the research track may pursue either basic or patient-oriented research as part of this experience. After this research experience, research track participants enter the 24 months of core clinical training designed to provide board eligibility and level I training in all disciplines of cardiovascular medicine.
Please see below all the various research opportunities available to fellows at Boston Medical Center.
CREST Program
Fellows may supplement their clinical experience with research training in statistical methods and clinical investigative techniques. The Boston University School of Medicine CREST Program (Clinical Research Training) is available to interested Fellows in Cardiovascular Medicine and terminates in Masters of Arts in Clinical Investigation from the BU School of Public Health.
T32 in Cardiovascular Epidemiology
In this program, fellows are mentored through a project under the guidance of an NIH funded researcher. This program allows for fellows to hone their skills in basic research, epidemiology, writing, and statistics.
For more information on the Multidisciplinary T32 Training Program in Cardiovascular Epidemiology, please refer to their website.
Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute
The Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute is a collaborative effort between Boston Medical Center with Boston University School of Medicine. It is composed of principal investigators and laboratories involved in basic science research in cardiovascular disease. Cardiology fellows are offered the opportunity to participate in research at the institute which is located on the Boston University Medical Campus.
For more information, please refer to the Whitaker Cardiovascular Institute Website.
Framingham Heart Study
The Framingham Heart Study is a project of Boston University & the National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute. It is world renowned for its epidemiological studies of cardiovascular disease and risk factors. While at Boston Medical Center, cardiology fellows have the unique opportunity to participate in this landmark cardiovascular study.
For more information, please refer to the Framingham Heart Study website.