Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Training Program

The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Training Program at Tufts Medical Center provides trainees with the necessary skills to become exceptional specialists. Fellows are integrated into all aspects of the Division of Cardiology and the CardioVascular Center, providing bedside care, mastering procedural skills and participating in educational and research activities.

About this program

During the third and fourth years, fellows participate in clinical rotations involving a variety of aspects of inpatient and outpatient cardiovascular care, including cardiac catheterization, echocardiography, nuclear cardiology, advanced cardiac imaging with CT/MR, electrophysiology, heart failure, cardiac intensive care, vascular medicine, community cardiology and preventive cardiology.

Following core cardiovascular training, fellows can concentrate on sub-specialized training and research in electrophysiology, interventional cardiology, heart failure and transplant training. In addition, fellows have many research opportunities to pursue in basic and translational science at the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute and specialized research training at the Institute for Clinical Research and Health Policy. Fellows work closely with house staff and medical students as consultants and educators.

Contact info

Molly Cleveland

Fellowship Coordinator

Division of Cardiology

800 Washington St. Box 315

Boston, MA 02111

617.636.4322

617.636.5913

How to apply

Our Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program applications are accepted via ERAS, the electronic residency application system. All applicants must have completed the necessary training to become ABIM board-eligible in internal medicine. The application deadline is July 10. Our team conducts a thorough review of each application downloaded from ERAS. A select number of applicants are invited for an interview to meet with staff and to tour the facilities. After the interview process, applications are again reviewed and ranked based on qualifications and interview scores. The final rank list is then submitted to the National Residency Match Program for selection of the fellowship class.

Goals

The goal of the program is to produce well-trained, clinically-savvy, compassionate cardiologists. The training program has a rich tradition of training well-rounded physicians in all aspects of cardiovascular medicine. Our competency-based goals include:

Patient care – fellows demonstrate compassionate, appropriate and effective care.
Medical knowledge – fellows demonstrate knowledge about established and evolving biomedical, epidemiological and socio/behavioral sciences and demonstrate application of this knowledge to patient care.
Practice-based learning and improvement – fellows develop expertise in critical analysis of clinical problems and appropriate decision-making.
Interpersonal communication – fellows exhibit exceptional abilities to communicate with patients, families and health care teams.
Systems-based practice – fellows develop a larger awareness of the availability and proper utilization of resources when caring for cardiovascular patients.
Professionalism – fellows are encouraged to join local and national organizations, adhere to ethical principles and display sensitivity to diverse patient populations.

Clinical opportunities

The Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program exposes trainees to an excellent case mix during their monthly rotations through the various subspecialties in cardiology. Fellows learn from various clinical pathology and graduate as superb cardiologists capable of treating any cardiovascular patient. During their inpatient and outpatient rotations, fellows are exposed to a number of our major clinical programs, including:

Coronary heart disease	Pulmonary heart disease
Heart failure	Peripheral vascular disease
Cardiomyopathies	Infections and inflammatory heart disease
Electrophysiology	Women and heart disease
Cardiovascular imaging	Diseases of the great vessels
Interventional cardiology	Adult congenital heart disease
Valvular heart disease	Cardiovascular surgery
Preventive cardiology and risk factor management

Advanced training opportunities

Graduates from the Tufts General Cardiology Fellowship Program frequently pursue additional training to serve as sub-specialists in a variety of fields. Many fellows stay at Tufts Medical Center (Tufts MC) for advanced training in the following ACGME-accredited training programs.

Research opportunities

Participation in cardiovascular research is an important part of the fellowship program at Tufts MC. Early in the fellowship, trainees get involved in the numerous opportunities offered in basic and translational science, clinical projects and population research.

Each fellow completes academic projects and presents their findings at divisional conferences and local, national and international forums. The Fellows Research Forum allows trainees to present their research proposals and later their results to the entire faculty. Fellows interested in a career in basic science have unique opportunities at the Molecular Cardiology Research Institute at Tufts MC. The MCRI focuses on studying molecular mechanisms of human disease, incorporating the translation of bench findings into new bedside diagnosis and therapy strategies. The MCRI is fortunate to have a fellowship training grant sponsored by the National Institutes of Health to provide trainees with hands-on experience to pursue careers in the biological sciences, focusing on cardiovascular research.

