Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Fellowship
Summary
- Bursary: €5,000
- Location: Santa Cruz Hospital Portugal
- Duration: Attendance to both EACTS and Medtronic organised courses and a two-week internship at a high-volume centre.
The OPCAB Fellowship is supported by an educational grant from Medtronic.
Introduction
The Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Fellowship, in partnership with Medtronic, supports newly graduated cardiothoracic surgeons to acquire theoretical and practical knowledge in the surgical management of patients with coronary artery disease, with special interest in off-pump and minimal invasive techniques. Fellows have an exciting opportunity to work under the guidance of leading surgeon-educators in this field.
Specifically, Fellows will gain foundational knowledge of the pathophysiology of coronary artery disease, the rationale for its surgical treatment and first-hand experience in OPCAB.
Fellowship overview
The programme comprises attendance to both EACTS and Medtronic organised courses and a two-week internship at a high-volume centre.
MODULE 1: Medtronic OPCAB Master Class
MODULE 2: Medtronic OPCAB Peer-to peer training
MODULE 3: Medtronic OPCAB Proctoring Session, 1-2 days (ad hoc)
MODULE 4: Attend EACTS Annual Meeting and Medtronic Training Village OPCAB session
MODULE 5: In-hospital training in a high-volume centre
Throughout your fellowship, you will also have one-to-one support from the EACTS Fellowship Manager, Amanda McKechnie, to make sure you get the most out of this opportunity.
Funding
This fellowship includes a financial contribution of €5,000 towards living and travel costs for the two-week placement. All courses and training offered by Medtronic will be subsidised, and you will receive a grant of €500 to cover the cost of your travel and accommodation at the EACTS Annual Meeting. You will arrange travel and accommodation.
What fellows say about the Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Fellowship
Vasil Papestiev, University Clinic of Cardiac Surgery, Republic of North Macedonia
“International collaboration and knowledge exchange is vital to advance education and professional expertise, so it is a great honour to be a recipient of this fellowship. I have a strong interest in off-pump CABG surgery and a desire to establish an off-pump CABG programme at my institution in North Macedonia. The opportunity to spend time with outstanding experts in the field will help to progress this ambition and enable me to build relationships within our cardiac community.”
Application and selection criteria
In order to apply for this Fellowship, you must:
- Be an EACTS member with up-to-date membership payment
- Have a partnership with Anaesthesiologists and Cardiologist at own centre
- Have hospital resource support: Up-to-date coronary artery imaging tools
Desirable Criteria
- Ability to set up an OPCAB program in his / her institution
- High volume surgeon (>50 CABG cases / year)
- Currently working at high volume centres (>150 CABG cases per year)
- Commitment to complete the whole learning pathway
The following documents must be provided as part of your application:
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Letter of interest detailing the way in which you meet the above application criteria, along with your career aspirations, as well as how you believe the Fellowship will impact your career.
- Letter of support from head of training/department
- Operative experience
Application guidance
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.
Evaluation and feedback
A structured evaluation of the activities and feedback from the Fellow will be developed. At the end of the Fellowship, Fellows will produce a full report (min. 1200 words) on their experience which they will present during the EACTS Annual Meeting.
