Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology Fellowship

Fellowship Director:
Ryan Tedford, MD, FACC, FAHA, FHFSA – Professor of Medicine; Heart Failure Section Chief; Medical Director, Cardiac Transplantation

Length of Program:
One-year program following successful completion of a three-year ACGME approved General Cardiology Fellowship.

About the Program:

Our advanced heart failure team includes nine advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologists and four cardiac surgeons. We have seen tremendous growth in transplant and LVAD implant volumes over the last several years. As the only heart transplant center in South Carolina, we performed 26 transplants in 2019 and 54 transplants in 2020, including 3 heart-kidney transplants. We have averaged 35-40 durable LVAD implants per year over the same period, with a focus on minimally invasive implant strategies. We are a Blue Cross Center of Distinction for Heart Transplantation, Optum Center of Excellence (COE) and LifeTrac 'Select' Adult Heart Transplant Center. Our MCS program is certified by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and received the Vanguard Award from STS INTERMACS.

In addition to cardiac transplant and MCS, our faculty listed below have special clinical and research interests in genetics and inherited cardiomyopathies, hemodynamics, exercise physiology, pulmonary hypertension and right heart function, HFpEF, ECMO, cardio-oncology, heart failure telemedicine, and inflammatory cardiomyopathies. Our educational mission is of critical importance to our group.

Ryan J. Tedford, M.D., FACC, FAHA 

Ryan Tedford, M.D.

 
Daniel P. Judge, M.D. 

Daniel Judge, M.D.

 
Brian Houston, M.D. 

Brian Houston, M.D.

 
Thomas G. Di Salvo, M.D., MPH, MBA 

Thomas Di Salvo, M.D., MBA, MPH

 
Adrian B. Van Bakel, M.D., Ph.D. 

Adrian Van Bakel, M.D., Ph.D.

Gregory R. Jackson, M.D. 

Gregory Jackson, M.D.

 
Dr. Chakradhari Inampudi 

Chakradhari Inampudi, M.D.

 
Daniel Silverman 

Daniel Silverman, M.D.

Dr. Jessica Atkins 

Jessica Atkins, M.D.

Daniel Silverman 

Anthony Carnicelli, M.D.

Daniel Silverman 

Jan Griffin, M.D.

Jan Griffin, M.D. 

Vishal Rao, M.D., MPH

Jessica Atkins, M.D. 

Isabel Balachandran, M.D.

The Medical University of South Carolina Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology Fellowship seeks the following for its trainees:

  1. To provide them with knowledge and experience necessary for the provision of outstanding clinical care for patients with advanced heart failure, including medical management of advanced heart failure therapies such as cardiac transplantation and mechanical circulatory support, as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
  2. To develop their skills for providing appropriate care including obtaining the history, performing a physical exam, and using appropriate diagnostic tests for patients with advanced heart failure.
  3. To provide them with expertise in the evaluation of all stages of heart failure, including ACC/AHA stages A through D.
  4. To ensure that they demonstrate competency in the ACGME core requirements, including patient care, medical knowledge, practice-based learning and improvement, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, and systems-based practice.
  5. To develop the skills necessary for the assessment and management of immunosuppression after cardiac transplantation, including early post-operative induction, chronic maintenance, assessment and treatment of acute allograft rejection, and treatment of chronic allograft rejection, including assessment for toxicity and complications of these therapies.
  6. To produce evidence of scholarly productivity in the fields of cardiomyopathy, heart failure, cardiac transplantation, or mechanical cardiac support

At the completion of training, fellows will meet requirements for UNOS certification and will be eligible for the ABIM Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology sub-specialty board examination.

  1. HF Didactic Conference - First and Third Friday of each month (alternates between journal club, presentations of educational/difficult ward cases, and didactic lectures).  Didactic lectures topics include hemodynamic assessment, immunosuppression, MCS management, transplant clinical care concepts, rejection, acute and chronic heart failure management, and others.
  2. Transplant QAPI – Wednesday afternoon (monthly)
  3. VAD QAPI – Friday afternoon (monthly)
  4. M&M Conference – Thursday morning (monthly)
  5. Cardiology Grand Rounds – Thursday morning (weekly)
  6. Combined Cardiology/CT Surgery conference – Tuesday morning (monthly)
  7. Heart Biopsy/Pathology Review – every Friday morning (weekly)
  8. MCS/Transplant Patient Review – every Wednesday afternoon (weekly)
  9. MCS/Transplant Selection Conference – every Wednesday afternoon (weekly)

Diagram for 1-year Training Program

Months

Fellow #1

Fellow #2

1

Inpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks inpatient training

· 1 week research

Outpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks outpatient training

· 1 week research

2

Outpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks outpatient training

 

Inpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks inpatient training

3

Inpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks inpatient training

· 1 week research

Outpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks outpatient training

· 1 week research

4

Outpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks outpatient training

 

Inpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks inpatient training

5

Inpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks inpatient training

· 1 week research

Outpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks outpatient training

· 1 week research

6

Outpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks outpatient training

Inpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks inpatient training

7

Inpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks inpatient training

· 1 week research

Outpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks outpatient training

· 1 week research

8

Outpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks outpatient training

 

Inpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks inpatient training

9

Inpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks inpatient training

· 1 week research

Outpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks outpatient training

· 1 week research

10

Outpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks outpatient training

Inpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks inpatient training

11

Inpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks inpatient training

· 1 week research

Outpatient responsibilities

· 3 weeks outpatient training

· 1 week research

12

Outpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks outpatient training

Inpatient responsibilities

· 1 week research

· 3 weeks inpatient training
 13

 Inpatient/Outpatient responsibilities

· 2 weeks inpatient training

· 2 weeks outpatient training

 Outpatient/Inpatient responsibilities

· 2 weeks outpatient training

· 2 weeks inpatient training

*3 weeks vacation during research time.


Application Requirements:

The Program participates in the Electronic Residency Application System (ERAS) and NMRP for the screening and selection of qualified candidates. 

All candidates must pass USMLE Step 3 Exam (or COMLEX step 3) before entering program and provide documentation.

Candidates are screened based upon variety of criteria including:

  • Clinical experience
  • Academic record and productivity
  • Personal Statement
  • Letters of Recommendation (3)
  • Interview

All specialty and subspecialty residents must have passed the USMLE Step 3 Exam (or the equivalent COMLEX Step 3 exam) before entering any MUSC GME program. We accept candidates who are United States citizens, permanent residents (Green card holders), or with J1 visas.


Advanced Heart Failure & Transplant Cardiology Fellows

Dr. Molly Silkowski 

Molly Silkowski, D.O.

Cardiology Fellowship: MUSC, Co-Chief
Residency: Ohio State
Medical School: Kansas City
Undergraduate: Austin Peay

2023 Graduates

Raziye “Ecem” Akdogan, M.D.
Elie Kozaily, M.D.

2022 Graduates

Jessica Lauren Atkins, M.D. – Medical University of South Carolina, Assistant Professor of Medicine in Cardiology
Sheng Fu, M.D. – University of Louisville/Jewish Hospital, Assistant Professor of Medicine in Cardiology

2021 Graduates

Daniel Silverman, M.D. - Medical University of South Carolina, Assistant Professor of Medicine in Cardiology

2020 Graduates

Eric L. Bonno, M.D. - Prisma Health Greenville Memorial Hospital
Michael C. Viray, M.D. – University of Iowa, Assistant Professor of Medicine in Cardiology

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