Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship

Overview

The Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship program at Cleveland Clinic began in 1976 and today is the largest with 18 fellows per year. Consistently competitive candidates from residency programs across the U.S. apply, interview and match with our program. Cleveland Clinic's Heart Center is nationally ranked and recognized as the world leader in cardiovascular care.

• Fellows participate in a large variety of complex, high acuity cases.
• Faculty are dedicated to educating and mentoring the next generation of cardiothoracic anesthesiologists.
• Fellows at the end of fellowship demonstrate proficiency at perioperative management and echocardiography of cardiothoracic surgical patients along with developing their personal professional interest including leadership, research and educational and are prepared to enter the next phase.

Fellowship contact information:

Jennifer Hargrave, DO, FAOCA, FASA
Cardiothoracic Anesthesia Fellowship Program Director

Program Manager 
Janelle Olszko, BAbr /> Phone 216.780.0767
Fax 216.445.2536
Olszkoj@ccf.org

Two Program Interest

Adult Cardiothoracic and Critical Care Medicine Anesthesiology Fellowships

Two-year appointment/commitment

The American Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) provides individual accreditation for the following anesthesiology specialty fellowship programs: Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology (ACTA) and Anesthesiology Critical Care Medicine (CCM). ACTA and CCM remain individual and separate 12-month training programs. The individual program is responsible to provide the specific ACGME program requirements during the year of enrollment. Individuals interested in pursuing both programs at Cleveland Clinic can follow the following process:

• Applications
  • Applicants pursuing sequential ACTA and CCM fellowships at Cleveland Clinic must submit applications through the SF Match to both ACTA and CCM programs and indicate an interest in both training programs.
  • Dual interviews are not guaranteed.
• Match
  • The Cleveland Clinic ACTA and CCM programs participate and remain in compliance with the rules and regulations of the SF Match.
  • The SF Match allows for exceptions to be requested prior to match day for applicants committing to institutions for more than one year or internal candidates.
• Program Structure
  • Two- one year appointments will begin on August 1 (July 1, if required by military service or a candidate on a J1-Visa).
  • Applicants may request a specific sequence regarding fellowship program enrollment.
    • The final decision will be made by the program directors with the intent to facilitate request(s).
• Completion
  • Following completion, ACTA and CCM fellows will have met the ACGME program requirements for both fellowship programs and will be eligible for board certification.

FAQs

• Positions: 18 fellows
• Accreditation: American Council Graduate Medical Education
• Clinical Volume:
  • 4,100 cardiac surgical cases including
    • Lung and heart transplant program
    • Advanced heart failure and mechanical device program
    • Minimally invasive cardiac surgery
    • Structural heart disease program
  • 1,600 thoracic surgical cases
  • 96 CVICU beds
• Two week pathology specific clinical rotations to allow for focused learning
• The only Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology in the U.S.
• Bi-weekly protected education sessions
  • Departmental and multi-disciplinary didactics
  • Workshops
  • PBLD's
  • Echo conferences
• Daily echocardiography formal discussion and review sessions
• Scholarly activity availability from research projects, case reports, echo rounds and quality patient safety initiative publications and dissemination at national meetings
• Research Clinical Associate Staff position is available after fellowship:
  • Fifty percent spent developing as junior staff
  • Fifty percent spent as a clinical researcher
• Nationally renowned faculty with leadership positions throughout the subspecialty societies with a commitment to mentoring fellows and providing professional development opportunities

Structure

Rotations are distributed into four week modules (13 total modules):

Fellows 2023 - 2024

Taylor Abegg-Lawrence, MD

Hometown: Provo, UT
Undergraduate: Brigham Young University
Medical School: Drexel University College of Medicine
Residency: University of Vermont Medical Center
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: A year is not much time to prepare for a whole career of complex cases. I wanted to go somewhere for fellowship where I would see and do as much as possible.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Hiking, snowboarding, baking poorly

Katherine Barnes, MD

Hometown: Concord, MA
Undergraduate: Northwestern University
Medical School: University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago
Residency: University of Chicago
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: Cleveland Clinic provides an outstanding clinical experience with high volumes of all types of cardiothoracic surgery, and fellows are extremely well-prepared for independent practice. The faculty are passionate clinicians and teachers.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Camping and hiking in the warmer months, and downhill skiing in the winter.

