Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship
Wayne Soong, MD, FCCP |
Thank you for your interest in the Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Our ACGME-accredited fellowship program is a diversely balanced year of clinical, educational, and academic experience.
The Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute was recently ranked 14thin the nation by U.S. News & World Report for Heart and Heart Surgery, making Northwestern the premier facility for cardiac surgery in Chicago. With approximately 750 cardiac operations performed annually, the breadth and depth of clinical experience is unmatched in the region. The continually growing heart failure program, which provides exposure to heart transplantation and mechanical assist devices, is the largest in Illinois. In addition to “routine” on- and off-pump coronary revascularization, fellows can expect to become well familiar with advanced procedures like transcatheter aortic valve implantation, complex aortic reconstruction, and the Hybrid Maze. The Department of Anesthesiology also cares for nearly 600 non-cardiac thoracic patients per year, providing experience with tracheal and esophageal reconstruction, open and thoracoscopic lung resection, mediastinal surgery, and interventional pulmonology procedures.
Even with the abundance of cases, trainee education remains a founding principle of our fellowship. Operating room assignments are based on educational need instead of staffing requirements, so fellows generally participate in the most complex procedures of the day. In order to cultivate the respective nuances of supervision and independent practice, approximately two-thirds of experience involves resident supervision; the fellow serves as primary housestaff in the balance. Weekday mornings in July and August, both fellows are relieved to attend a multidisciplinary, introductory lecture series hosted by the Division of Cardiology and intended solely for advanced housestaff. Within the Section of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, fellow didactics are integrated into a rotating weekly conference.
Proficiency with transesophageal echocardiography is an essential skill for the cardiothoracic anesthesiologist. Our fellows work closely with attending anesthesiologists and consulting cardiologists to become adept at perioperative imaging, including 3D technology. In addition to echo conferences in the Division of Cardiology and the Section of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology, trainees are allotted full funding to attend the SCA’s invaluable Comprehensive Review & Update of Perioperative Echo each February. All graduates since the program’s inception in 2007 have passed the NBE’s PTEeXAM, supported by ample numbers for subsequent certification in Advanced Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography.
During cardiothoracic OR rotations, trainees reliably average one non-clinical day per week for educational and academic pursuits. To date, all fellows have resultantly presented posters at the SCA’s annual meeting; several of these projects have progressed to peer-reviewed publication. With attending mentorship, each fellow is also expected to research a novel and advanced cardiothoracic topic for presentation at the department’s grand rounds.
Faculty within the Section of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology come from diverse clinical backgrounds but work closely to foster a supportive educational environment for our fellows. We are confident in the training we provide them and in the caliber of patient care they graduate to provide. Please do not hesitate to contact me should you have any questions.
Wayne Soong, MD, FCCP
Program Director
w-soong@northwestern.edu
Cardiothoracic Fellow Benefits
In addition to departmental benefits, cardiothoracic anesthesiology fellows receive:
- A copy of Kaplan's Cardiac Anesthesia, 6th Edition (2011)
- Membership in the Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists (CSA)
- CME time and funding to attend the Basic & Advanced Comprehensive Review and Update of Perioperative Echo training or
- Society of Cardiovascular Anesthesiologists annual meeting
- Funding for ATLS certification
- Non-clinical time and reimbursement for the PTE Exam (Exam of Special Competence in Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography)
- Dedicated office space with desktop computer
