Conferences
There are several formal conferences that are held on a monthly or weekly basis as part of the Cardiology training program. These conferences have various formats and are viewed as critical to the education of the Cardiovascular Fellow. Attendance by all fellows is mandatory.
Held every Monday, 7:30-8:30 am, August through June. Cardiology 3 weeks, Electrophysiology 1 week.
A weekly case-based conference is held specifically relating to Invasive Cardiology and Electrophysiology. The primary format of this conference is case based. A fellow presents the clinical highlights of the case. This case is then used as an introduction to a more formal lecture style discussion of a specific topic relevant to the case. During their third year of fellowship, the fellow that is on the Cath lab rotation will be scheduled to present one Monday of their rotation with the assistance of the Director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. The participants in this conference include but are not limited to the Cardiology Faculty, the Cardiothoracic Surgery Faculty, and Radiology Faculty. Once a month, the focus of the conference shifts slightly in that an Electrophysiology case is presented. Again, the format is similar, but the focus of the subject is a specific electrophysiology case.
Basic educational goals of this conference include but are not limited to:
- Understanding basic concepts involved in cardiac catheterizations and interventions, including indications and techniques. Similar discussions are also applied to electrophysiology.
- Interpretation of results from catheterization and electrophysiology procedures and management decisions based on those results.
- Review of current concepts and literature related to invasive Cardiology and electrophysiology.
- Understanding hemodynamic information obtained from cardiac catheterizations.
- Understanding data obtained from electrophysiology procedures.
- Basic principles involved in implantation and management of pacemakers and ICDs.
Held 1st Wednesday every other month.
A conference is held revolving around noninvasive evaluation of the heart. The echocardiography portion of this conference is based upon a review of various cases. Twice a month, these cases are derived from the adult population evaluated in the echocardiography at Upstate Medical University Hospital as well as the Crouse Hospital. In addition to the review of the specific studies, literature review and/or discussion of basic ultrasound principles are presented. Once a month, these conferences involve the presentation of interesting cases performed by the Pediatric Cardiology department. The presenter is one of the Pediatric Cardiologist who provides a discussion of some problems specific to congenital heart disease. Finally, once a month, the Nuclear Medicine Department of Upstate Medical University Hospital gives the conference. Specific Nuclear Cardiography studies are presented. There is a portion of this conference that is dedicated to a formal type of lecture on basic nuclear principles.
A weekly EKG conference is held in which interesting and challenging tracings are presented. The fellow assigned serves as the primary presenter of tracings. The tracings are reviewed as a group, with the discussion and interpretation being led by one of the Electrocardiographers. In addition, specific relevant literature or basic electrocardiography principles may be discussed in the context of a specific tracing. Fellows will learn to evaluate these tracings and are expected to actively participate in the interpretation as part of the goal of improving their skills in analyzing electrocardiograms.
Held 2nd Monday of the month.
A lecture type conference is held once a week in which the Cardiology Fellows serve as the primary presenter of specific topics relevant to adult clinical cardiovascular disease. A yearly schedule is made up in which pertinent or controversial topics, as well as more basic subject matter, is presented. Faculty members at times will present, but the primary focus is the fellow. This allows the fellows the opportunity not only to more critically review specific topics in cardiovascular disease, but also an opportunity to practice presentations to their peers.
Held on the 1st and 4th Monday of the month.
A review of a current article is presented in an informal discussion type format. A fellow is specifically assigned, with an attending mentor, to present an article of recent nature and relevance to adult cardiovascular disease. The fellow, with the approval of his attending mentor, selects the article and the fellow conducts appropriate review of that article. Again, this provides the fellow the opportunity to not only critically review important current topics but also an opportunity for development of skills in both critically reviewing scientific articles and presenting that material to an audience of his or her peers.
Held every Thursday morning.
A conference that is held weekly based on specific rotations. A rotating schedule has been created based on rotation. The fellow assigned to that rotation is to present a case that is of particular interest.
Fellows that are on a non-clinical rotation or on a pediatric elective are encouraged to attend. A weekly case-based conference is held specifically relating to surgery on pediatric and adult congenital heart patients.
Fellows that are on a non-clinical rotation or are on the Catheterization Laboratory rotation at either Upstate Medical University or the VA Medical Center are encouraged to attend. A weekly case based conference is held specifically relating to surgeries performed on open heart patients.
Held the third Monday of every month September through June.
The fellow assigned is the primary presenter of a M&M cardiology case that is provided to them from the program director.
Held quarterly by the director of the Upstate Medical University Catheterization Laboratory.
The director meets with the fellows as a whole to review mortalities and complications that occurred in the Upstate Medical University Catheterization Laboratory. Charts will be acquired from medical records, films and reports will be reviewed, and a formal write-up of each case will be filed in the fellowship coordinators' office.
2nd & 4th Friday of the month.
Held every Friday at noon.
The fellow on the SUH Echo rotation will attend the Renal Transplant Conference. The purpose of the conference is for the potential renal transplant patient's chart to be reviewed and a determination made if the patient is cleared by cardiology or if further testing is needed for the patient to be cleared. This has expedited renal transplant patients for the actual transplant procedure when a kidney is available for their procedure.
Held every Wednesday.
Fellows that are on a non-clinical rotation or on a pediatric elective are encouraged to attend. A weekly case-based conference is held specifically relating to the care of Pediatric and Adult Congenital Heart patients.
Thursday, Medical Alumni Auditorium in Weiskotten Hall.
Held on the 4th Monday of the month.
A somewhat more informal meeting is held once a week with a specific senior faculty member in which the fellows review difficult cases or current literature. The specific content of these conferences is left to the discretion of the faculty member overseeing the conference, but if it involves specific articles the fellows are given these well in advance to review.
