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Our GME Office has preliminary eligibility requirements that all prospective trainees must meet before applying for a training program at our institution.

In addition to these criteria, our program also has the following requirements:

• Must have completed a U.S. or Canada accredited residency in Cardiology in ¡°Good Standing.¡± Candidates must be board-eligible or board-certified to practice.
• Candidates with other training backgrounds, such as residents who have completed a United States Internal Medicine Residency Training Program, will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
  

Each applicant is reviewed by the Program Director and Co Program Director of Cardiology with the consultation of other faculty members in the department. Top applicants, chosen based on their credentials and letters of recommendation, are invited for a formal interview.

How to Apply 
Our program is not currently involved in the match program. Therefore, applicants must complete the attached application form.

Required Documents:

• Curriculum Vitae
• Personal statement
• Three (3) letters of recommendation from faculty members
• Letter of good standing from current program director (If Applicable)
• Medical School Diploma
• Official Medical School Transcript (English translation required for foreign graduates)
• Certificates of completion from all residencies or fellowships 
• Official USMLE transcript
• Valid ECFMG certificate (for foreign medical school graduates)

Please send all documents to:
Gabrielle King
Education Program Coordinator
Phone: 713-834-8015
geking1@mdanderson.org

The goal of the MD Anderson Onco-Cardiology Fellowship Program is to develop the careers of future leaders in the field of Onco-Cardiology through comprehensive education and training in clinical practice, laboratory sciences, teaching skills, verbal and written communication, and clinical,  translational and basic science research.

Direct Patient Care

Fellows are responsible for the evaluation and management of patients on the inpatient service, outpatient clinics, and in the testing and procedure labs.

Outpatient Clinics

Fellows will attend outpatient clinics per the Program Director's instructions. These clinics may include general cardiology, preoperative,  cardiomyopathy, radiation, valve and survivorship.

Clinical and Research Components

1. Fellows completing the program must be capable of meeting the educational objectives listed below:

• Develop proficiency in the diagnosis and management of cancer patients with heart diseases.
• Understand the current cancer treatment modalities that cause cardiotoxicity
• Understand the cardiotoxic effects of oncologic therapeutic agents
• Understand appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for cardiovascular complications of cancer therapies
• Understand quality improvement and patient safety process processes
• Perform diagnostic and therapeutic procedures, which may include but are not limited to the following:
  • diagnosis and management of cardiovascular problems in cancer patients
  • management of chemotherapy induced cardiomyopathy
  • management of malignant pericardial Effusions
  • independent interpretation of electrocardiograms specific to cancer patients
  • interpretation of transthoracic echocardiograms and to unusual TEE findings in cancer patients
  • performance and interpretation of stress myocardial perfusion tests specific to cancer patient population

2. Manage complex cardiovascular problems encountered with acutely ill oncology patients 

3. Complete a research project that results in the form of an abstract or manuscript

4. Understand therapeutic interventions for cardic-protection and reversibility of cardiac damage

5. Outline the individual and combinations of anti-cancer agents and understand the short- and long-term toxic effects on the heart

6. Demonstrate diagnostic and treatment strategies for heart failure, as well as ischemic heart disease, arrhythmias, thromboembolism, hypertension, and management of patients with thrombocytopenia and cardiovascular diseases in cancer patients. 

7. Implement recent scientific advances in managing risk factors for the prevention of cardiotoxicity, such as hypertension, diabetes, coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, dyslipidemia

8. Understand and practice quality improvement initiatives and patient safety

9. Incorporate various imaging technologies for assessment of cardiovascular problems in cancer patients to improve patient care, including MRI, Echocardiography, strain rate imaging, and carotid stenosis monitoring

10. Identify and manage cardiotoxicity in adult survivors of childhood cancer

11. Identify and manage cancer therapy-induced heart failure

12. Understand the biology, pathology, and progression of cardiotoxicity

13. Participate in the catheterization laboratory with cardiac and peripheral catheterization and interventions:

• optical coherence tomography (OCT)
• fractional flow reserve (FFR)
• endomyocardial biopsy
• pericardiocentesis
• right heart cath
• interpretation of hemodynamics

14. Gain expertise in the performance of Electrophysiology diagnostic and therapeutic procedures related to cancer patients with cardiovascular complications of cancer therapy, which may include but are not limited to the following

• Diagnosis and management of patients with a variety of rhythm disorders, including, but not limited to:
  • sinus node dysfunction
  • atrioventricular and intraventricular conduction delay and block
  • supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias
  • clinical conditions such as: (a) unexplained syncope, (b) aborted sudden cardiac death; (c) palpitations; (d) pre-excitation; (e) prolonged QT syndromes; (f) other inherited and acquired arrhythmia syndromes
• Conditions that constitute indications for nonpharmacologic therapy, such as:
  • Ablation, surgery
  • ICD implantation
  • Implantation of cardiac rhythm devices;
  • Implantable loop recorder; and 
  • Interrogation of heart rhythm devices and external rhythm devices

15. Identify cardiovascular syndromes, such as carcinoid heart disease, cardiac tumors, malignant pericardia! effusions, and infiltrative cardiomyopathies 

16. Gain exposure to nuclear stress testing and interpretation specific to cancer patients

17. Understand cardiovascular effects of mediastinal radiation

18. Gain experience in performing echocardiograms and interpreting both transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiograms

Ali A, Caldwell R, Pina G, Beinart N, Jensen G, Yusuf SW, Koutroumpakis E, Hamzeh I, Khalaf S, Iliescu C, Deswal A, Palaskas NL. Diseases. 2024 May 3;12(5):88. doi: 10.3390/diseases12050088. PMID: 38785743; PMCID: PMC11120148.