Nicole Bashall, MD

Hometown: California, KY
Undergraduate: Northern Kentucky University
Medical School: University of Louisville
Residency: Penn State Health Medical Center
Fellowship: Critical Care Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Why I chose CCF: I chose CCF for CTA due to the high volume and complexity of cases that will further enrich my learning and test my abilities as an anesthesiologist.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Scuba diving, hiking, camping, kayaking/canoeing, traveling

Al-Awwab Dabaliz,  MD

Hometown: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia/Latakia, Syria
Undergraduate: n/a
Medical School: Alfaisal University, College of Medicine
Residency: University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: I wanted to learn from and be part of the world-class cardiac perioperative care provided at Cleveland Clinic.
Favorite hobbies and activities: I enjoy spending time with family and friends, following a variety of sports including European soccer and Formula 1, as well as reading and listening to different history and religion-related topics.

Brett Gentle, DO

Hometown: Goshen, IN
Undergraduate: DePauw University
Medical School: Marian University
Residency: Cleveland Clinic
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: The overall volume and case complexity at CCF is second to none and will prepare me for any type of case throughout my career.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Cycling, hiking, BBQ/smoking meats, golf

Daniel Guay, MD 

Hometown: Whitby, Ontario
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Undergraduate: McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada
Medical School: Jagiellonian University Medical College, Krakow, Poland
Residency: Case Western Reserve University MetroHealth Medical Center
Why I chose CCF: Cleveland Clinic offered a unique challenge of training at an institution that prides itself on being the #1 cardiac hospital in the country, one which offers the most diverse variety of complex cardiothoracic cases. Having completed a residency in Cleveland only added to my desire as the city is close to home (Toronto, Canada) and has so much to offer.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Dr. Daniel Guay grew up in Canada and loves spending time being active outdoors. When he’s not out hiking with his Siberian Husky, you’ll find him at one of the many Cleveland Metropark golf courses.

Jane Gui, MD  

Hometown: Shenyang, China / Waterloo, Canada
Undergraduate: University of Western Ontario in Canada
Medical School: University of Virginia School of Medicine
Residency: Mount Sinai West and Morningside, New York City
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: CCF has the largest cardiac anesthesia training program with fantastic case variety.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Dr. Jane Gui is an avid golfer who caught the golf bug in 2020. Her other personal interests include traveling, cooking, and kung-fu. She enjoys spending time with her partner and appreciates simple moments in life.  

Lisa Huang, MD 

Hometown: Ottawa, Canada
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Medical School: University of Massachusetts Medical School
Residency: Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: Unparalleled training in cardiac anesthesia, high case complexity and volume. Dedication to trainee education and a supportive environment
Favorite hobbies and activities: Action movies, drawing/painting, music, travel, cats

Shane Johnson, MD

Hometown: Cincinnati, OH
Undergraduate: Cedarville University
Medical School: Washington University School of Medicine
Residency: Indiana University
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: Excellent clinic training with lots of complex patients
Favorite hobbies and activities: Spending time with my wife, reading, weightlifting, walking/running our two dogs, baseball, fishing, and finding restaurants with excellent tacos

Xiang Li, MD (Jess)

Hometown: Dalian, China
Undergraduate: n/a  
Medical School: Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine
Residency: Completed residency in anesthesia at CCF and also completed a fellowship in anesthesia critical care.
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: I chose CCF because I absolutely love everything about it.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Outside of work, I enjoy photography, watercolor painting, and outdoor activities such as hiking, horseback riding, and snowboarding.

