Task Force 1: Training in Clinical Cardiology

(See the World Wide Web site www.acgme.org for ongoing updates of program requirements.) Cardiology training programs must provide an intellectual environment for acquiring the knowledge, skills, clinical judgment, attitudes, and values that are essential to cardiovascular medicine consistent with the 6 core competencies delineated by the ACGME (medical knowledge, patient care, interpersonal and communication skills, professionalism, practice and learning, and improvement and systems-based practice). The 3-year training program should include a clinical core of 24 months with the following minimums: 1) 9 months in nonlaboratory clinical practice activities (e.g., cardiac consultation, inpatient cardiac care, intermediate acute care unit, chest pain unit, coronary care unit, cardiothoracic/cardiovascular surgery, congenital heart disease, heart failure/cardiac transplantation, preventive cardiovascular medicine, cardiac rehabilitation, and vascular medicine); 2) 4 months in the cardiac catheterization laboratory; 3) 7 months in noninvasive imaging (echocardiography and Doppler [minimum 3 months], noninvasive and peripheral vascular studies, and nuclear cardiology techniques [minimum 2 months]) and cardiovascular magnetic resonance and other techniques (e.g., electron beam or fast helical computed tomography); 4) 2 months (in blocks or equivalent experience) in electrocardiography, stress testing, and ambulatory electrocardiographic monitoring; and 5) 2 months in arrhythmia management, permanent pacemaker and implantable cardioverter-defibrillator management, and electrophysiology; 2 months in the recognition and management of patients with peripheral vascular disease.