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, BA
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 2024 - 2025

Tarun Ahuja, DO

Hometown: Carteret, NJ
Undergraduate: Rutgers University
Medical School: LECOM
Residency: Allegheny Health Network
Why I chose CCF: I wanted to complete my fellowship at a place that provides a wide breadth of experience and complexity. One where I'd be part of providing ground-breaking patient care while learning valuable skills from fantastic faculty.

Jacob Bolyard, DO

Hometown: Detroit, Michigan
Undergraduate: Michigan State University
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Loyola University Medical Center
Why I chose CCF: I wanted to go to a program I would do the most complex cases and learn the most in one year.

Rachel Sarah Dada, MD

Hometown: Big Lake, MN
Undergraduate: University of Minnesota
Medical School: Ross University School of Medicine
Residency: West Virginia University
Previous Fellowship: Anesthesia Critical Care Medicine - Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Why I chose CCF: When I was in the process of applying for fellowship, I was looking for a place that would guide me to develop clinical and technical expertise both in the ICU and the cardiac operating rooms. The case complexity and incredibly high acuity of literally every patient we care for is unmatched, which was a huge drawing factor for me. I love that we as fellows sit our own cases the majority of the time, which gives us the unique opportunity to manage the patient, perform and interpret echo findings, and intricately interact with the surgeons which greatly enhances the learning and relationships with our surgical colleagues. We also get opportunities to work with residents and even sub-staff as the year progresses which layers on even more learning! The staff (both anesthesia and surgical) are so dedicated to educating and guiding the fellows to become the best we can be. It is such a privilege to learn from and work alongside the best Cardiothoracic teams in the world and to care for the patients that come through the doors of CCF. I truly can't imagine a better place to train in Cardiac Anesthesia than at the Cleveland Clinic!

Joseph Hezkial, DO, MBS

Hometown: Mississauga, Ontario
Undergraduate: McMaster University
Masters: Rutgers University
Medical School: TouroCOM-Middletown, NY
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Main Campus
Why I chose CCF: To learn from world renown clinicians while being in a supportive learning environment where I am continuously exposed to high acuity patients and complex cases.

Jasvir Jaggi, MD, DO

Hometown: Ellensburg, WA
Undergraduate: University of Washington
Medical School: Pacific Northwest University
Residency: Rutgers University
Why I chose CCF: I chose to pursue a fellowship at Cleveland Clinic because of its world-renowned reputation and opportunity to challenge myself with diverse cases.

Richard Jordan, MD 

Hometown: Jackson Township, Ohio
Undergraduate: Miami University
Medical School: University of Toledo College of Medicine
Residency: University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University
Why I chose CCF: Due to the large volume of high acuity cases, which allows you to experience as much as possible during a one-year period. The staff are dedicated and passionate about teaching. The dedicated two-week blocks on specific surgeries allow you to focus your studies and more readily understand the surgical aspects. Having a large fellowship class allows more opportunities to learn from your co-fellows.

Ye Rin Koh, MD  

Hometown: Korea
Undergraduate: Cornell University
Medical School: University at Buffalo
Residency: Cleveland Clinic Foundation
Why I chose CCF: Diverse clinical experiences and opportunities to work with sick patients receiving complex care.

Danielle Kumpf, MD 

Hometown: Wexford, PA
Undergraduate: Pennsylvania State University
Medical School: Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine
Residency: Cleveland Clinic
Why I chose CCF: After an amazing experience in residency, I could not imagine training anywhere other than CCF. The outstanding staff and challenging cases create endless opportunities for personal and professional growth and development.

Ram Matsa, MD

Hometown: Columbus, OH
Undergraduate: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
Medical School: American University of Antigua College of Medicine
Residency:John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County
Why I chose CCF: I wanted to get the most out of my fellowship year; wanted to see it all and do it all. CCF has unparalleled training with regards to cardiac anesthesia, case complexity and volume so this was the perfect place to be!

Jose Maria Moraes De Souza Junior, MD

Hometown: Eden Prairie, MN
Medical School: Universidade Federal de Sergipe, Brazil
Residency: University of Minnesota
Why I chose CCF: Cleveland Clinic provides the best clinical experience in cardiothoracic anesthesia with high volumes of all types of surgeries and high acuity. It's one of the most renowned hospitals in the world and I have no questions that the fellows are extremely well-prepared for any type of complicated case.

Ebin Neduvelil, MD,  MS

Hometown: Dallas, TX
Undergraduate: University of Texas at Dallas
Medical School: University of Texas Medical Branch – Galveston
Residency: University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
Why I chose CCF: While my residency training gave me a strong clinical exposure to cardiac anesthesia, I wanted my fellowship training to be at another institution where I could see how cardiac anesthesia is practiced differently. CCF is a world class institution where I could see the largest clinical variety and volume of complex cases to be able to handle anything as a practicing cardiac anesthesiologist.

Ronald Nowak, MD

Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Undergraduate: The Ohio State University
Medical School: University of Toledo
Why I chose CCF: Cleveland Clinic Cardiothoracic department offers an unmatchable clinical experience and case volume.

William Parrella-O'Donnell, DO    

Hometown: Poughkeepsie, NY
Undergraduate: Binghamton University
Medical School: NYIT College Of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency: Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Why I chose CCF: Training at CCF provides unmatched case complexity and diversity combined with excellent intraoperative and classroom teaching from leaders in the field. Training here will provide me with the experiences to allow me to excel in my career as a cardiac anesthesiologist.

Kayla Robinson, MD

Hometown: Edwards, MS
Undergraduate: The University of Alabama
Medical School:Ross University School of Medicine
Residency: University of Mississippi Medical Center
Why I chose CCF: The decision was simple. I wanted to train at an institution where I'd receive a world-class cardiothoracic anesthesia experience that would allow me the foundational knowledge to practice comfortably and competently anywhere on the planet.

Peter Shehata, DO

Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Undergraduate: York University
Medical School: Kansas City University
Residency: Cleveland Clinic
Why I chose CCF:  I feel incredibly fortunate and humbled to pursue a fellowship here, having witnessed the staff's dedication and commitment to teaching during my residency time, in addition to the unparalleled exposure to a high volume, diverse range of high-acuity cases.

Michael Schultz, DO

Hometown: Northville, MI
Undergraduate: Michigan State University
Medical School: Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Residency:Wayne State University
Why I chose CCF:  Cleveland clinic offers the opportunity to learn to care for the sickest patients. The volume and complexity of cases is second to none and the training offered here will prepare me for anything I will see throughout my career.

William Wyatt, MD 

Hometown: Piedmont, SC
Medical School: Medical University of South Carolina
Residency: Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Undergraduate: University of South Carolina
Why I chose CCF: Cleveland Clinic provides a high volume of complex and challenging cases. Couple this with outstanding faculty truly invested in your development within the field, and Cleveland Clinic presents an unparalleled fellowship experience that more than prepares you for a lifetime of independent practice.

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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