Aibek Mirrakhimov, MD 

Hometown: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Undergraduate: n/a
Medical School: KRSU, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
Residency: University of New Mexico - Anesthesiology; Saint Joseph Hospital - Internal Medicine, Chicago
Fellowship: Critical Care Medicine - University of New Mexico
Why I chose CCF: Unparalleled training
Favorite hobbies and activities: World History

Monica Morales, DO

Hometown: Miami, FL
Undergraduate: University of Florida
Medical School: Rocky Vista University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Florida
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: The best anesthesiologists I know trained at Cleveland Clinic, so this program was absolutely one of my top choices. After my interview day, I knew I would get excellent training and case variety in a supportive learning environment.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Exploring local coffee shops, being out on the water, and anything related to sharks or dinosaurs

Bishoi Nassef, MD    

Hometown: Tustin, CA
Undergraduate: Chapman University
Medical School: St. George's University School of Medicine
Residency: Boston university medical center
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: To learn from the leading experts in cardiac anesthesia, seeing the most advanced cases, all while experiencing the Midwest for the first time.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Outdoor adventures (hiking & kayaking), basketball, beach, tropical travel, and improv comedy clubs.

Patrick Torres, DO

Hometown: Miami, FL
Undergraduate: Florida International University
Medical School: Kansas City University
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Florida
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: Cleveland Clinic is the top cardiac program in the country and I wanted the best possible training. Many of my mentors also trained at Cleveland Clinic so I wanted to follow in their footsteps.
Favorite hobbies and activities: Golf enthusiast. Exercising at the gym and running. Spending time with my girlfriend and trying new restaurants.

Michael Walters, MD

Hometown: Columbus, OH
Undergraduate: Xavier University
Medical School: Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation; Cleveland, OH
Fellowship: n/a  
Why I chose CCF:  Extensive case volume, variety, and complexity in conjunction with outstanding clinical teaching staff
Favorite hobbies and activities: Cooking, visiting national parks, traveling, Broadway shows, Cavs, Guardians, Browns games

Cindy Youn, DO

Hometown: Torrance, CA
Undergraduate: University of California Los Angeles
Medical School: Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Albany Medical Center
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Favorite hobbies and activities: I am a dog lover, and I have three little dogs Nana, Bom, and Louie. Because most apartment buildings have a limit of 2 dogs per household, Bom is with my mom currently. In my spare time, I take care of my dogs (bathing/grooming), go to the gym and/or watch Netflix.

Luai Zakaria, MD 

Hometown: Louisville, KY
Undergraduate: Boston University
Medical School: University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine
Residency: Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Fellowship: Cleveland Clinic Critical Care and Cardiothoracic Anesthesia
Why I chose CCF: The fellowships offered endless opportunities for clinical exposure and research as I aim to become a physician-scientist. The program has the staff, resources, and infrastructure necessary for early career development.
Favorite hobbies and activities: I enjoy soccer and music, I play guitar and bass. Also, I enjoy spending time with family. We have a fun toddler at home.

William Zeleznak, MD 

Hometown: Grapevine, TX
Undergraduate: West Texas A&M University
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Residency: University of Central Florida SOM at Ocala Regional
Previous Fellowships: n/a
Why I chose CCF: Originally, my wife and I moved to Cleveland for her fellowship. Quickly, we fell in love with all the city has to offer, from sports to new restaurants. As I learned more about the complex cases performed at Cleveland Clinic, I was intrigued and we decided to stick around for a while longer.
Favorite hobbies and activities: As a former collegiate baseball player, I enjoy staying active. Hitting the gym is my primary source of stress relief. My wife and I are big foodies, and we love trying new restaurants. We also enjoy traveling and spending time with friends and family.

Requirements

• Applicants must have completed an anesthesiology residency program accredited by one of the following:
  • Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)
  • Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC) or CFPC-accredited residency program located in Canada
• USMLE steps 1, 2 and 3 completion
• Be eligible for a temporary unrestrictive Ohio medical license

Application Process

All application materials must be sent directly to the San Francisco Match. In order to register and apply, please visit the SF Match and follow online instructions.

• CV
• Personal Statement
• USMLE and In-training scores
• Three letters of recommendation (one must be from the Program Director)
• ECFMG Certificate (if applicable)

Application Timeline

Important dates for fellowship application and match process can be found at SF Match*

Resources

Training at Cleveland Clinic

We invite you to explore our Graduate Medical Education website to discover the reasons why Cleveland Clinic offers an ideal teaching and learning environment as well as to learn more about our rich tradition of excellence in the “education of those who serve.”

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