Combined Clinical and Research Training

The Combined Clinical and Research Training Program in Cardiology meets all requirements of the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) for subspecialty certification in cardiovascular disease. Completion of the program requires demonstration of competence in general cardiology, including invasive and noninvasive procedural skills. The primary goal of our training program is to prepare fellows for careers in academic cardiology.

Candidates for the combined program will hold MD or MD/PhD degrees and have completed an internal medicine residency at the time of enrollment.

Three Distinct Tracks

There are three distinct tracks within the Combined Clinical and Research Training Program: Clinical Scholar, Clinical Investigator, and Physician Scientist.

Clinical Scholar (3 Years)

Fellows on the Clinical Scholar track will complete training in three years. The first two years are devoted to the core curriculum in clinical cardiology. The third training year is tailored to the specific interests of the individual fellow in an integrated program emphasizing research. At the end of the third fellowship year, the Clinical Scholar is well-prepared for the practice of general cardiology and is highly competitive for cardiology subspecialty training.

Learn more about training in clinical cardiology.

Clinical Investigator (3–4 Years)

Fellows on the Clinical Investigator track complete at least three years of training, which will include one or more years of research training. The first two years are devoted to the core curriculum in clinical cardiology. The third training year is dedicated to research, with an optional fourth training year devoted to an additional year of research or a combination of research and subspecialty clinical training. At the end of the fellowship, the Clinical Investigator is well-prepared for the practice of general cardiology and should be competitive for a faculty position at an academic medical center.

Physician Scientist (4–5 Years)

Fellows on the Physician Scientist track complete four or five years of training, which includes two or three years of basic research. Fellows in this track may elect to enter the laboratory either before or after the two-year core curriculum in clinical cardiology. Upon successful completion of training, the Physician Scientist should be competitive for a career combining basic research with general clinical cardiology at a major academic medical center.

Learn more about research training.