Fellows interested in clinical care and outcomes have the opportunity to work with the Division of Clinical Care Research at Tufts MC. Members of this division are interested in factors that affect clinical care and are developing treatment strategies, decision aids and computer-based systems to improve health outcomes. Post-doctoral training may be provided by the division’s training grant in clinical care research.

Our affiliates

Our trainees spend the majority of their time at Tufts MC. To complement this training, fellows spend time at MelroseWakefield Hospital and MetroWest Medical Center. During these rotations, fellows gain experience in consultative cardiology, critical care cardiology, non-invasive imaging and cardiac rehabilitation. Dedicated interventional and electrophysiology laboratory exposure is also provided to fellows during their community cardiology rotations. Teaching and supervision are performed by academically trained and affiliated cardiologists, many of whom are trained at Tufts MC.

Our faculty

Our outstanding faculty members are among the nation’s leaders in bringing the latest advances in cardiovascular diagnosis and care into clinical practice. Tufts MC cardiology faculty are full-time academic staff dedicated to teaching fellows. All patient encounters and procedures performed by fellows are supervised by attending cardiologists.

Faculty

James E. Udelson, MD
Chief, Division of Cardiology

Robert Blanton, MD
Jennifer Chee, MD
Michael Chin, MD, PhD
Chris Clyne, MD, MBA
David DeNofrio, MD
Brian Downey, MD
Kay Everett, MD, PhD
Jonas Galper, MD, PhD
Gaurav Gulati, MD, MS
Munther K. Homoud, MD
Gordon S. Huggins, MD
Margaret Infeld, MD, MS
Iris Jaffe, MD, PhD
Madhavi Kadiyala, MD
Navin K. Kapur, MD
Michael Kiernan, MD, Msc
Carey D. Kimmelstiel, MD
Marvin A. Konstam, MD
Christopher Madias, MD
Ayan R. Patel, MD
Charlie Resor, MD,MSc
Guy Rozen, MD, MHA
Deeb N. Salem, MD, FACP, FACC, FAHA
Jenica Upshaw, MD
Amanda Vest, MBBS, MPH
Benjamin S. Wessler, MD

Our fellows 2023-2024

First-year fellows

Kacie Amacher, MD, MPH
Attended Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California. In my free time, I love being active outdoors, hiking, biking, running and yoga. I am passionate about nutrition and love to cook and develop my own plant-based recipes. I also enjoy traveling home to spend time with family and our golden retriever in Oregon.

Ayedh Alamri, MBBS
I received my medical degree from the King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and completed my internal medicine residency at the University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah. I have a special interest in interventional cardiology and heart failure. I hope to be one of the first Saudi physicians to specialize in both specialties and to start a robust cardiology facility back in Saudi that serves people in need in the peripheries. I have been involved in research from a very young age and aim to further advance my career as a physician-scientist. Outside of work, I enjoy traveling with my wife, swimming, trying new activities and exploring different cities and cultures.

Benjamin Freedman, MD
I grew up in Durham, NC, attended medical school at Harvard and went on to do my medicine residency and 2 years as a hospitalist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Professionally, I'm interested in cardiac electrophysiology, and outside of work, I enjoy a range of hobbies, including singing, sailing, hiking and rock climbing!

Rachel Goodman, MD
I grew up in metro Detroit and completed undergrad and medical school at the University of Michigan. I then moved to Milwaukee where I completed internal medicine residency and a year as chief resident at the Medical College of Wisconsin. At this point, I am most interested in critical care cardiology and heart failure, but I am keeping an open mind. Outside of work, I enjoy any high-energy workout class, baking and Michigan football (go blue!). I am also a skincare and SPF enthusiast.

Peter Natov, MD
I grew up in nearby Newton, Mass. I graduated from Tufts University School of Medicine and completed my internal medicine residency at Yale New Haven Hospital. My clinical and research interests are in cardiogenic shock, mechanical circulatory support and other topics that overlap the fields of interventional cardiology, advanced heart failure and critical care cardiology. Outside of medicine, I enjoy road cycling and exploring New England.

