Cardiovascular Fellowship

General Description of the Cardiovascular Fellowship

The Cardiovascular Division offers a strong clinically-oriented Fellowship program with, on average, six (6) positions available each year.

The teaching utilizes clinical material at three core hospitals, the UofL Health - UofL Hospital, the Robley Rex Veterans Affairs Medical Center, and UofL Health - Jewish Hospital. In addition to availability and abundance of varied cardiac pathology, each of these hospitals has well-equipped cardiac catheterization and non-invasive laboratories.

The program is very strong in clinical cardiology and offers training and extensive experience in all areas of invasive and non-invasive cardiology. Research can be either in clinical areas or in basic disciplines (cardiac physiology or cellular/molecular biology). State-of-the-art basic research laboratories with eleven faculty devoted to basic research are available for training in a wide variety of areas involving studies at the molecular, cellular, and whole-animal levels. Training is bolstered by a number of conferences.

There is a strong research emphasis and Fellows are expected to participate in research activities throughout their training. At the conclusion of their training, Fellows will be prepared to begin a successful academic or clinical career.

Selection Criteria

Applicants must be medical school graduates who have successfully completed three years of Internal Medicine training in an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited training program and are eligible for certification by the American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM).

Foreign applicants that meet the above requirements are eligible to apply but required to hold current immigration documents which authorize the legal right to reside and be employed as fellows in the United States. Copies of DS-2019 and I-94 for J-1 Visas, a copy of a permanent resident card or Employment Authorization Card are acceptable.

Applicants must be eligible for medical licensure in Kentucky.

Applicants must submit their documentation (application, three letters of recommendation, curriculum vitae and personal statement) to Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS®) by the stipulated deadline for review by the Selection Committee.

All applicants enroll in the 3-year General Cardiovascular Fellowship Track however those fellows desiring more dedicated research time can be entered into the Research Track (2 clinical years + 1 or 2 research years). Enrolling in this research track is based upon fellow interest, faculty approval and availability of training slots.

Through the close association of our division with the Department of Physiology, research fellows might be able to obtain a Ph.D., although that requires 2-3 years of dedicated research time

For more information, e-mail  Dr. Shahab Ghafghazi, director of the cardiovascular medicine fellowship program.

Here is a list of labs/research projects that research fellows are able to choose from:

Applicants for a cardiology fellowship position at the University of Louisville are evaluated on the basis of eight criteria included on an applicant evaluation form. The University of Louisville also is an equal opportunity organization. Please review the University Non-Discrimination statement at the bottom of the page.

Criteria include:

  1. Academic performance based on objective tests such as United States Medical Licensing Examination® (USMLE) scores, rank in medical school.
  2. Letters of reference. The quality of these letters is weighted by the quality of the Internal Medicine Residency Training Program.
  3. Research activities, objective evidence of publications, and quality of publications and participant of the applicant in the preparation of the manuscript.
  4. Interview: Interview, personality, motivation. Although these are subjective, scores obtained from the faculty interviewing each applicant are discussed at the Selection Committee Meeting.

The Selection Committee is composed of the full-time teaching faculty. Applicants are given a score by each of the interviewing faculty according to the applicant evaluation form which includes academic performance, letters of reference, research activities and potential, interview personality, motivation, potential problems, strengths and weaknesses, future plans and the opportunity for additional comments.

How to Apply

We accept applications through ERAS®. We also require a transcript and credentials from your medical school, USMLE or FLEX scores and three letters of reference. The deadline to apply to our program is August 31.

Completed applications are reviewed and selected applicants are invited for formal interviews via email.

Non-Discrimination Statement

The University of Louisville is an equal opportunity institution in both education and employment. The University strives to foster an environment of inclusiveness that empowers us all to achieve our highest potential without fear of prejudice or bias.

We commit ourselves to building an exemplary educational community that offers a nurturing and challenging intellectual climate, a respect for the spectrum of human diversity, and a genuine understanding of the many differences - including race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, socio-economic status, disability, religion, national origin or military status – that enrich a vibrant metropolitan research university. We expect every member of our academic family to embrace the underlying values of this vision and to demonstrate a strong commitment to attracting, retaining and supporting students, faculty and staff who reflect the diversity of our larger society.

The University is committed to complying with all applicable laws and government regulations at the federal, state and local levels and any University policies which prohibit discrimination in education, including, but not limited to, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.