The University of California, San Francisco training program in interventional cardiology is a two-year, ACGME accredited program that is affiliated with the ABIM accredited General Cardiology Fellowship.

Over 800 interventions are performed annually at the two principle catheterization laboratories, the UCSF Moffitt Adult Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory.

In accordance with our goal of training future academicians, the program has an emphasis on developing an active area of research interest in addition to providing outstanding training in basic and advanced techniques in interventional cardiology.

The first year is primarily focused on research, with clinical time to develop a foundation of knowledge and skills required for the following year. Active areas of research include clinical, animal and basic science projects, and fellows are mentored in all areas including study design, grant writing, institutional review board application in addition to presenting work at conferences, meetings and in publication.

During the second ACGME accredited year, the fellow will acquire expertise as primary operator on coronary interventions, ethanol septal ablations, patent foramen ovale (PFO) and atrial septal defect (ASD) closures, and valvuloplasties in addition to learning to teach general cardiology fellows diagnostic cardiac catheterization. All facilities use state of the art equipment and techniques, including flat-panel imaging, intravascular ultrasound (IVUS), fractional flow reserve (FFR), intracardiac echo (ICE), rheolytic thrombectomy, as well as "niche" techniques such as rotational atherectomy. As a dedicated site to primary coronary intervention for acute myocardial infarction, trainees have broad exposure to the entire spectrum of coronary disease, including chronic stable coronary artery disease, chronic total occlusion (CTO), acute coronary syndromes and ST-elevation MI. A thorough curriculum, including academic conferences, literature reviews, review of unusual cases/presentation has been a tradition at UCSF.  The second year will be split between the two principle catheterization laboratories, the UCSF Moffitt Hospital Adult Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. 

The UCSF Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory is performing a full range of diagnostic and interventional peripheral angiographic procedures, including studies of the subclavian arteries, renal arteries, abdominal aorta, iliac and femoral arteries.  For carotid interventions, we have established an agreement with our colleagues in interventional radiology and vascular surgery to perform joint interventions.  In addition, in collaboration with Radiology and Vascular Surgery, we are developing a program where the interventional fellows can participate in the non-invasive interpretation of various peripheral vascular imaging modalities such as ultrasound, CT, and MRI.

You may download the Application for the Clinical Interventional
Cardiology Training Program for 2009 by clicking here.

Please send the application with your curriculum vitae, a letter of intent, and letters of reference discussing your skills as a clinician, including letters from the program directors of your current and past training programs.   Send them to Thomas A. Ports, M.D. Applications are due June 1, 2008. We have an exciting program here and look forward to training world class interventional cardiologists

For more information, contact:
Thomas A. Ports, M.D.
Director of Interventional Cardiology Fellowship Training Program
UCSF Cardiology Division Box 0103

For more information, contact:

Norisa Berardi, Fellowship Coordinator
Telephone: (415) 502-1115
Fax: (415) 353-9190
E-mail:.norisa.berardi@ucsf.edu