Program Overview
The Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at the Nemours Children’s Cardiac Center, in affiliation with Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University (TJU), will equip you with a strong educational curriculum, extensive clinical experience and solid analytical tools. The program is designed to have you become a pediatric cardiologist who can function independently and with a high level of proficiency in the care of the fetus, neonate, infant, child and adolescent with congenital or acquired heart disease.
The Nemours Cardiac Center is particularly well-suited to offer this training given our multidisciplinary approach to patient care and research, wherein specialists from pediatric cardiology, pediatric critical care, pediatric cardiac anesthesia and congenital heart surgery work together as a fully integrated team.
NOTE: There is also a position available for a 4th Year Advanced Cardiac Noninvasive Imaging Fellow for the 2023—2024 academic year. Details are on the Curriculum tab below.
Our Fellowship Program
in our Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship, you’ll receive increasing responsibilities and expectations during the three years of your fellowship, fulfilling the requirements established for board certification in pediatric cardiology by the American Board of Pediatrics. At the completion of three years, we expect you will graduate with outstanding clinical proficiency, a commitment to helping others with your skills, and the ability to function as an effective, exceptionally trained clinician, contributing meaningfully to the field of pediatric cardiology.
Our program gives you:
- An environment conducive to successful learning, scholarship, self-instruction, critical thinking and scientific inquiry.
- A strong foundation of clinical knowledge in pediatric cardiology through extensive exposure to normal and abnormal cardiovascular conditions, with specific focus on the pathophysiologic basis of congenital and acquired cardiovascular disease in the fetus, neonate, infant, child and adolescent.
- Proficiency in invasive and non-invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures necessary for optimal cardiac care in children.
- Training in interpersonal and administrative skills needed to work effectively as a team member in pediatric cardiac care.
Training Overview
- Fellows in this program should expect exposure to diverse clinical training. Fellows will also participate in research training and will have substantial research experiences in order to expand their skill set and knowledge base.
- No greater than 40% of the training is dedicated to clinical time while at minimum 60% of the training is dedicated to research.
- The fellow will interact with other subspecialty fellows through didactic lectures and research training courses.
- Fellows will have access to the Delaware Center for Translational Research/ACCEL program at Nemours, including the CTR’s mentoring and research education resources.
- Fellows will have the opportunity to collaborate with members of our multidisciplinary clinical teams.
- Fellows will have access to professional development resources.
Details for 4th Year Advanced Cardiac Noninvasive Imaging Fellow Position (2023—2024 Academic Year)
The successful candidate will be joining a strong team of trainees including first-year, second-year and third-year categorical fellows along with a combined PICU/Cardiology fellow.
The imaging fellowship position is a strong multifaceted program encompassing advanced cross-sectional imaging — CMR and CT, fetal echocardiography and advanced TTE imaging. The focus is on education, research that would cultivate advancement in technical skills, and maturation as an academic imager with ability to develop research and incorporate quality assessment and improvement across multimodality imaging applications.
Echocardiography and Imaging Attendings (Images and links are on Faculty tab)
Shubhika Srivastava, MBBS
Co-Director, Nemours Cardiac Center; Director, Echocardiography Lab; Chief, Pediatric Cardiology
Richard Lorber, MD
Director, Fetal Heart Program
Majeed Bhat, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist, Nemours Cardiac Center
Deepika Thacker, MD
Medical Director, Inpatient Cardiology
Mark J. Cartoski, MD
Director, Advanced/Cross-Sectional Imaging
Bradley W. Robinson, MD
Program Director, Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program; Director, Cardiac Exercise Lab
Shannon Nees, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist, Nemours Cardiac Center
Matthew Campbell, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist, Nemours Cardiac Center
Abbas Zaidi, MD
Pediatric Cardiologist, Nemours Cardiac Center
Sharon M.S. Weinberg, MD, FAAP
Pediatric Cardiologist, Nemours Cardiac Center
Application Requirements (for 4th Year Advanced Cardiac Noninvasive Imaging Fellow Position only)
Submission Deadline: July 15, 2022
- CV
- Personal Statement
- Two Letters of Recommendation — Letters must be accompianed by evaluation form
- Nemours Application
Accepting Applications From:
- U.S. citizens
- Permanent Residents (Green Card holder)
- Applicants on a J1 visa
Email All Requirements to:
Erin Galbraith
Program Coordinator, Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program
erin.galbraith@nemours.org
Research Opportunities for Fellows
Fellows are expected to design and undertake one or more research projects resulting in a manuscript or undertake other substantive scholarly exploration that requires analysis and critical thinking. Each fellow will be mentored and supported in this endeavor, catering to the individual’s needs and interests.