Stephen Wang, MD
I completed medical school at Dartmouth, an MPH at Harvard, and an internal medicine residency at Yale. I'm currently interested in preventive cardiology or cardiovascular imaging. My current research interests include social determinants of cardiovascular disease and geriatric cardiology. I also enjoy working with medical students and residents and I hope to incorporate medical education in my future career. My clinical goal is to provide compassionate and evidence-based care to all my patients. In my free time, I enjoy golf, basketball, trying out new restaurants and anything that involves a boat.

Second-year fellows

Nawaf Alfuraih, MD
I graduated medical school and completed IM residency back home in Saudi Arabia. After that I joined IM residency at Case Western University/University Hospitals in Cleveland. I am interested in critical care cardiology and multimodality imaging. In my free time, I enjoy traveling with my wife and exploring cultures/cuisines (30 countries and counting!).

Craig Cooper, MD
I am a Quadruple Jumbo and have been at Tufts MC from undergrad through cardiology rellowship. I am particularly interested in advanced imaging and general cardiology. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my wife and dog, going to the beaches of Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard, snowboarding and cheering on any of Boston's numerous championship-winning sports teams.

Shravani Gangidi, MD
I grew up in New Jersey, studied at Johns Hopkins University for undergrad, University of Rochester for medical school and completed internal medicine residency at Cleveland Clinic. I am interested in heart failure and advanced imaging. In my free time, I enjoy hiking, tennis, historical fiction, and traveling.

Hassan Khalil, MD
I graduated from University of Medical Sciences and Technology in Khartoum, Sudan. Went to Washington DC for residency at George Washington University and spent some time teaching MD-PhD students between Harvard and MIT. I am interested in Interventional Cardiology with focus in mechanical support after Anterior MI and biomarkers in Acute Coronary Syndrome and Heart failure. I enjoy exploring the world of Artificial Intelligence and technology in clinical practice. During my spare time I enjoy playing soccer, hiking, kayaking, snowboarding and playing tennis. I am a Real Madrid fan.

Samuel Stone, MD
I graduated from University of Massachusetts Medical school and completed my Internal Medicine Residency at Tufts Medical Center. I am interested in the field of cardiac critical care. I grew up outside of Boston and am a lifelong Bay Stater. I enjoy everything New England including hiking, kayaking, shellfishing and spending time with friends and family.

Third-year fellows

Christopher Firely, MD
I went to medical school at Temple. I came to Tufts MC for residency and completed 1 year of chief residency before fellowship. In the future, I plan on practicing general cardiology in an academic center as I enjoy working with medical students and trainees. In my spare time, I enjoy living in the city and taking in all Boston has to offer. I am a die hard Philadelphia sports fan surrounded by Bostonians.

Munim Khan, MD, MHS
I grew up in New Jersey, went to Johns Hopkins University for college, went back to NJ at Rutgers NJMS for medical school and am now in Boston for my IM residency at Tufts MC and my cardiology fellowship. I am interested in electrophysiology and heart failure, but have an open mind since it’s early on in my cardiology training. In my spare time, I enjoy playing pickup soccer, watching my favorite English premier league team languish, hosting board game nights and traveling whenever I can to explore different cultures and cuisines.

Abdulaziz (Aziz) Malik, MD
I graduated from Kuwait University Medical School and completed my Internal Medicine residency at Boston University Medical Center. My interest lies in a mixed clinical and research career in electrophysiology. In my free time, I enjoy playing classical music on the piano and reading science fiction and fantasy novels.

Tran Nguyen, MD
I went to University of Massachusetts Medical School and completed my residency at George Washington University Hospital. I am interested in EP and advanced imaging. In my free time, I like traveling, exploring the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants, kickboxing and snowboarding.

Electrophysiology (EP) fellows

Mossab Aljuaid, MD
I am originally from Saudi Arabia, where I earned my medical degree from King Saud University School of Medicine. After graduating, I spent a year in Washington, D.C., where I attended George Washington University for a medical research fellowship program. Then, I completed my residency training in internal medicine at the University of Utah. I am interested in atrial fibrillation, cardiac MRI and mobile health technologies. I am planning on specializing in advanced cardiac electrophysiology. I enjoy traveling, skiing, playing/arguing about soccer and playing chess with friends in my free time.

