Pediatric cardiology fellowship

The pediatric cardiology fellowship at Spectrum Health, in partnership with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, is a three year program accepting two fellows per year. Fellows train at Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital, one of 250 freestanding children’s hospitals in the nation.

Welcome!

Thank you for your interest in the Spectrum Health/Michigan State University College of Human Medicine pediatric cardiology fellowship at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Congenital Heart Center. We are pleased that you have taken the time to learn more about our program.

Our program has a philosophy rooted in the desire to further the field of pediatric cardiology through innovative clinical and research contributions. Our daily efforts are aimed to provide our patients with the most comprehensive care in the field. Our international faculty, coming from diverse and prestigious academic centers, encompasses all the different aspects of expertise in pediatric cardiology.

We strive to foster a thriving and supportive environment for our fellows to learn and grow. The Congenital Heart Center has been recognized as a 50 Best Children's Hospital for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report's 2017-22 Best Children's Hospitals, earned a distinguished three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for excellence in surgical outcomes, and is accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association as an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Comprehensive Care Center. As a result of the superb clinical environment, a dynamic educational curriculum, and research opportunities, we are able to provide our fellows with every opportunity to succeed in their careers.

I wish you the best in the application process. Thank you again for taking the time to learn about us. If I can be of any assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me directly at julie.sommerfield-ronek@corewellhealth.org.

Warmest Regards,

Julie Sommerfield-Ronek, MD
Program Director, Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship
Spectrum Health/Michigan State University/Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital
Clinical Assistant Professor, Pediatrics and Human Development
Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

Didactic education curriculum lectures on a wide range of topics will be provided through daily lectures. We also offer hands-on cardiac 3D printing pathology series, cardio-genetics curriculum, clinical research course and board review.

Program Aims

1. To provide a comprehensive training experience in all aspects of the care of children with heart disease and patients of all ages with congenital heart disease
2. To develop excellent academic pediatric and congenital cardiology specialists
3. To provide comprehensive training and increased experience in the performance and interpretation of critical diagnostic tests as well as current therapeutic strategies used in cardiovascular disease

Inpatient Service and Consultation

Under the supervision of faculty and staff, the fellow is responsible for the clinical management of hospitalized patients. This includes service on the general cardiology floor, as well as consultation services in the NICU, PICU, and throughout the hospital. The services include patients with newly diagnosed congenital heart disease, acquired heart disease, pre- and post-operative patients as well as those with arrhythmias and other heart conditions. The fellow is expected to play a role in the supervision of pediatric residents.

Outpatient Clinic

Fellows acquire knowledge of general cardiology through a continuity outpatient clinic. Weekly half-day clinics afford the fellow an opportunity to get to know the patient and family and to serve as their primary caretaker. These clinic encounters are staffed and supervised by faculty members. Interested trainees may choose to complete a one month elective in outpatient cardiology.

Echocardiography

During the first month in the program, fellows complete a comprehensive echo review including hands-on encounters. After this immersion experience, new fellows are prepared to perform and interpret echocardiograms early in training. During the first year, three months are spent in the Echo Lab with an additional two months over the next two years. Second-year fellows spend time performing transesophageal echocardiograms. Fellows are guided in the acquisition and interpretation of images as well as write a comprehensive report of the findings. Supervision is provided by faculty and experienced pediatric sonographers. Additional expertise can be obtained in fetal echocardiography, transesophageal echocardiography, ventricular function assessment, computed tomography and cardiac magnetic resonance in the third year of training.

Cardiac Catheterization and Interventional Cardiology

In the early stages, fellows assist and observe procedures to become familiar with equipment and gain basic knowledge of the cardiac catheterization laboratory. Gradually, and under faculty supervision, fellows are able to actively participate in performing cardiac catheterizations, angiograms and procedures, and present the hemodynamic data and features of the case at the weekly Congenital Heart Center conference. Fellows spend two months during the first year and one month during the second and third year in this rotation.

Cardiac Intensive Care Unit

The CICU experience includes acute and sub-acute management of patients in the pre- and post-operative settings. Fellows are expected to perform procedures such as line placement and intubation under the supervision of the intensivist and advanced practitioners, staff the unit during the day and nighttime. Fellows complete four months in the CICU, two of which are during the first year of training.

