Overview: The Latin American Heart Rhythm Society (LAHRS) represents the largest and most prestigious association of Electrophysiologists in Latin America The Ohio State University is among the largest universities in the US and a global leader in clinical electrophysiology and electrophysiology research. The Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and Ross Heart Hospital has been accredited since July 1, 1990 with the Electrophysiology section consisting of eight full-time Board-Certified Electrophysiologists and 6 state-of-the-art cardiac electrophysiology (EP) laboratories. The OSU faculty is committed to exceptional clinical care in an investigative atmosphere. The EP section has a close working relationship with nationally acclaimed programs at The Ohio State University, including Congestive Heart Failure and Genetics, which allow for fellows to train in areas where EP overlaps with other subspecialties. The LAHRS & OSU EP Fellowship Program seeks to build an international relationship to foster the next generation of leaders in the electrophysiology field, while enhancing diversity at OSU and providing opportunities for the most promising young physician-scientists in South America. It is expected that participating fellows will join our program and call The Ohio State University their second home.
Environment: The clinical cardiac electrophysiology outpatient volume at The Ohio State University is a strength of the program with 9,483 patients visiting the Arrhythmia Clinic in 2020. The Device Service interrogated over 32,000 devices (2/3 pacemakers and 1/3 ICDs) in 2020 and had 5,000 in-person device evaluations. Each of the 6 dedicated EP labs is equipped with state-of-the-art recording and advanced mapping systems (ESI & CARTO), cryo-ablation equipment and intracardiac ultrasound. The newest EP lab is a hybrid facility with surgical support and is used mainly for device implantation. There is also a non-invasive EP lab for Tilt Table test, cardioversion and DFT testing. The total number of procedures in the EP labs was 4,336 in 2020 with the number expected to grow. There were 1300 devices implanted including single, dual and Bi-V paces and ICD’s including Implantable loop recorders and hemodynamic monitor recording. In addition, invasive EP testing is done regularly totaling 3000 procedures in 2020 including approximately 1200 ablations.
The Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute (DHLRI) is an interdisciplinary research program encompassing fundamental research, education, and preventive efforts in heart and lung diseases. Faculty in the Institute study integrated aspects of cardiopulmonary function including heart failure and arrhythmia, atrial fibrillation and stroke, cardiac metabolism and diabetes, myocardial injury and repair, vascular biology, cell excitability and contractility, genetic and environmental factors in disease, and development. The physical plant encompasses over 200,000 sq ft of research space supporting over 90 principal investigators in the OSU Wexner Medical Center with shared equipment to support modern molecular biology, cell biology, animal physiology, electrophysiology, optical mapping, cell culture, and virus production.
Applicant requirements: Applicants will be considered if they are LAHRS members, have completed Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology training (or if they are in the last year of their training) in the country of origin, have proficiency in spoken and written English, with the ability to obtain a visa to enter the USA.
Applicant Selection: A review committee consisting of LAHRS and OSU faculty will review applications and make recommendation for funding to the Program Directors, who will make final decision regarding award.
Duration: One-year fellowship program with an option for a second year.
Starting Date: July 1st 2022 with two weeks of vacation in a year period.
Directors of the Program: Thomas Hund, PhD (Research) and Raul Weiss, MD (Clinical)
Salary: Annual stipend of $50,000.00 US. Transportation, housing and medical insurance are not covered and remain the sole responsibility of the Fellow.
Location: The Ross Heart Hospital and the Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute (DHLRI) at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio, USA. The Ross and DHLRI buildings are adjacent and physically connected by bridges and tunnels.
Structure: This program is a combined clinical electrophysiology and research in electrophysiology. The program time commitment is 30% clinical and 70% research.
Clinical:
A-Didactic. The Fellow will participate in 3 weekly conferences. 1-Tracing rounds, 2-Fellows Conference and 3-Bootcamp (description of each of these conferences are attached)
B-Clinical Service. The Fellow will be observing cases in the Electrophysiology Laboratory, seeing inpatients and outpatient consults with the EP team and spending time in the Device Clinic.
Research:
The Fellow will spend at least 3 days a week working on a translation research project under the supervision of the assigned research mentor. Mentorship will be determined by the Directors in consultation with the review committee based on Fellow interest and prior experience, mentor availability and research priorities within DHLRI. An important aspect of this program is the commitment of OSU/DHLRI faculty to advise and mentor the Fellow with at least 1 manuscript in a peer-reviewed journal over the course of the program. Fellows will be expected to attend weekly Research-in-Progress seminars in DHLRI as well as the annual DHLRI Research Day with at least one internal research presentation over the course of their fellowship. In addition, there will be a commitment from OSU, LAHRS and the Fellow to continue collaboration upon the Fellow’s return to their country of origin.
Requirements:
Be a LAHRS member
Complete training in clinical electrophysiology (or in last year of fellowship)
Fluency in spoken and written English
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN APPLYING TO THIS PROGRAM, YOU MUST SEND YOUR RESUME TO info@lahrs.org UNTILL 2/10/22