The Advanced Fellowship in Exercise Cardiology at Boston Children’s Hospital is a one-year training program designed to prepare physicians for a career that includes exercise diagnostics, therapeutics, and research. The Boston Children’s Hospital Department of Cardiology Exercise Physiology Lab has the highest exercise testing volume in the country and one of the only dedicated cardiac fitness (rehab) programs specifically designed for patients with congenital and pediatric acquired cardiac conditions. The Heart Center has three fully functional exercise labs and three dedicated cardiac fitness rooms in two sites, with another lab opening in Weymouth in 2024. There are eight full-time highly skilled congenital cardiac exercise physiologists, with three dedicated faculty with direct oversight for the program.
The senior fellow will study advanced exercise physiology and adaptations in congenital heart disease, learn about test selection, and participate in testing and interpretation. For exercise therapeutics, there will be regular hands-on opportunities to develop exercise prescriptions, learn risk stratification and delivery of exercise therapy (in person and virtual cardiac fitness sessions), and perform exercise counseling. The schedule can be individualized depending on the senior fellow’s specific interest. As part of the 12-month program, the senior fellow will develop an independent research project with protected time to bring it to completion, supported by expert cardiology faculty and amplified by access to experts across the greater Harvard system. The Benderson Family Heart Center has an advanced research infrastructure, with more than 15 years of digitized exercise data linked to cardiac diagnoses and patient information databases. The clinical research team can assist with statistical software and analysis.
Ample opportunities also exist for educational projects and clinical program development. The senior fellow will also actively participate in the didactic and clinical conferences offered for all cardiology fellows throughout the Heart Center and will take an active role in the teaching of pediatric residents, medical students, and categorical cardiology fellows through case-based learning and simulation.
The Advanced Fellowship in Exercise Cardiology will accept one fellow per year, pending availability of funding. Fellows selected for the Advanced Fellowship in Exercise Cardiology must have completed training in pediatric or adult congenital cardiology.
To apply to the Advanced Fellowship in Exercise Cardiology, you may download the application here.
Timeline for application and selection
- deadline for completed application: Oct. 1 (for fellowships beginning July 1 of the following year)
- interviews: Oct. 1 through Nov. 30
- final selection: Dec. 31
Contact information
Allison Flanagan, CCT
Coordinator, Advanced Fellowship in Exercise Cardiology
Exercise Lab Operations Specialist
Boston Children’s Hospital
Department of Cardiology
300 Longwood Ave. BCH 3215
Boston, MA 02115
Phone: 617-919-6617
Fax: 617-730-4769
allison.flanagan@cardio.chboston.org
Naomi Gauthier, MD
Director, Advanced Fellowship in Exercise Cardiology
Director, Cardiac Fitness Program
Boston Children’s Hospital
Department of Cardiology
300 Longwood Ave. BCH 3215
Boston, MA 02115
naomi.gauthier@cardio.chboston.org