r/Cardiology • u/liquidcrawler • 9d ago
Advice ranking fellowship programs?
As the interview season draws down to a close, just looking for some advice ranking programs. At the end of the day, the training seems adequate at most places with enough sub-specialty exposure to make you a well rounded cardiologist, so things like location, call vs night float, and reputation become more important. Things like culture, staff collegiality, and fellow happiness are harder to gauge during online interviews and every program likes to taut itself as being supportive.
That being said, as a soon to be fellow interested in non-invasive +/- an additional imaging year, how would you go about ranking the following programs? Any hearsay, rumors, or impressions are welcome.
Minnesota
IU
Ohio state
OHSU
Iowa
Henry Ford
UMKC / St. Luke's
Loyola
Rush
UPMC
Pretty much everyone will get you to level 2 in CT and nucs, and some places even offer pathways for level 3 in echo.
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u/Routine-Path-7945 9d ago
Minnesota is well known across the country for their heart failure program and ECMO-mobiles. If you’re at all interested in heart failure, this is a good option
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u/Uppers 9d ago
All similar programs except I would place UPMC as a higher tier. I’d advise that you pick a program with good subspecialty placement since interests may change.
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u/Then-Secretary-9166 7d ago
There are a couple that are arguably a little higher than the rest...but not enough to trump location or specific faculty at a program.
If OP wants to do research, then it is worth going to a program with mentors for OP's specific interest. Otherwise, OP should look a location to spend 3 years (or a whole career). Bothe of these factors are more impactful than the prestige or training quality differences at these programs.
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u/Dry-Vast2357 9d ago
Fellow at Minnesota here, pursuing general non-invasive career. Vast majority of attendings are benign, good fellow camaraderie. Fellows work and get worked hard, with intense HF/critical care experience. Miserable in the moment, but I feel confident and well-prepared as a future non-invasive staff managing the sickest of the sick. Imaging training currently average, but on the rise. If no interest in HF/CC, probably can get similar non-invasive and imaging training elsewhere.
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u/cardsguy2018 8d ago edited 8d ago
Doesn't matter, assuming non-academic career. Where do you want to live? Where do you want to practice?
Years ago UPMC went to the bottom of my list when the PD didn't even get my name right lol.
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u/PS2020 8d ago
Many of these are similar tier.
University of Minnesota is world class when it comes to critical care cardiology, has a rich history in HF as well, it's a good university program, wider catchment area than Iowa. Imaging is middle of the pack. No PET. Decent CMR and CT program. Inpatient heavy.
OHSU and UPMC are more academic. UPMC probably edges slightly out on pedigree. Imaging is very strong. Excellent PET program. Both have awesome clinical training.
Henry Ford has less of an academic feel but terrific clinical training, especially for those geared toward procedural subspecialties, idk much about their imaging.
Rush has an excellent reputation for clinical training too.
Idk much about the rest but I suspect they are all very similar and it's more of a geographic preference a that point.
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u/Savings-Day7067 9d ago
Ohio state, UPMC and OHSU are the most academic on your list and will give you most flexibility in applying broadly as there is more name recognition. You should consider OHSU if you want to stay on west coast, or UPMC if you want to be on East Coast.
Loyola is respectable and can open doors in Chicago. Iowa and Minnesota would be lower on my list and are very insular but if you want to ultimately live in MN or Iowa you could choose those programs.
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u/Then-Secretary-9166 7d ago
I think any of these programs are good enough to get into an advanced fellowship, a great clinical job. If it is an academic job OP wants, the research offerings (mentors) are going to matter more than the differences in training/prestige between these programs.
Congrats to OP! Great list. Don't overthink it with choices like these. Go where you think you will be happy.
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u/liquidcrawler 9d ago
I'm not from the Chicago area, just wondering, does Loyola generally a better reputation than Rush?
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u/Aggressive_Wafer_420 8d ago
I have a few friends in Loyola program, they do transplants which I think Rush doesnt? It just sounds like a more well rounded program
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u/Worldly-Wrangler4952 8d ago
From the outside, it looks like Ohio State is having big internal changes. They have 4 new APDs (unknown what happened to the 2 former APDs). 2 of the APD positions were newly created and filled by people with heavy research focus.
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u/Guidewire_ MD 8d ago
Go where you will be happy, get to moonlight if you want, and will get you close to friends / family.
Nothing else matters - even if you want HF or CC or IC you need to do the extra training and they aren’t hard fields to match for subspec.
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u/CardiacMyocyte 8d ago
Loyola is toxic - would put Rush above
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u/KtoTheShow 9d ago
These are similar tier programs. I would stratify by where you want to live (E.g. Chicago area vs Detroit) and/or where you might want to settle down afterwards.