A new training statement from the ACC and numerous partnering societies addresses the competencies required of sub-subspecialists in Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology (AHFTC). The document was published March 8 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

The training statement complements the recently published Core Cardiovascular Training Statement (COCATS), and outlines the knowledge, skills and experiences that should result from a 12-month training program in AHFTC and defines the competencies required of these trainees. These training requirements address the six general competencies promulgated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education and endorsed by the American Board of Internal Medicine: Medical Knowledge, Patient Care and Procedural Skills, Practice-Based Learning and Improvement, Systems Based Practice, Interpersonal and Communication Skills, and Professionalism.

The document also includes detailed recommendations for procedural numbers which trainees, in general, should perform during their fellowship, recognizing that true competency to perform each procedure may exceed or be below this recommendation for any individual trainee.

"The document will serve as a foundation upon which the training of cardiologists entering the field of AHFTC can be based, so that patients with advanced heart failure will be optimally treated by skilled and knowledgeable physicians," said Mariell Jessup, MD, FACC, chair of the writing committee.

Keywords: Accreditation, Education, Medical, Graduate, Fellowships and Scholarships, Heart Failure, Internal Medicine, Patient Care, Training Support

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