March 9th, 2013

A Fellow Reflects on the Program and on her Progress from Observer to Educator: Blogging on ACC.13

Several Cardiology Fellows who are attending ACC.13 in San Francisco this week are blogging for CardioExchange. The Fellows include Tariq AhmadMegan CoylewrightJeremiah DeptaKumar Dharmarajan Payal Kohli, and  Sandeep Mangalmurti. View the previous post here, view the next post here, and for more of our ACC.13 coverage of late-breaking clinical trials, interviews with the authors of the most important research, and blogs from our fellows on the most interesting presentations at the meeting, check out our Coverage Headquarters.

As time goes on, the meetings seems to cycle through even faster. As a fellow, the first few meetings are experienced as an observer, then a participant on the margins, and as we progress, we speak in oral sessions and somehow begin to become educators. It mirrors our development in our own institutions, but on a much broader scale.

The process is deliberate, and steeped in history and tradition.I think of this as I board my Delta flight in Minneapolis and am cheerily greeted by a community of Mayo educators on the plane: Dr. Jaffe, defining our use of troponin; Dr. Klarich, an expert in echo and clinical cardiology, and my own program director; and Dr. Gersh, perhaps the quintessential traveler, as well as educator to us all.

In the past year, I’ve learned more about the role of the ACC as an educational force, and as I peruse the program, it has never been more true. The TCT/ACC track is filled with great topics, including patient selection for TAVR and periprocedural complications. The live cases this afternoon will feature our cath lab at Mayo. And tonight, I have the opportunity to present at a session highlighting best practices in aortic stenosis, with a panel that again reminds me of the tradition our field has in excellence in clinical care, research and education: Drs. Mack, Holmes, Nishimura, O’Gara, and others.

Looking forward to hearing what you all are learning today…

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