Clinical training

Trainees spend four days a week in the electrophysiology (EP) and pacing and clinical electrophysiology (PACE) laboratories performing a variety of procedures that include complex ablation, atrial fibrillation, ventricular tachycardia and ventricular fibrillation, and advanced device procedures including resynchronization therapy, lead extraction, and ablation and devices in patients with congenital heart disease.

A half-day continuity clinic may be combined with extra time in EP procedures, outpatient device troubleshooting, or research.

Rotations

During the clinical electrophysiology training year, fellows spend 10 months in the cardiac electrophysiology lab and a half-day per week in the outpatient Heart Rhythm Continuity Clinic. Our dedicated Adult Congenital Heart Disease Clinic provides you with a broader training perspective. Two months in each calendar year are dedicated to research.

In addition, rotations are offered at the Mayo Clinic campuses in Rochester, Minnesota, and Phoenix, Arizona.

Research training

We are strongly supportive of research during the fellowship and encourage all fellows to participate in a comprehensive research endeavor. We provide consistent mentorship and will focus on intra cardiac and device projects which will complement the clinical learning. An optional funded year of research training is possible where translational animal laboratory or basis clinical electrophysiology experience is available.

Didactic training

Clinical conferences, seminars, small group discussions, journal clubs, and one-on-one instruction are integral parts of this fellowship. 

Call frequency

Clinical electrophysiology fellows serve as second call for post-ablation and post-device implant patients during the week from Monday to Friday. This is done from home and there is an in-hospital cardiology team and nurse practitioner to address immediate concerns.

Timely evaluations are done by the electrophysiology fellow on call and supervised directly by the consultant. Fellows provide device troubleshooting and programming services on weeknights or the week they are on second call.

In addition, the fellow covers a primary call for the EP consult service one Saturday per month. 

Conferences

Fellows have many resources including a core curriculum grand rounds conference on Monday mornings, device tracings review on Wednesday mornings, journal club, and weekly morning tracing (both EP and device) review.

Teaching opportunities

Extensive teaching opportunities are available including leading the discussion at conferences and teaching the junior cardiology fellows, residents and allied staff. 

Evaluation

To ensure fellows acquire adequate knowledge and develop their technical skills, individual performance is monitored carefully during the program. Fellows are evaluated quarterly by supervising faculty members and meet with the program director to review these evaluations. This is accomplished through an electronic process called MedHub, available through any Mayo Clinic workstation or via remote access. 

MedHub is linked to the six core competencies identified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME):

• Patient care
• Medical knowledge
• Interpersonal and communication skills
• Professionalism
• Practice-based learning and improvement
• Systems-based practice

Completed faculty evaluations are reviewed by the program director who assigns a pass-fail grade based on the scores and comments by the faculty members. Upon approval of the evaluation by the program director, the evaluation immediately becomes available electronically to fellows in the MedHub system.

Trainees also have an opportunity to complete an evaluation of faculty following each quarter and an evaluation of the program on an annual basis.