Program Overview

Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program

General Information

The Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School is designed to train future leaders in the comprehensive assessment and management of cardiovascular disease. Fellows entering the program will have completed training in internal medicine and will be eligible to take the American Board of Internal Medicine certification examination.

Fellows rotate between the three major teaching hospital centers of Rutgers-New Jersey Medical School: University Hospital in Newark, the Veterans Affairs-New Jersey Health Care System in East Orange, Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center, and Jersey City Medical Center. The training emphasis at each of these hospitals is dictated by the major teaching strengths of the individual programs.

Mission Statement

The mission of the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School Cardiovascular Medicine Fellowship Program is to train future leaders in the comprehensive assessment and management of cardiovascular disease, preparing them to excel as clinicians, clinician-educators, academicians, and researchers who serve both the state of New Jersey and the broader national community.

The program provides rigorous and well-rounded training in clinical and didactic cardiovascular medicine, supported by diverse opportunities in clinical and basic science research. Fellows are guided in a collegial, apprenticeship-style environment that emphasizes progressive autonomy over the three years of training.

Curriculum

The curriculum is highly structured and thoughtfully designed. Training begins with a summer “boot camp” of daily live lectures and hands-on workshops, followed by a year-long core curriculum featuring two to three weekly didactic sessions and an academic day dedicated to cardiac catheterization and clinical case presentations—all during strictly protected educational time.

Program Aims

The program aims to:

1. Clinical Excellence: Train fellows to provide outstanding, evidence-based cardiovascular care across diverse patient populations, with particular emphasis on urban, underserved, and veteran communities.
2. Education and Mentorship: Foster the development of clinician-educators by providing structured didactic teaching, mentorship, and progressive responsibility, preparing fellows to teach and inspire future generations of physicians.
3. Research and Innovation: Cultivate skills in clinical, translational, and basic science research, encouraging fellows to contribute to the advancement of cardiovascular medicine through scholarly activity and innovation.
4. Leadership and Professionalism: Prepare fellows for leadership roles in academic medicine, hospital systems, and community practice by modeling professionalism, integrity, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
5. Diversity and Service: Instill a deep commitment to serving patients across the socioeconomic spectrum, reducing healthcare disparities, and promoting equitable access to high-quality cardiovascular care.
6. Career Development: Support fellows in achieving their individual career goals—whether in clinical practice, subspecialty training, academia, or research—by providing comprehensive mentorship and tailored opportunities.