Inpatient Consultative Cardiology Curriculum

Cardiovascular medicine continually advances at a pace that is nothing less than breathtaking. Guideline updates occur at increasingly shorter intervals. These changes make the field of Cardiovascular Medicine overwhelming at times. Our ECU General Cardiology Consult Service will provide you with many real world experiences that are meant to broaden your expertise in the field of consultative cardiology. The service will allow you to comfortably evaluate the cardiovascular question posed and to confidently provide an evidence based recommendation.

Our service runs the gamut of interesting and sometimes mystifying cardiovascular maladies that may elude the simple algorithmic approach to discovery and diagnosis. We see a mixture of structural and electrical cardiovascular disorders. The service emphasizes an anatomical and physiological understanding of the disease process. This allows a better understanding of the pathophysiology of the cardiovascular disease process, which more dependably translates into an ability to apply this enhanced understanding for a much greater period time than the rote memorization approach to learning. Learning will include not only cardiovascular medicine but discussions regarding referral growth and practice building will occur throughout the rotation as well.

We not only encourage but expect active participation in the educational process. Active learning is not only more durable than passive learning, it is much more enjoyable for both the teacher and the learner. We anticipate an evidenced based approach to the application of recommendations and the care provided. Both the teacher and the learner (CV Fellows and Resident as well as attending learners) will actively communicate their reviews of the disease processes and their treatment approaches in an enjoyable and collegial fashion. Emphasis will be placed on obtaining an accurate historical (including pertinent outside chart material) and physical exam as well as pertinent laboratory data with appropriate distillation and assimilation of that information.

The desire and goal of the rotation will be to provide you with the fodder to ignite the spark to lifelong inquisitiveness in your chosen field of Cardiovascular Medicine.