Adult Echocardiography

The Adult Echocardiography fellowship is a one-year program providing a highly specialized and comprehensive training in echocardiography to adult cardiologists. It emphasizes the practical, academic, administrative, and research aspects in the field to produce fully qualified echocardiographers with broad exposure to various heart diseases.

The Echocardiography Laboratory receives a wide range of referrals including, but not limited to: coronary artery disease, native and prosthetic valvular disease, cardiomyopathies including dilated, hypertrophic and restrictive, pericardial diseases, pulmonary hypertension, cardiac tumors and masses, diseases of the aorta and adult congenital heart disease.

This provides fellows with an opportunity to acquire experience from a diverse and rich clinical case material. All echocardiographic studies done are interpreted on-line, ie, the Consultant reviews the images, may obtain additional images and reports the study prior to discharging the patient. The echocardiography training program includes:

1) fellow’s supervised performance of sufficient echocardiograms to satisfy professional certification requirements;

2) interpretation of routine clinical studies;

3) performance of transesophageal, intra-operative, contrast, stress and emergency echocardiographic studies.

Fellows should become conversant and familiar with the latest technology in the field including three dimensional and strain imaging, hand-held echo devices (Vscan) for rapid bedside evaluation, and live transesophageal echocardiography for guidance during percutaneous valve and device interventions in the catheterization laboratory.

Thus fellows should develop an excellent understanding of cardiac pathophysiology and hemodynamics during their training. Three half days per week are allocated to research under direct consultant supervision. Following completion of training, fellows are expected to work as independent echocardiographers and be able to manage an Echocardiography Laboratory.

Program Director