In November, the four successful applicants to the BCS and Virginia Chapter of the American College of Cardiology (VCACC) International Exchange programme – Dr Lavanya Athithan, Dr Laura Dobson, Dr Hafiz Naderi and Dr Hamza Zafar – travelled to Washington DC to undertake their weeklong fellowship.
During the trip the group visited both the University of Virginia and the George Washington University to experience an imaging rotation (MRI, CT and Echo). They had a tour of and a Clinical Observership at the UVA Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the George Washington University Hospital and attended the Mid-Atlantic Capital Cardiology Symposium (MACCS) as a grand finale. They had the opportunity to learn directly from prominent world leaders in the field of Cardiac Imaging, where multiple colleagues took the time to work with the group, share their knowledge and they discussed different approaches to patient care and risk stratification.
The four fellows were hosted spectacularly during their time away, being hosted at the homes of the ACC Leadership, private tours to sightsee landmarks; the Washington Monument and the White House (Monticello) as well as social events; attending the cocktail reception for MACCS.
Dr Hafiz Naderi said “I have been truly overwhelmed by the warmth and hospitality shown by our colleagues in the US. The open exchange of ideas and genuine enthusiasm for collaboration have been really inspiring.
For me, the biggest takeaway has been seeing how imaging has been integrated into prevention and risk stratification. My clinical and research interests are in hypertension and it’s really made me think about how we can be a little more proactive and prevention focused in our practice back at home”.
Dr Hamza Zafar said “It has been an amazing fellowship. We’ve had the opportunity to explore various imaging modalities, including CT, ECHO and cardiac MRI.
We’ve gained many valuable insights, and it has been fantastic to be able to collaborate with senior colleagues in the US and build a professional network. I have also taken away the importance of integrating haemodynamic assessment in patients with cardiogenic shock, which is a key area of my specialist interest in heart failure”.
Dr Laura Dobson said “We had a truly fantastic and insightful trip to the University of Virginia and George Washington Hospital. Our hosts made a huge effort to ensure we were able to see the cutting edge of cardiac imaging, alongside the sights of Virginia and Washington DC.
We also had the opportunity to join acute cardiology ward rounds and it was extremely interesting to see cardiology care delivered in a different healthcare economy. We left feeling inspired with lots of ideas to take back home to share with our colleagues”.
Dr Lavanya Athithan said “We have had the opportunity to discuss things at a very high level with regards to plaque imaging and how that plays into risk stratification of patients.
It has given us a real opportunity to meet people, network and really provide the potential to collaborate in the future in terms of research and the transatlantic future of cardiology”.
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