We attract outstanding fellows from around the U.S. and internationally. Current and recent fellows have come from residency programs across multiple states, including applicants who trained at Riley Hospital. We aim to have a culturally and socially diverse group of fellows. Our division’s and the department’s diversity reflect a growing number of African-American, Latino and under-represented minority trainees in the program. In our hospital and department, we have many faculty and residents who are part of the LGBTQ community and the division of pediatric cardiology actively supports making our program welcoming to all.
Inpatient call is conducted in the hospital during weekdays and at home on weekends. Pediatric cardiology fellows share call equally. Responsibilities include management of patients on the inpatient and ICU services, consultation services, and obtaining echocardiograms on requested patients. Taking call allows for continuity of care for post-operative patients and for skill development in image acquisition.
We appreciate the hard work done by our fellows and therefore provide ample vacation opportunities. Fellows have four weeks of vacation per year (the maximum allowed time by the American Board of Pediatrics (ABP)). Fellows will be allowed up to two days of sick time if needed. Anything more than two days will require the use of vacation time.
The IU School of Medicine pediatric cardiology fellowship program at Riley Hospital has excellent ABP Board pass rates, consistently above 90% (as of 2020: 92.9 % - 13 out of 14 most recent graduates)
IU School of Medicine pediatric cardiology fellows are exposed to a very diverse patient population in Indianapolis. We have one of the largest urban African-American populations in the U.S. and there is a growing Latino and Asian population. Referral patients from around Indiana and the Midwest include rural patients and a large Amish population. There are several immigrant groups from Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe, and a large Burmese population as well. Our patients vary from those that are well-educated and well-informed to uninsured, low-income patients. The Riley Heart Center and the Division of Pediatric Cardiology proudly care for all patients—with medical conditions ranging from the common to the rare, and from a variety of cultures and backgrounds.
Pediatric cardiology fellows spend about 12 months of their training in research. With the help of mentors, fellows will choose their research projects based on their individual interests. Depending on preference, this can range from clinical research to basic bench research.
Year 1
Each first-year fellow will receive funding for one approved academic meeting during the first year of fellowship.
Year 2
Each fellow is expected to submit abstracts to national meetings in their 2nd and 3rd years. Attendance of an approved meeting will be supported/funded if an abstract is presented by the fellow.
Year 3
An approved meeting will be supported/funded if an abstract is presented by the fellow.
Additional travel to approved meetings will be supported/funded in the setting of a presented, original abstract. The abstract must be novel from prior presentations. International meetings will not be prohibited, but will have a maximum reimbursement and will require pre-approval.
In their first year, each new fellow will receive a copy of the Moss & Adams’ Heart Disease in Infants, Children, and Adolescents text to assist in fellowship studies. A library with common pediatric cardiology textbooks is available and shared in the Pediatric Cardiology Fellow’s Office area.