Educational Goals and Philosophy

The goal of the Vascular Fellowship Program at Englewood Hospital is to provide training to general surgeons who, upon completion of the program, will be qualified vascular surgery specialists. This is accomplished by providing both the experiences and environment where fellows can develop the surgical skills, medical knowledge, communication, clinical skills, and professional attitudes to become physicians committed to lifelong learning, medical system integration, and excellence in the diagnosis of vascular diseases, performance of open vascular surgery, and endovascular interventions.

Whether fellows pursue an academic career or one in community practice, the goal of the Vascular Fellowship Program is to equip fellows with the ability to critically assess the medical literature, develop an understanding of research, and keep abreast of new developments. Since the acquisition of knowledge in medicine must be lifelong, general principles are emphasized throughout the duration of training.

Program Overview

The general goals of the program are to provide a learning and training environment which facilitates the development of expert vascular surgery specialists who will have the tools and abilities to be leaders in both the clinical and academic community of vascular surgeons. These goals are accomplished by providing:

  • Didactic instruction and research experience in vascular physiology and pathobiology.
  • Instruction and direct clinical experience with the technology, clinical applications, and professional interpretation of noninvasive vascular testing.
  • Instruction and direct clinical experience in the performance and interpretation of the complete spectrum of endovascular interventions.
  • Supervised performance of open vascular surgical procedures.

Following successful completion of the training program the trainee should be eligible for certification as an RVPI (Registered Physician in Vascular Interpretation) and eligible for certification in Vascular Surgery by the American Board of Surgery. It is expected that the trainee will be a competitive candidate for the professional position of his or her choice, whether private practice, academic, or a combination of the two. Additionally, it is a goal of the program to graduate physicians competent in all aspects of vascular care, including diagnosis, medical management, endovascular and open management.

Download our publication, Curriculum Goals and Objectives, for a more detailed description of the training activities of the two-year program.

Curriculum Overview

The fellowship training program is a two-year program comprising the clinical and academic components of

  • Endovascular diagnostics and therapeutics.
  • Noninvasive vascular testing with ultrasound-based therapeutics.
  • Clinical research.
  • Open surgical procedures.

These activities are all conducted at Englewood Hospital.

Goals and Objectives for Competencies

At the completion of the training program it is expected that the fellow will be fully prepared to embark on a career as a vascular surgeon through education and successful completion in the following areas.

Medical Knowledge

Fellows must demonstrate knowledge of established and evolving biomedical, clinical, epidemiological and social behavioral sciences, as well as the application of this knowledge to patient care.

  • Demonstrate appropriate general knowledge in vascular diseases.
  • Know and apply the basic and clinically supportive sciences which are appropriate to the discipline of vascular surgery.
  • Demonstrate competence in all surgical and technical procedures commonly performed in vascular surgery.

Patient Care

Fellows must be able to provide both inpatient and outpatient care that is compassionate, appropriate and effective for the treatment of vascular diseases and the promotion of health. Fellows are expected to:

  • Establish skills in gathering accurate and essential patient data.
  • Demonstrate an understanding of informed treatment plans, including up to date scientific evidence and clinical judgment.
  • Demonstrate competence in pre and post-operative care, the ability to select the procedure most appropriate to the clinical situation, and to recognize his/her limitations.
  • Demonstrate competence in all surgical and technical procedures commonly performed in vascular surgery.
  • Demonstrate caring and respectful behaviors when interacting with patients and families.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills

Fellows must demonstrate interpersonal and communication skill that result in effective exchange of information and collaboration with patients, their families, and health professionals. Fellows are expected to:

  • Communicate openly and effectively with patients, peers, healthcare professionals and ancillary staff.
  • Utilize effective listening and questioning skills while providing and receiving patient information.
  • Demonstrate effective exchange of information.
  • Present clear and concise thoughts at conference and presentations.

Professionalism

Fellows must demonstrate commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, and an adherence to ethical principles. Fellows are expected to:

  • Demonstrate an ability to effectively utilize systematic methodology to assess practice experience and perform practice based improvement activities.
  • Locate, appraise, and assimilate evidence from scientific studies related to patient’s vascular problems.
  • Demonstrate an ability to obtain and utilize information from patient population and the larger population from which they are drawn to enhance patient care.
  • Utilize information technology to manage information, access on-line medical information, and to support their own education.
  • Demonstrate an ability to utilize knowledge of study designs and statistical methods to recognize strengths and weaknesses in clinical studies and other information on diagnostic and therapeutic effectiveness.
  • Facilitate the education of medical students, residents, and other healthcare professionals.

Systems-Based Practice

Fellows must demonstrate an awareness of and responsiveness to the larger context and system of health care, as well as the ability to call effectively on other resources in the system to provide optimal health care. Fellows are expected to:

  • Demonstrate understanding of vascular issues; how they affect other health care providers, the health care organization, and society as a whole. Collaborate with healthcare professionals from other disciplines to provide optimal care.
  • Exhibit an understanding of how environmental factors impact healthcare organizations and healthcare costs.
  • Demonstrate ability to recognize how types of medical practices and delivery systems differ from one another, including methods of controlling health care costs and allocating resources. Utilize this knowledge to insure quality healthcare.
  • Develop an appreciation for practicing cost effective healthcare and resource allocation that does not compromise patient care.
  • Express knowledge of hospital and community resources in place to support patients, advocate for quality patient care and consistently assist patients in dealing with complexities of the healthcare system.

Technical Skills

Fellows are expected to demonstrate competence in all surgical and technical procedures commonly associated with vascular surgery. In particular, competence must be acquired in

  • Detailed vascular anatomy and physiology.
  • Proper history taking and physical examination of patients with vascular problems in both the hospital and outpatient clinic setting.
  • Early recognition and treatment of complications of vascular surgery.
  • Open major vascular procedures.
  • Endovascular procedures.