Clinical training

During the Vascular Surgery Advanced Aortic Fellowship, you will be assigned to a three-month clinical rotation under the supervision of one staff consultant. You assist in caring for patients as part of the vascular team with accredited general surgery and vascular surgery residents or fellows.

Your role is that of a second assistant during cases. You are not expected to carry out cases independently.

Clinical training includes:

• Using centerline software to plan complex endovascular cases
• Intraoperative techniques for device implantation
• Postoperative care of complex aortic patients

In addition to the endovascular experience, you are encouraged to participate in other open surgical aortic cases.

Rotation schedule

You will complete a three-month rotation under the supervision of Bernardo C. Mendes, M.D, director of the Vascular Surgery Advanced Aortic Fellowship. You may have the opportunity to participate in aortic cases with all of the faculty members in the Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery during their three-month fellowship.

Didactic training

There are formal basic science, clinical, and endovascular curricula that conform to those outlined by the Association of Program Directors in Vascular Surgery. The curriculum has been designed to correspond with simulation center activities and journal club readings. Additional seminars and lectures in general and cardiovascular surgery and the allied medical fields also are available.

Education is enhanced by selected lectures given by consultants at Mayo Clinic and through the visiting faculty member program. The Division of Vascular and Endovascular Surgery invites several prominent surgeons to Mayo Clinic each year.

Research training

The aortic program currently has 20 industry- and physician-sponsored clinical trials. The data is collected prospectively and entered in a Web-based Medidata Rave database. The fellow is offered the opportunity to assist in ongoing and new research projects.

Call frequency

There is no call requirement during the Vascular Surgery Advanced Aortic Fellowship.

Conferences

There are several multidisciplinary and vascular surgery conferences each week, including:

• Morbidity and mortality conference (twice monthly)
• Case conference (twice monthly)
• Vascular Grand Rounds (weekly)
• Endovascular case management conference (monthly)

Moonlighting

Moonlighting is not permitted.

Evaluation

To ensure you gain proficiency and develop the corresponding technical skills, your performance is monitored throughout the Vascular Surgery Advanced Aortic Fellowship. You are formally evaluated using the same MedHub system that the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education-accredited residencies and fellowships at Mayo Clinic use.

Supervising faculty members complete evaluations, then the fellow meets with the program director to review them. In addition, you evaluate the faculty to ensure your educational goals are being met.