Summary
- Grant: €7,500
- Location: Barcelona
- Duration: 3 months
- Start Date: From January 2025
- For Ukrainian EACTS Members / Applicants only
Introduction
Since the beginning of the war, EACTS has looked into opportunities to support the Ukrainian cardiovascular surgery community. Beyond the political and economic support offered recently, EACTS wants to focus directly on trainees that have had their teaching activities compromised as a result of the conflict.
Recently the EACTS Council has also approved funding for the inception of a new Fellowship program through the Francis Fontan Fund. The Department of Cardiovascular Surgery at Hospital Clínic de Barcelona will be hosting this fellowship for a three-month period with a focus on continuing surgical education in Cardiovascular Surgery and Intensive Care Management related to the specialty, for Ukrainian residents.
During this period, the fellow will have the opportunity to engage in daily clinical practices along with the staff physicians, residents and fellows. The Department delivers care to all spectrum of adult cardiovascular surgery diseases and has the unique feature of having an ICU that is completely managed by surgeons. Thus, the fellow has the option to see holistically all aspects related to surgical care, from preoperative assessment in the outpatient clinic, to surgical management, intensive postoperative care and back to the outpatient clinic. This offers a unique approach to the specialty.
Fellowship Overview
Successful Fellows will have the opportunity to attend the daily clinical practice and operating room experience at the Department. They will also be able to attend all multidisciplinary weekly meetings that include:
- Endocarditis heart team
- Aorta unit
- Structural and heart valve team
- Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy team
- Ischemic heart disease team
- Pulmonary Tromboendarterectomy
- GUCH
- Transplantation and mechanical circulatory support
The syllabus of this fellowship will expand on the following topics:
- Valve replacement and repair. Conventionally and minimally invasive (including robotics)
- CABG. On and off pump. Conventional, MIDCAB and robotically assisted.
- Proximal aorta surgery, including valve sparing operations
- Ross procedure
- Mechanical circulatory support (temporary and implantable devices)
- Heart transplantation
- DCD donation
- Pulmonary tromboendarterectomy
- Transcatheter valve implantation
- Surgery for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy (myectomy)
- Surgery for atrial fibrillation
- Aortic arch and thoracoabdominal aorta surgery
- Surgery for GUCH
- Surgery for retrieval of ICED
- Surgical treatment of complex infective endocarditis (homografts, Commando operation)
- Pericardial surgery (constrictive pericarditis)
- Postoperative management of all the above conditions
- CALS training for management of post cardiac surgery resuscitation
The fellows will also be able to attend all Departmental daily meetings, residents/fellows weekly meetings, Cardiovascular Institute weekly Grand Rounds and all the training courses, Symposiums, wetlabs that are held locally during their stay.
Clinical research opportunities are always present within the Department.
This fellowship will also facilitate cultural interaction for professional and human growth of all members of the team. The Department of Cardiovascular Surgery is delighted to offer this training opportunity for colleagues going through this difficult situation.
Funding
The Fellowship includes a financial contribution of €7,500 towards living and travel costs for the three-month placement. EACTS will subsidise the cost of your attendance at the 2025 EACTS Annual Meeting (the largest cardiothoracic meeting in the world), you will also receive free registration.
Application and Selection
In order to apply for this fellowship there are some essential criteria you must meet:
- Be an EACTS member
- Have excellent use of English
- Be a resident in Ukraine that has had the residency program compromised due to the current situation
- Have an interest in pursuing an academic career
- Work in an academic institution
Applicants who possess the following desirable criteria would be of particular interest:
- The ability to speak Spanish is not a requirement, but it is desirable
- Ideally, have attended EACTS Academy courses in the past
- Ideally, have attended EACTS Annual Meetings in the past
- Have the potential to disseminate knowledge to other residents
In order to complete your application, you must submit the following documents*:
- Letter of support from current supervisor
- Letter of interest (detailing the way in which you meet the application criteria, your career aspirations along with how you are in a position to apply the skills and knowledge obtained during the Fellowship in your own centre)
- CV
- Operative experience
*Please ensure that all documents submitted are written in English, and that they are submitted either as word documents or PDF. We do not accept images or handwritten applications. We are unable to provide advice or guidance about visa applications, so please ensure that you understand the visa requirements before applying for this Fellowship.