Advanced Training Programs

Advanced Training in Cardiology Fellowship (non-ACGME)

The Duke Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program is a three-year ACGME program. Our Division of Cardiology is committed to offering an optional fourth year of salary support for advanced training in research for those who have completed the Duke ACGME Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship. It is not offered to outside applicants who have not completed the cardiology fellowship program at Duke. This will allow the trainee the opportunity to significantly build upon the required research components of the first three years and develop the foundation to become an independent clinician-scientist. Research opportunities are available in cardiac imaging, biomedical engineering, and clinical research.

Current Fellows

• Joseph Lerman, M.D.

• Sarah Snow, M.D.

• Ezequiel Munoz, M.D.

Interventional Cardiology Fellowship (ACGME)

The Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Training Program at Duke University Medical Center does not have any openings for 2024.

The Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Training Program at Duke University Medical Center focuses on training leaders in Interventional Cardiology who are committed to careers in academic cardiology. The duration of the fellowship is 12 months. During the fellowship, fellows will develop both clinical and technical skills in interventional cardiology.

All fellows will gain experience in diagnosing, selecting therapies, performing diagnostic and interventional procedures, and judging the effectiveness of treatments for inpatients and outpatients with chronic ischemic heart disease, acute ischemic syndromes, and valvular heart disease. Fellows should also participate in research efforts. During the fellowship, each fellow will work with a mentor on a research project which will help foster his or her long-term goals.

Items to include with your ERAS application:
Current curriculum vitae, personal statement, USMLE steps 1, 2CK, 2CS, and 3 scores, medical school transcript and ECFMG certificate (if applicable), 3 letters of recommendation, including one from your cath lab director.

All male applicants (as determined by gender assigned at birth for purposes of this requirement) who are US citizens or immigrants must have registered with the Selective Service System within 30 days of their 18th birthday, or arrival date into the USA.  Individuals are eligible to register until the age of 26.  Failure to register is a violation of federal law, and can face significant penalties, including loss of eligibility for citizenship for immigrants.  Individuals who have not registered are not eligible for a variety of benefits including federal student aid, federal job training, and any job in the Executive Branch of the government (e.g. VA, Medicare, federal prisons), and are not allowed to work in federal facilities even as a resident or fellow.

Most Duke GME programs require rotations at federal facilities such as VA hospitals or prisons.  All trainees in those programs must be eligible to work at those facilities.  All applicants should ensure that they have registered for the Selective Service System if appropriate.  If they have not registered, they should discuss this with their potential program director. Additional details can be found at https://www.sss.gov.

Our trainees in need of visa sponsorship are sponsored by ECFMG on J1 visas. 

Prospective applicants are encouraged to complete the application and competitive applicants will be invited for an interview. Please note that we may begin offering interviews and positions to suitable candidates who have completed their application early, concurrently with the ongoing interview process.

For further information about the program please contact Dr. Schuyler Jones, Program Director (schuyler.jones@duke.edu).
For questions about the application and interviewing process, please contact the Fellowship Program Coordinator, Ms. Bianca Rodriguez (bianca.rodriguez@duke.edu).

Current Fellows

• Alyssa Corley, MD

• Todd Looney, MD

• Sameer Prasada, MD

Structural Heart Disease Fellowship (non-ACGME) 

The Structural Heart Disease Fellowship Training Program at Duke University Medical Center has 1 opening for 2024.

This one year non-ACGME Advanced Interventional Cardiology Fellowship provides training in structural heart disease.

Applicants must complete a one year ACGME Interventional Cardiology Fellowship and three year ACGME Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship prior to entering this program.  Please contact Dr. J. Kevin Harrison (john.harrison@duke.edu) for details regarding the curriculum and training requirements.

To apply, please send the application, a current curriculum vitae, personal statement (not to exceed 250 words), USMLE steps 1, 2CK, 2CS and 3, medical school transcript, 3 letters of recommendation (including one from program director and one from current cath lab director) and ECFMG certificate (if applicable).

Our trainees in need of visa sponsorship are sponsored by ECFMG on J1 visas. Prospective applicants are encouraged to complete the application and competitive applicants will be invited for an interview. Please note that we may begin offering interviews and positions to suitable candidates who have completed their application early, concurrently with the ongoing interview process. Download an application.

Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship (ACGME)

We have 1 external opening and are accepting ERAS applications for the 2024-2025 year. 

The Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology fellowship training program is a comprehensive 2-year program that includes training in catheter ablation of supraventricular tachycardias, ventricular tachycardias, and complex arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation, ischemic VT, and arrhythmias associated with congenital heart disease. Comprehensive training is also provided in lead extraction and device therapy, including permanent pacing, implantable defibrillators and bi-ventricular devices. Fellows are provided with significant opportunities for research activities through protected block time and are expected to participate in and complete a research project with a faculty mentor. Applicants must have completed at least three years in an ACGME-approved Cardiology fellowship program.

To apply, please include with the ERAS Common Application Form: a current curriculum vitae, personal statement (not to exceed 250 words), medical school transcript, USMLE steps 1, 2CK, 2CS, and 3 score transcripts, 3 letters of recommendation and ECFMG certificate (if applicable). Our trainees in need of visa sponsorship are sponsored by ECFMG on J1 visas.  We do not sponsor other visa types.

All male applicants (as determined by gender assigned at birth for purposes of this requirement) who are US citizens or immigrants must have registered with the Selective Service System within 30 days of their 18th birthday, or arrival date into the USA.  Individuals are eligible to register until the age of 26.  Failure to register is a violation of federal law, and can face significant penalties, including loss of eligibility for citizenship for immigrants.  Individuals who have not registered are not eligible for a variety of benefits including federal student aid, federal job training, and any job in the Executive Branch of the government (e.g. VA, Medicare, federal prisons), and are not allowed to work in federal facilities even as a resident or fellow.

Most Duke GME programs require rotations at federal facilities such as VA hospitals or prisons.  All trainees in those programs must be eligible to work at those facilities.  All applicants should ensure that they have registered for the Selective Service System if appropriate.  If they have not registered, they should discuss this with their potential program director. Additional details can be found at https://www.sss.gov.

Prospective applicants are encouraged to complete the application and competitive applicants will be invited for an interview. Please note that we may begin offering interviews to suitable candidates who have completed their application early. For further information about the program please contact Dr. Donald Hegland, Program Director (donald.hegland@duke.edu).  For questions about the application and interviewing process, please contact the Fellowship Program Coordinator, Bianca Rodriguez (bianca.rodriguez@duke.edu).

Current Fellows

• Kelly Arps, MD

• Matthew Carlisle, MD

• Navid Nafissi, MD

• Francis Ugowe, MD

Advanced Training in Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship (ACGME)

We have 1 external opening and are accepting ERAS applications for the 2024-2025 year. 

The Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology (AHFTC) Program at Duke University Medical Center has a long history of training academic leaders in the field of cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support. As one of the largest heart transplant centers in the country, we have performed over 1500 transplants since 1985, a tremendous milestone achieved by only a few top-tier programs. Currently we perform around 100 heart transplants and 100 LVAD implants per year. Our program’s excellence is built on its strong collaboration between our renowned cardiology and cardiothoracic surgery faculty and our evolving innovation in organ donation, dual organ transplantation, and device therapy. Fellows receive extensive training in transplant waitlist management, organ allocation, cardiogenic shock, left ventricular assist device management, performance of endomyocardial biopsies, immunosuppression and rejection management, cardiac pathology, and longitudinal post-transplant care. During the training year, our fellows can pursue clinical electives according to their desired area of specialization and to prepare for broader clinical practice (i.e. critical care, pulmonary hypertension, cardiomyopathies, cardio-oncology).  Upon completion of this one-year clinical fellowship, our trainees are exceptionally well prepared to manage the most complex heart failure patients.

 Applicants must have completed at least three years in an ACGME-approved Cardiology fellowship program. We are deeply committed to the mission of diversity and inclusion. We seek candidates from different backgrounds and underrepresented groups with the hopes of fostering diversity and enriching the academic heart failure and transplant community at large.

To apply, please submit an application in ERAS and include a current curriculum vitae, personal statement (not to exceed 250 words), USMLE steps 1, 2CK, 2CS and 3, medical school transcript, 3 letters of recommendation (including one from program director) and ECFMG certificate (if applicable). All males must meet the Selective Service requirement.