Ali A, Jewani P, Bourdillon M, Koutroumpakis E, Khalaf S, Charitakis K, Thompson K, Marmagkiolis K, Deswal A, Iliescu C.  Front Cardiovasc Med. 2024 Feb 29;11:1337957. doi: 10.3389/fcvm.2024.1337957. PMID: 38486704; PMCID: PMC10937743.

Elbadawi A, Dang AT, Hamed M, Ali A, Saad M, Jneid H, Chhatriwalla AK, Goel S, Bhatt A, Mani P, Bavry A, Kumbhani DJ. Catheter Cardiovasc Interv. 2023 Sep;102(3):521-527. doi: 10.1002/ccd.30772. Epub 2023 Jul 26. PMID: 37493443.

Irizarry-Caro JA, Song J, Miller C, Desai S, Going J, Fossas-Espinosa J, Fatakdawala MM, Ali A, Iliescu C, Palaskas N, Deswal A, Koutroumpakis E. Cardiovasc Drugs Ther. 2024 Jan 15. doi: 10.1007/s10557-024-07546-4. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 38224416.

Marmagkiolis K, Monlezun DJ, Caballero J, Cilingiroglu M, Brown MN, Ninios V, Ali A, Iliescu CA. Int J Cardiol. 2024 Aug 1;408:132091. doi: 10.1016/j.ijcard.2024.132091. Epub 2024 Apr 23. PMID: 38663811.

Pushparaji B, Donisan T, Balanescu DV, Park JK, Monlezun DJ, Ali A, Inanc IH, Caballero J, Cilingiroglu M, Marmagkiolis K, Iliescu C.  Curr Treat Options Cardiovasc Med. 2023;25(6):143-158. doi: 10.1007/s11936-023-00982-9. Epub 2023 Apr 21. PMID: 37143711; PMCID: PMC10119009.

Our trainees have the opportunity to work alongside leading  cancer experts at MD Anderson and institutions across the Texas Medical Center. Additionally, our trainees receive exceptional support from the fellowship leadership team: 

In addition to gaining unparalleled education and training experience, MD Anderson trainees have access to exceptional resources and benefits to help them build meaningful careers and lead fulfilling lives.

Institutional benefits and support

GME trainees¡¯ salary stipends are updated every year based on the ACGME¡¯s recommendations, and because our trainees are considered workforce members, they also enjoy MD Anderson¡¯s employee benefits, including health insurance, retirement planning, disability insurance and six weeks of parental leave.

Our GME House Staff Senate offers trainees the opportunity to experience a leadership role in a medical field career, and the institution¡¯s Academic Mentoring Council provides avenues to secure tailored academic mentoring from faculty. Our GME trainees benefit from the extensive support offered to our research trainees, too; they are invited to participate in grant application workshops, apply for pilot grants to support their research ideas and receive monetary awards for securing extramural grant funding.

Trainee wellness is also of utmost importance at MD Anderson.

Our trainees have access to MD Anderson¡¯s , fitness center and other wellness resources provided by the institution. Additionally, our Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC), which provides oversight of our accredited programs, regularly assess our trainees¡¯ needs and implements various initiatives, such as providing free call meals and discounted parking to GME House Staff, to address those gaps. The committee even has a subcommittee entirely dedicated to supporting the wellness of our trainees.

Our efforts to ensure a welcoming and supportive education and training experience have been commended nationally. In 2023, the Office of Graduate Medical Education received the , a prestigious national award that recognizes our institution for its respectful and supportive environment for delivering medical education and patient care.

Beyond MD Anderson

MD Anderson¡¯s location has many benefits, too. Our main campus is nestled inside the Texas Medical Center, the world¡¯s largest medical center which boasts about 10 million patient encounters each year. Many of our faculty are involved in interorganizational research collaborations, both within the TMC and across the nation, exposing trainees to groundbreaking advancements in medical care in real time.

Most importantly, the city of Houston is a great place to call home and raise a family. We are one of the most culturally diverse cities in the nation. More than 145 different languages are spoken across the city, placing us behind only New York and Los Angeles. In fact, about 30% of the city¡¯s population speaks a language other than English at home. And, paychecks here stretch farther than most U.S. metro areas, thanks to our low cost of living.

Visit our Why Houston page to learn more about our city¡¯s affordable housing, fine dining, entertainment scene, nationally renowned museums and other great attributes.