Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship | Pediatrics | University …

Overview

Research training is a major focus of the fellowship trainingprogram and fellows are provided substantial protected time throughout theirfellowship to engage in rich research experiences. The research program isdesigned to provide comprehensive scholarly training that prepares all traineeswith the background and skills to successfully compete for academic facultypositions and extramural funding at the completion of their fellowship.Although many cardiology fellows are mentored by a faculty member within theDivision of Pediatric Cardiology, the program encourages fellows to consider abroad range of potential mentors. The program will assist in identifyingpotential mentors, both within the Department of Pediatrics and, whenappropriate, from across the School of Medicine campus.

Research facilities are available throughout Childrens HospitalColorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine. In the section ofCardiology, research facilities include a state-of-the-art echocardiography,cardiac catheterization, and electrophysiology laboratories, as well as astate-of-the-art flow lab. At the University of Colorado, multiple basicscience laboratories are available including molecular biology laboratories,immunology laboratories, and perinatal research facilities among others.

Research opportunities available to cardiology trainees are broadand varied. The Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Echocardiographic Laboratory,Catheterization Laboratory, and Cardiac Intensive Care Unit within the Children'sHospital Colorado are all very well suited for clinical research. In addition,Children's Hospital Colorado Research Institute or Colorado ClinicalTranslational Sciences Institute (CCTSI) may provide "seed money" fornew clinical and laboratory research.

Financial support and Human Research Committee assistance requiresthree to six months for preparation and approval. Approved and funded projectscould begin early in the second year of fellowship. Participation in on-goingprojects may begin during the first year. Full-time research coordinators areavailable to assist in coordinating patient recruitment and data collection atthe two sites.

During the first month of assigned research time, a trainee willtypically meet with several potential mentors to discuss possible researchprojects and become familiar with different research programs. In the case of abasic science program, the fellow may shadow in individual labs in which theyare interested. With the help of the Program Director, the goal is for thefellow to choose a mentor and research project in the first year. Once aresearch program is chosen, a timeline for research activity is developed bythe mentor and the trainee. Broadly, the goal for research projects is for the fellowto have made sufficient progress that they can consider submission of anabstract to a national meeting by the middle of their second year. In general,research time during the third year of fellowship should be spent analyzingdata, undertaking additional experimentation as necessary based in initial dataanalysis and feedback, preparing presentations and manuscripts, and planningfollow-up projects.

The Colorado Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute is acollaborative enterprise between University of Colorado Denver, University ofColorado at Boulder, six affiliated hospitals and health care organizations,and multiple community organizations with resources to promote research and trainingthat will advance health care and improve the public health. The CCTSI wasestablished in 2008 with funding from the Clinical and Translational ScienceAward (CTSA) initiative of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through theCCTSI, Clinical Translational Research Centers (CTRCs) have been established atseveral affiliated hospitals, including The Childrens Hospital, University ofColorado Hospital, and Denver Health Medical Center. The CTRCs support researchwith clinical inpatient and outpatient space, inpatient research beds, nursingand research staff support, and core laboratory and nutrition services. Toaccess CTRC resources, investigators submit a clinical protocol for review bythe Scientific Advisory and Review Committee (SARC). The SARC review processgives investigators experience that may improve future COMIRB (ColoradoMultiple Institutional Review Board) and grant applications. The CTRC alsooffers biostatistical collaboration/consultation for study design, includingsample size and power calculations, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.To fulfill its mission to train future researchers, the CCTSI offers ongoingcomprehensive educational programs in several areas, including Informatics,Biomedical Ethics, Biostatistics, and Study Design. Biostatisticiansare also available for consultation on individual research projects through theColorado Biostatistics Consortium (CBC). For more information, please see http://cbc.ucdenver.edu.

Each fellow is assigned a Scholarly Oversight Committee (SOC),composed of at least 3 faculty members. The SOC meets every six months toevaluate the fellows scholarly progress and to help provide support anddirection. At the end of training, the SOC is responsible for determiningwhether the fellows work has met the American Board of Pediatrics requirementfor sub-board eligibility.

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Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship | Pediatrics | University ...