Cardiovascular Performance Program Fellowship

Overview

The Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiovascular Performance Program (CPP) provides top-notch clinical care and corollary research for athletes and highly active individuals.

Established in 2009, the program is the first of its kind in the United States and offers a fellowship in cardiovascular performance to individuals seeking a career in sports cardiology.

The Mass General CPP Fellowship is a Partners HealthCare Graduate Medical Education (GME)- accredited, one-year fellowship with two primary educational objectives:

• To provide cardiovascular fellows with the skill sets necessary to engage in the clinical cardiovascular care of athletes and highly active patients
• To teach the participating fellows the clinical and translational research skills necessary to embark on an academic career in sports and exercise cardiology

The CPP faculty members are leading experts within their field who are committed to mentoring CPP fellows. Our faculty provides fellows with access to unique clinical and research opportunities and guidance on career development.

Requirements

The following is required to enter the Mass General Cardiovascular Performance Program Fellowship:

• Completion and passing of all three United States Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) steps
• Board certified or board eligible by the American Board of Internal Medicine
• A full Massachusetts state medical license (limited license if on visa), if accepted into the program
• A valid Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate for all foreign medical graduates
• J-1 visa for non-U.S. citizens (Please note, this is the only type of visa accepted)
• Completion of a previous cardiology fellowship

Curriculum

The overall goal of the Mass General Cardiovascular Performance Program (CPP) Fellowship is to provide cardiovascular trainees with the clinical and scientific skill sets relevant to sports and exercise cardiology that are necessary to succeed in the academic medical environment. The fellowship attains these goals by providing the CPP trainee with:

• Comprehensive, hands-on clinical exposure to athletes with cardiovascular disease
• Opportunities to screen athletes for participation in sports
• Formal education regarding the application of advanced exercise testing technology
• Supervised research mentoring

The CPP Fellowship accomplishes its educational mission of mentoring future sports cardiologists through four discrete yet complementary curriculum categories. These categories, each characterized by specific goals and objectives, account for variable amounts of the trainee's total annual experience. The four areas of focus are:

• Clinical care of the symptomatic athlete 
• Research methodology/independent research
• Pre-participation screening
• Advanced exercise testing

There are numerous cardiovascular conditions that are common among athletes and highly active individuals. While many of these conditions are also found in the general sedentary public, athletic patients present with different clinical patterns and require different management strategies. The goal of this rotation is to provide CPP fellows with ample exposure to develop the skills necessary to become a competent clinical sports cardiologist. This is accomplished by providing fellows with the opportunity to perform supervised assessment of athletes with symptoms suggestive of cardiovascular disease.

Research Methodology/Independent Research

The CPP fellow will be provided with both didactic and hands-on research experience designed to facilitate the development of the skill set required to be an independent clinician-scientist. Fellows will meet two to three times a month with one or more of the CPP faculty to design, implement and report independent research. Fellows are expected to present original research at national meetings and generate first-author publications of original scientific research.

Pre-participation Screening

Pre-participation cardiovascular disease screening (PPS) for athletes is one of the fundamental responsibilities of a sports cardiologist. CPP faculty members routinely organize, oversee and coordinate PPS sessions for many of our local university and professional teams and athletic clubs. The goal of this rotation is to provide CPP fellows with the knowledge base and skill sets necessary to independently execute high-quality PPS programs.

Advanced Exercise Testing

The CPP has developed a comprehensive advanced exercise testing program designed to meet the diagnostic needs of athletes and active individuals. Advanced exercise testing provides CPP fellows with hands-on experience designing, conducting and interpreting advanced exercise protocols. To accomplish this goal, CPP fellows will amass considerable experience in both the CPP outpatient noninvasive cardiopulmonary exercise laboratory and Mass General’s inpatient invasive cardiopulmonary exercise laboratory.

Research Experience

The Mass General Cardiovascular Performance Program has emerged as a leader in the field of sports cardiology research, with more than 80 peer-reviewed publications focused on the clinical care and related physiology of the athletic patient. CPP faculty members currently hold research funding from:

• The National Institutes of Health
• The American Heart Association
• The Department of Defense
• The National Football League Players Association.

Education in research methodology and performance of independent research are core goals of the CPP Fellowship. As described in the curriculum section, CPP fellows will be exposed to both didactic and hands-on research experience designed to facilitate the development of the skill set required to be an independent clinician-scientist. Fellows will learn grant-writing skills and are expected to present original research at national meetings and generate first-author publications of original scientific research.

How to Apply

To apply, please submit a CV, a 1-page personal statement and at least two letters of reference from a clinical and or research supervisor who know the applicant well. We are now accepting applications for the 2024-2025 academic year. The deadline for applications is Friday, August 25, 2023.

Please submit applications to Program Manager Allegra Horstmann via Dropbox in a combined packet single PDF. All interested individuals are encouraged to apply.