The Department of Cardiology at Flinders Medical Centre (FMC) strives to produce confident and highly competent Cardiologists, with excellent clinical, procedural and research skills. We are proud of our state-of-the-art facilities, and our ability to deliver cutting-edge and innovative healthcare. Our Trainees will spend three years learning from highly trained and enthusiastic Consultants based at Flinders Medical Centre, whilst rotating to other teaching hospitals both in Adelaide and Darwin.

Structure of Training

In August 2013, the FMC Department of Cardiology embarked on an innovative strategy to improve patient outcomes, by streamlining inpatient care. Broadly, these four streams encompass Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS), Heart Failure and Structural Heart Disease (HFS), Electrophysiology (EP), Ambulatory Care, with Trainees rotating through each stream at multiple points throughout their training. This approach allows Trainees to more easily achieve specific training goals, by facilitating intensive exposure during each rotation to consolidate their clinical and procedural skills (e.g. invasive and CT coronary angiography during the ACS rotation, pacing and electrophysiological studies during the EP rotation, echocardiography and advanced heart failure/heart transplant in HF). 

What to expect

Cardiology is a highly procedural specialty, and our Trainees have plenty of opportunity to “get their hands dirty” in angiography, echocardiography and EP labs. FMC Department of Cardiology also have subspecialty Fellows who are strongly encouraged to support Trainees in their learning, and it is very common to see Fellows and Trainees working alongside each other.

Our Department has long recognised the critical skill of echocardiography and pacing that differentiates Cardiology from other specialty Trainees. As such, our Trainees undertake an intensive two-week training program in performing and interpreting basic echocardiography, as well as intensive Consultant-led teaching in pacing and devices, at the start of their first year.

Furthermore, our Trainees also undertake weekly sonographer-supervised echo scanning sessions and both sonographer and Echocardiography Consultant-led teaching, to improve their image acquisition and interpretation skills. Trainees will also attend at least weekly, Consultant-led pacing clinics during the EP term.

Ambulatory care

Our trainees will have exposure to a wide variety of clinical cardiology in supervised outpatient clinics. These general cardiology and subspecialty clinics encompass EP/pacing, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension and heart transplant, structural cardiology (TAVI, percutaneous valves, PFO closure devices and left atrial appendage closures), hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and cardiac amyloid.

Additionally, our Trainees are expected to engage in multidisciplinary team (MDT) meetings including TAVI MDT, Infective Endocarditis MDT, Aortic MDT, Complex Cardiology and Cardiothoracic Surgery meetings.

Our Trainees also have the opportunity to engage in additional training including cardiac MRI, geriatric cardiology, obstetric cardiology, cardio-oncology and congenital heart disease through dedicated subspecialty consultants and strong inter-departmental links.

Diversity in clinical care

We are committed to ensuring equal access to cardiovascular care for rural South Australians and Northern Territorians.

Our strong relationships with rural South Australian health services and in the Top End of the Northern Territory (NT) through our pioneering Integrated Cardiovascular Clinical Network (iCARNET), allows our Trainees the opportunity to gain skills in managing emergent and long-term cardiovascular conditions in rural patients.

Our Trainees will rotate through the Royal Darwin Hospital for 6-12 months, to gain a unique insight into the challenges and rewards of rural and remote medicine, as well as the cardiovascular disease burden in First Nations Australians. Returning trainees unanimously rave about their experiences in the Top End, where they are exposed to a phenomenal range of medicine encompassing premature coronary disease, sequelae of advanced rheumatic heart disease, ‘old-school’ emergent thrombolysis STEMI management, and healthcare delivery via Outreach clinics in remote communities through the NT and Torres Strait Islands.

Consultant-led teaching and research opportunities

In addition to the teaching previously mentioned, we have a busy academic schedule encompassing journal club, weekly echo round, weekly departmental and hospital-wide Grand Rounds, and Consultant-led junior medical doctor teaching.

Trainees are strongly encouraged to get involved in our active research and international clinical trials program. The Department has large databases to support a wide variety of research interests. Each subspecialty stream, led by Professor Joseph Selvanayagam (CMR), Associate Professor Anand Ganesan (EP), Associate Profesor Carmine DePasquale (HFS), Professor Derek Chew (ACS and outcomes) and Professor Phil Aylward (Clinical Trialist), has an excellent track record in producing world-class research and attracting competitive grant funding.

Mentoring

We strive to produce well-rounded Cardiologists. Trainees are encouraged to identify Consultant mentors in their first year, who are expected to support them throughout their training and beyond.

Post-training opportunities

The Cardiology Department offers several higher research degrees and clinical sub-speciality training programs following completion of core training. Furthermore, we have strong collaborative links with leading international institutions for post-fellowship opportunities. Recent Trainees and Fellows have gone on to undertake fellowship training at The Alfred Hospital Advanced Heart Failure/ Transplant Unit, St Vincent’s Hospital Heart Failure Unit, St Paul’s Hospital (Vancouver, Canada) in Coronary and Structural Intervention.

Applicants must hold FRACP Part 1 and current AHPRA registration. Please contact Dr Cameron Bridgman for further information. cameron.bridgman@sa.gov.au