Derya Arkonac, MD
I studied biomedical engineering at Columbia University and went to medical school at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pa. I did my internal medicine residency and general cardiology fellowship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York, NY. I am currently a fellow in cardiac electrophysiology. In my free time, I love to travel, read, swim and cook.

Khader Herzallah, MD
I graduated from medical school at Dammam University in Saudi Arabia. I completed my residency at Michigan State University, Lansing, Mich. My long-term career and academic plans include subspecialty training in electrophysiology. My research focuses on establishing the prevalence and burden of arrhythmias in various diseases and identifying optimal management strategies in each condition. More recently, I have grown interested in the field of cardiac stem cells and their electrophysiological properties. My extracurricular activities include soccer, basketball, tennis, music and travel.

Interventional cardiology fellows

Akshat Khurana, MBBS
I completed my basic physician training and advanced training in cardiology from New Zealand. I have an interest in interventional cardiology and structural heart disease. In my spare time, I enjoy watching cricket, snooker and playing chess.

Nicolás Ruiz, MD
I was born in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and moved to Texas to pursue my career in medicine. I completed medical school at The University of Texas Medical Branch, and subsequently pursued my internal medicine and cardiology training at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital. My interventional cardiology interests include complex PCI, catheter-directed therapies for PE and peripheral artery disease.

Heart failure fellows

Cara Guardino, MD
Attended Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University. Music has always been a passion of mine. I have played the piano since I was 5 years old, originally training at The Rivers School Conservatory in Weston, Mass. Athletics have also been a major part of my life. Other activities I enjoy include hiking, biking and skiing.

Patrick Hyland, MD
I grew up in New Jersey before completing my undergraduate degree at Boston College and attending medical school at Tufts MC. I then did my internal medicine residency and cardiology fellowship at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center prior to returning here for subspecialty training in advanced heart failure & transplant cardiology. I am particularly interested in the use of mechanical circulatory support devices and am conducting research investigating long-term clinical outcomes in patients who undergo durable LVAD implantation. When outside the hospital, I enjoy spending time with my wife and daughter, walking along the Charles River Esplanade and exploring New England.

Mili Mehta, MD
I was born & raised in New York, where I attended medical school at Columbia University. I then completed residency, chief residency and cardiovascular disease fellowship at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. I am interested in the care of patients focused on heart failure, critical care, and cardiomyopathies and I am also passionate about quality improvement and medical education within the field of cardiology. Outside of the hospital, I enjoy hiking and running along bodies of water, brunches, board games and chasing around my tireless toddler and pup.

Advanced imaging fellow

Mirette Fahim, MD
I graduated from Cairo University in Egypt, then completed a cardiology residency/fellowship in Cairo University Hospitals, earning an MSc and then joining the faculty there. I then went to Mayo Clinic Rochester for my PhD thesis based on Speckle Tracking Echocardiography, followed by cardiac imaging research at Houston Methodist. I then completed an internal medicine residency at Icahn School of Medicine Mount Sinai Beth Israel in New York City, followed by Cardiac CT/MRI training at St Francis Hospital in Roslyn. My clinical interest is the use of multimodality imaging, especially in structural interventions and valvular assessment. I also love to integrate that with research and teaching. In my free time, I love to go-kart racing, do handwork crafts, enjoy different outdoor activities, whether swimming, biking, or hiking and travel with my twin sister.

Conferences + lectures

In addition to the individualized instruction given throughout each rotation, fellows are taught through didactic sessions, interactive conferences and self study.

The core curriculum includes a Fellows’ Conference, the Cardiology Division Conference, EKG Conference, Cath Lab Conference, Preventive Cardiology Conference, Cardiology Grand Rounds, Imaging Conference and Medical Grand Rounds. Additional conferences include a Morbidity/Mortality Conference, Research Methodology Conference, Heart Failure Research Conference and Electrophysiology Conference.

Resources for fellows

Fellows have access to a full range of inpatient, outpatient, clinical and research laboratory facilities. The Naimi Fellowship Room, along with recently renovated Levine and Criscitiello Conference Rooms, provide centrally-located, dedicated workspace that is equipped with state-of-the-art educational resources. Fellows have access to a complete medical library through the Tufts University School of Medicine, as well as numerous on-line educational tools.