Interventional Cardiology Fellow on Call: Starting a New Adventure

As someone who has always been more about the journey than the destination, I was simultaneously motivated and enthusiastic earlier this month to embrace the adventure of moving from Wisconsin to Michigan to start my interventional cardiology fellowship. After 2 days of orientation at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital (Royal Oak, MI), it was time for me to get into the real action–being the fellow on call.

In readying myself to take my first call over the holiday weekend, I had tons of emotions going through my mind. How am I going to figure out everything? Who are the team members I will be working with? What is the workflow going to look like? Who will I contact if I need help with navigating the system?

My goal was to plan as much as possible to kick-start my time in this new work environment. However, a part of me was also aware of the fact that no matter how much I prepared, there would be unknown and uncertain situations that I would have to tackle with patience and sensibility. Thankfully, with the most supportive leadership, attendings, junior co-fellows, and an outstanding cath lab team, I thrived during my first call. Reflecting upon this learning experience, I am excited to share some key lessons.

1. Know your team: The day before, I contacted all my attendings, co-fellows, and cath lab team members who would be serving on call with me to let them know I am starting off with them. This helped me build trust and camaraderie with the team before we even got to work. This not only saved us time after clocking in but also showed them that I was open to communication and cooperation in advance.
2. Beware of logistics: As an interventional fellow on call, it is very important to keep in mind all the key logistics, including paging, parking, cath lab location, scrub access, lead availability, and access to electronic medical records. I’m sure these things will become second nature to me over time, but it can be a steep learning curve when starting someplace new, and especially in a new position. Saving as much of this information to memory ahead of time preserves time and energy.
3. Understand the culture: Especially when starting at a new place, it is important to understand the cath lab culture and its people. What does a typical workflow in the lab look like? How are the cases and procedures channelized? What roles and responsibilities are delegated to an interventional fellow? How much camaraderie is there amongst the cath lab team? Being kind and respectful to the cath lab staff as well as being a team player goes a long way toward building trust.
4. Trust your training: Once you’re an interventional cardiology fellow, it’s easy to

   

   forget that you’ve already come so far. Moving to a new hospital in a new city with a new team can be nerve racking. I compel you to remind yourself of all the robust training and hard work that got you to this point. Believe in yourself and be confident in your skills to build a strong foundation. My first successful STEMI intervention at 3 AM alongside our chair of cardiology as well as the rapid Impella placement at 5 AM were unforgettable experiences.
5. It is okay to say, “I don’t know”: At the same time, we don’t yet know everything. My training journey has just begun and, of course, I have a lot to learn. It is important to be honest, accountable, humble, and open to learning. Strive to celebrate small victories, own your mistakes, and be a better version of yourself every single day.

I’d like to give a special thanks to my program director, former chief fellow, program coordinator, and CV leadership for being extremely kind, patient, and supportive during my first week of interventional cardiology training. Also, here’s a big shout-out to my outstanding attendings on call, junior co-fellows, and the phenomenal cath lab staff and nurses for making my first call of fellowship so much fun, memorable, and rewarding. As the chief interventional cardiology fellow, I look forward to an outstanding year of learning, growth, and wonderful memories.