Our trainees in need of visa sponsorship are sponsored by ECFMG on J1 visas. Prospective applicants are encouraged to complete the application and competitive applicants will be invited for an interview. Please note that we may begin offering interviews and positions to suitable candidates who have completed their application early, concurrently with the ongoing interview process. For further information about the program, please contact Dr. Richa Agarwal, Program Director (richa.agarwal@duke.edu). For questions about the application and interview process, please contact Program Coordinator, Brianna Small (brianna.small@duke.edu).

Current Fellows

• Karen Flores Rosario, M.D.

• Josephine Harrington, M.D.

• Anthony Peters, M.D., MS

Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship (ACGME)

We have 1 external opening and are accepting ERAS applications for the 2024-2025 year. 

Interest in adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) at Duke University Medical Center began in the early 1990s, and the development of our program has been a joint effort between adult and pediatric cardiology since its beginning. The complicated nature of adult patients with congenital heart disease requires an understanding not only of their underlying anatomy and hemodynamics, but also the associated medical issues of the aging patient and the financial and social issues that arise with a chronic illness. Over the last two decades, the Duke ACHD program has combined the knowledge base of the adult and pediatric congenital programs with the clinical excellence of the Duke Heart Center and the innovative clinical research at the university as a whole.  We have used these resources to educate our trainees in the care of adult congenital patients.

More recently, national organizations focused on medical education have noted the increase in the ACHD patient population. In fact, it is estimated that over one million adults in the United States have grown into adulthood with congenital heart disease and will require the care of a physician with expertise in the treatment of such patients. In order to prepare physicians to serve this need, the ACGME has recently approved program requirements for graduate medical education in ACHD.  The first ABIM boards are being offered in the fall of 2015, and it is estimated that programs will be accredited by 2017. However, because of the long history of the Duke ACHD program and the enthusiasm on the part of our trainees to specialize in this field, we would like to formalize our training program early and put in place the infrastructure to train the next academic leaders in ACHD.  The goals and objectives or our program are:

• To educate house staff and students about the care of this population of patients who will be an increasing part of their future patient population, no matter what specialty they choose.
• To train future academic leaders in adult congenital heart disease.
• To further develop a research program in combination with current activity at Duke in order to provide a better understanding of these complex diseases and to utilize the research and clinical programs to augment the training environment.  This opportunity to augment our training programs is especially available in the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, genetics, EP, device evaluation and prevention.
• To continue to demonstrate that by combining the resources of both pediatric and adult cardiology we can provide optimal and innovative care of patients with adult congenital heart disease.

To apply, please submit an application in ERAS and include a current curriculum vitae, personal statement (not to exceed 250 words), USMLE steps 1, 2CK, 2CS and 3, medical school transcript, 3 letters of recommendation (including one from program director) and ECFMG certificate (if applicable). 

All male applicants (as determined by gender assigned at birth for purposes of this requirement) who are US citizens or immigrants must have registered with the Selective Service System within 30 days of their 18th birthday, or arrival date into the USA.  Individuals are eligible to register until the age of 26.  Failure to register is a violation of federal law, and can face significant penalties, including loss of eligibility for citizenship for immigrants.  Individuals who have not registered are not eligible for a variety of benefits including federal student aid, federal job training, and any job in the Executive Branch of the government (e.g. VA, Medicare, federal prisons), and are not allowed to work in federal facilities even as a resident or fellow.

Most Duke GME programs require rotations at federal facilities such as VA hospitals or prisons.  All trainees in those programs must be eligible to work at those facilities.  All applicants should ensure that they have registered for the Selective Service System if appropriate.  If they have not registered, they should discuss this with their potential program director. Additional details can be found at https://www.sss.gov.

Our trainees in need of visa sponsorship are sponsored by ECFMG on J1 visas. Our program does not sponsor other visa types.
Prospective applicants are encouraged to complete the application and competitive applicants will be invited for an interview. Please note that we may begin offering interviews and positions to suitable candidates who have completed their application early, concurrently with the ongoing interview process. For further information about the program please contact Dr. Richard Krasuski, Program Director (richard.krasuski@duke.edu) For any questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact Program Coordinator, Bianca Rodriguez (bianca.rodriguez@duke.edu).

Current Fellow

• Toi Spates, MD