About the Cardiology Program

The Cardiology fellowship program at Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center (LAMC) was established in the 1970s. It has been continuously accredited by the ACGME since its inception. Three (3) fellows are accepted each year into this three-year program.

Kaiser Permanente LAMC is the tertiary referral center for more than two million Southern California Kaiser Permanente members. Cardiac tertiary services include cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology (EP), and cardiothoracic Surgery.

The cardiology fellowship is supported by a highly competitive Internal Medicine residency program. Other subspecialty fellowships include GI, Nephrology, and Interventional Cardiology.

All cardiology rotations take place at LAMC except for a 3-month block of echocardiography training during the second year. The fellow has the option of doing this 3-month rotation at Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, which provides exposure to pathologies unique to that center. Plans are in place to include cardiac magnetic resonance training during the 3-month block at the University of Southern California under the tutelage of Gerald Pohost, MD, an expert on the subject.

Curriculum

Goals & Objectives
The curriculum emphasizes both didactic and hands-on learning of the entire range of cardiac pathologies. It is modeled after the ACC COCATS 2 recommendations, but with important modifications. Level 1 training is mandatory in all disciplines, with Level 2 training offered in many.

Teaching Program
Teaching conferences are conducted every day of the week, covering various aspects of cardiology. Journal club is conducted monthly.

Nationally known speakers are invited with industry support to give Grand Rounds monthly.

A core curriculum lecture series is given by the staff cardiologists at the beginning of each academic year. The series covers all basic aspects of clinical cardiology and serves as orientation for the new fellows.

Research Opportunities
Research opportunities are abundant and active participation is mandatory for all fellows. In 2003 & 2004, 5 abstracts were presented at national and international meetings by our staff and fellows, in addition to the publication of several manuscripts. Fields of research include CHF, CRT, echo, EP, coronary interventions, and racial differences in disease outcomes.

Research meetings are held monthly, during which each fellow reports on the progress of his/her project. All fellows are expected to complete one or more projects and to submit their work for presentation and/or publication.

Self-learning tools include a small but comprehensive departmental library (in addition to the large medical center library), online and CD based resources, all self-assessment programs published by the ACC, and more.

Clinical Experiences & Rotations
The 3-year program consists of 36 monthly rotations with the number of rotations as follows: CCU 8, cath lab 6, noninvasive 4 (includes nuclear medicine, pacemaker clinic, and treadmill testing), echocardiography 4, research 4, EP 2, inpatient consults 4, pediatric cardiology 1, cardiac surgical unit 1, and electives 2. Three weeks paid vacation is given each year and may be taken on certain rotations.

Each fellow will maintain a one half-day continuity clinic each week, except when on vacation.

Two months of electives may be taken in the third year, provided arrangements are made and approved by the program director.

All fellows are expected to serve as teachers and role models for residents and students on his or her team.

Benefits & Salary Highlights

Kaiser Permanente provides its residents and fellows with a compensation program that is highly competitive in todays market. We approach salary and benefits as a total compensation package: wage programs, pay practices, paid time off, educational leave, and ancillary benefits such as child and elder care, are all part of a compensation structure that sustains a comfortable quality of life for our residents and fellows.

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Research Opportunities for Residents and Fellows

Research opportunities are available for Kaiser Permanente physicians, residents, and fellows. Residents and fellows are regularly involved in on-going research projects dealing with current medical studies within their own specialty or other areas of interest. Each year Kaiser Permanente Southern California physicians publish an average of one hundred projects each year. Physicians are given multiple resources to assist with finding topics, literature searches, statistical consultation, and funding.

The Kaiser Foundation Research Institute provides infrastructure to support medical research in California and other Kaiser Permanente Regions. Kaiser Permanente operates two large health research departments in California . For over 40 years, our research programs have been dedicated to the creation of knowledge to benefit our members, our communities and the world. In sharing this knowledge, Kaiser Permanente's research efforts support our mission of community service.

The Department of Research and Evaluation was founded by the Southern California Permanente Medical Group. Epidemiologists and health services researchers work on projects in cancer epidemiology, cardiology, diabetes, geriatrics and aging, perinatal health and women's health. The department also oversees a federally mandated Institutional Review Board.

The Clinical Library is Kaiser Permanente's online resource for clinical guidelines, member education handouts, drug and lab information, online CME, and full-text journals and textbooks. Residents and fellows are able to expand their knowledge and enhance patient care through this 24-hr resource.

On-Campus Health Sciences/Medical Libraries are available at each Medical Center . Some of our library services include: circulation of materials, textbooks, CD-ROM programs, AV/DVD and audio materials, board review specialty materials, inter-library loan of documents, and instruction about accessing the Internet and Kaiser Permanente Intranet. Patrons may access CL (Clinical Library website) to perform literature searches, using OVID, MDConsult, PubMed, and StatRef databases, Clinical Guidelines, and over 1,200 e-journals and 76 e- textbooks. During normal hours of operation, an Information Specialist (aka Medical Librarian) is available to assist patrons in performing searches.

This article is reposted with thanks to Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center.