Education and Research Training Course
Early in the first year, cardiology fellows will participate in an Education and Research Training Course, along with other subspecialty pediatric fellows. This course provides training in biostatistics, study design, clinical and laboratory research methodology, preparation of IRB protocols, abstract and manuscript writing and ethical principles related to clinical research. Additional computer-based training is available on key research topics.
Research Mentors
The fellow will then choose a research mentor. Monthly meetings with the mentor will provide ample opportunity for coaching. A total of 12 months during the fellowship are fully devoted to research. During this time, fellows will develop a research idea, obtain IRB approval, gather and analyze data, derive and defend conclusions and place the conclusions in the context of what is known about the subject and what remains to be learned about the specific area of inquiry. It is anticipated that each fellow will present their completed work in oral or written form at a local and/or national meeting.
Research Opportunity Examples
Numerous research opportunities exist at Nemours, both within the Cardiac Center and in conjunction with the Nemours Research Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine Lab. The main areas of inquiry are Basic Science Research, Translational Research and Clinical Research. Below are samples of ongoing research projects at Nemours that would welcome fellow involvement:
Basic Research
- Heart failure research: To identify the participation of extracellular matrix in inducing cardiac remodeling via specific signal transduction (Fibluin-2 as a modulator of TGF-b activation).
- Tissue Engineering & Regenerative Medicine Lab: Advanced cell biological, biochemical and tissue engineering techniques are being used to develop cardiac tissue equivalents in the lab with the aim of providing a source of implant material for pediatric heart surgeons.
Translational Research
- A novel echocardiographic approach in assessing myocardial contractile reserve.
- Serum TGF-beta levels in post-Fontan patients to assess their risk in developing long term complications.
- Studies examining neurodevelopmental outcomes in congenital heart disease patients and neuroprotective strategies during infant cardiac surgery.
Clinical Research
1. Congenital Heart Disease Clinical Trials
- Anomalous Aortic Origin of a Coronary Artery Registry
- Atrioventricular Septal Defect Registry
- Closure of Muscular Ventricular Septal Defects with the Amplatzer
- Left Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction Registry
- Pulmonary Conduit Registry
- Tricuspid Atresia Registry
2. Preventive Cardiology Research
- Ongoing projects related to obesity, hypertension and dyslipidemia.
- Writing proposals can be made to the TODAY or CARDIA studies to analyze data sets of interest.
3. Mechanical Circulatory Support Research
- EXCOR Pediatric Ventricular Assist Device Post Approval Study
- Interagency Registry of Mechanically Assisted Circulatory Support Registry.
Salary & Benefits
Salary
- PGY 1: $63,181
- PGY 2: $65,159
- PGY 3: $67,815
- PGY 4: $70,715
- PGY 5: $73,573
- PGY 6: $76,652
- PGY 7: $79,390
- PGY 8: $80,615
About Our Hospital in Delaware
The Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware is a multispecialty, tertiary care teaching institution located on a 300-acre estate in the scenic Brandywine Valley in Wilmington, Del.
Among the hospital’s amenities for all staff are:
- Free parking
- Park-like setting
- Gym/fitness center
- On-site child care center for children of staff
- Massage therapy
Living in Delaware Valley
Because of our location in the tri-state area of Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, we offer unique living/working opportunities. For example, you can choose to live in the downtown Philadelphia area and easily commute to our park-like hospital campus in Wilmington.
Train With Recognized Leaders
If you’re looking for a rewarding program built on academic excellence and family-centered care, Nemours Children's offers outstanding medical, surgical, pharmacy, nursing, therapy and psychology programs. Train with faculty who are respected leaders in their fields, a patient care model that stands apart and access to groundbreaking research.
Meet Our Clinical Leadership
Meet Our Program Faculty
Meet Our Participants
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Application Requirements
Deadline: July 31, 2022
Training Begins: July 2023
Currently Accepting Applications
2. Curriculum vitae
3. Personal statement
4. Medical school transcript
5. USMLE (United States Medical Licensing Examination) scores (all three levels) and/or COMLEX (Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination) scores (all three levels)
6. Letters of Recommendation: Three Required
- We suggest letters from faculty members who can attest to your personal qualities that will make you a good fellow.
- Some suggestions include:
- A member of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology at your residency training institution
- Residency director or program chair
- A professional of your choosing
- Research mentor
Questions About Applying?
Erica Del Grippo, DO
Program Director, Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program
(302) 651-6955
erica.delgrippo@nemours.org
Erin Galbraith
Program Coordinator, Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program
(302) 651-6606
erin.galbraith@nemours.org
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