Electrophysiology

During the electrophysiology rotation, fellows interpret electrocardiograms, ambulatory Holter and patch monitors with subsequent review with one of the faculty electrophysiologists. While in this rotation, fellows also participate in management of inpatients with arrhythmic disorders, perform and interpret intracardiac electrophysiologic studies and pacemaker implantations and ablations. Additional time is spent in the electrophysiology clinic to learn the management of common arrhythmias in the outpatient setting. Trainees spend one month during the first and second year on this rotation.

Research

A total of 12 months in research is assigned to each fellow who is then expected to publish a manuscript in a peer reviewed medical journal by the end of training. Fellows are mentored by faculty members involved in research in all branches of pediatric cardiology. Additionally, they are expected to participate in a dedicated clinical research curriculum. Fellows will present their research study findings at national and international scientific meetings, for which CME funds are provided.

Heart Failure and Transplant

Through collaboration with the University of Michigan Congenital Heart Center at C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital, the fellow will work with supervising attendings to treat patients on the cardiology floor, and the CICU. Additional time is spent in the heart failure clinic to gain a better understanding of the management of complex patients. Interested fellows spend one month during their fellowship assigned to the Heart Failure and Transplant service.

Adult Congenital Heart Disease

The Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program is accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association as a Comprehensive Care Center. Interested fellows have the option to complete an elective rotation on the ACHD service working alongside faculty and to manage this patient population. Research opportunities in ACHD are plentiful as are opportunities to collaborate between hospitals within Spectrum Health.

At the Spectrum Health Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Congenital Heart Center, our cardiology faculty is actively involved in innovative clinical research. We have a committed research team, which provides dedicated support to our physicians and staff. The Congenital Heart Center works in collaboration with numerous institutions, including the Van Andel Research Institute, Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University, Michigan Technological University and the Spectrum Health Frederik Meijer Heart & Vascular Institute. Our experts are involved in multicenter clinical studies and investigator-initiated studies, in addition to translational research. The cardiology fellow is expected to get involved with our research team to lead new health solutions for children and adults with congenital heart disease. Ongoing studies are evaluating advancements in diagnosis, treatment, and management of congenital heart disease, as well as implementation of new modalities of treatment and care.

Research Mentor
Darcy Marckini MS, Clinical Research Specialist

Thank you for your interest in the Spectrum Health/Michigan State University Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital. Our center has been recognized as a 50 Best Children’s Hospital for pediatric cardiology and heart surgery by U.S. News & World Report's 2017 - 19 Best Children's Hospitals, earned a distinguished three-star rating from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons for excellence in surgical outcomes, and is accredited by the Adult Congenital Heart Association as an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Comprehensive Care Center. Our fellows will live and train in the wonderfully diverse and vibrant city of Grand Rapids, Michigan. We welcome your application and look forward to meeting candidates who may be a good fit for our program. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Applicants must successfully complete a pediatric residency training program and be eligible for board certification by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP). This is a prerequisite to apply for certification by the ABP’s Sub-Board of Pediatric Cardiology.

Application Process

The Spectrum Health/Michigan State University College of Human Medicine Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service.

Applications will be accepted from July 15 through early August during the third year of the applicant's pediatric residency (12 months prior to the anticipated start date). Interviews will be conducted from August to October of the same academic year. The Section of Pediatric Cardiology is a participant in the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP) and will follow the schedule of dates published by the NRMP, which includes the date of release for match results.

It is important that all application materials, including transcripts and letters of recommendation, be received in a timely manner to allow for complete review of the application prior to issuing an invitation to interview.

Interview Process

The interview day will include an introduction to the Spectrum Health Medical Center, Cardiology faculty and fellows. Applicants are asked to arrive one day prior to their scheduled interview to a attend dinner reception with faculty and fellows.

Required Documents

Application information and resources are provided for fellowship applicants interested in applying for training positions at U.S. fellowship training programs at the ERAS for Fellowship Applicants website.

ERAS is a service of the Association of American Medical Colleges and was created to enhance transition to fellowship by reducing the amount of time spent on the application process. ERAS electronically transmits a standardized application, letters of recommendation, transcripts and other supporting credentials from applicants and designated Dean's offices to program directors.

All applications will be reviewed and considered by the recruitment committee only after the ERAS application has been finalized by the applicant and forwarded to Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program by ERAS.

For questions, please contact Andrea Prins.