J. Raider Estrada, MD

J. Raider Estrada, MD, is currently an interventional cardiology fellow at the University of Chicago Medical Center in Illinois. A graduate of Georgetown University School of Medicine (Washington, DC), Estrada completed both his medical and general cardiology training at the University of Chicago, serving as Chief Cardiology Fellow in 2013. He has published 7 peer-reviewed scientific papers and is currently collecting and analyzing data in multiple structural cardiology areas including closure, pharmacomechanical therapy for pulmonary embolus, and percutaneous extra corporeal membrane oxygenation. For the last 15 years, Estrada has also served as a board member for Rite of Passage Athletic Training Centers—a nonprofit organization that offers residential treatment centers for juvenile offenders. After training, his goal is to pursue a hybrid academic and private position where he will be able to continue to participate in scholarly activity and teach as well as provide clinical care to patients.

What has surprised you most about becoming an interventional cardiologist?

What has surprised me most is the comprehensive knowledge of cardiology that is required to be an interventional cardiologist. My initial naive assumption was that the bulk of the knowledge required to be an interventional cardiologist would be focused on the technical aspects of the procedures (guides, wires, balloons, stents, etc). I have come to learn that the technical aspects of the procedures are only a part of what is required. A thorough understanding of all aspects of cardiology—including electrophysiology, echocardiography, noninvasive imaging, and prevention—are required to be an excellent interventional cardiologist.

Describe your most meaningful clinical experience thus far.

One of my first STEMI patients presented off-hours and was lucid enough that he was even joking around with me as he was being loaded on the table. During the diagnostic portion of the procedure he went into refractory ventricular fibrillation and required an Impella-supported PCI (Abiomed). He was successfully extubated and the Impella was weaned off over the next few days. After being discharged 4 days later, he went on to adopt a heart-healthy lifestyle. Now seeing him in clinic reminds me of the severity of the situations we treat and the incredible lifesaving therapies we offer.

What is the biggest challenge facing interventional cardiology fellows today?

Finding the appropriate level of training to achieve proficiency in all areas of interventional cardiology is the biggest challenge facing interventional cardiology fellows today. While coronary interventions remain the “bread and butter” of interventional cardiology, coronary volumes are declining. As interventional cardiology continues to move into the peripheral and structural spaces, completely separate knowledge bases and technical skillsets will be required.

Who has had the most influence on your career and why?  

The most influential person in my career has been Dean David Leon Taylor at Georgetown School of Medicine. Medicine was a second career for me, and as such I had to go back to school to pursue my pre-med classes. I was accepted into a post-baccalaureate program by the name of GEMS (Georgetown Experimental Medical Studies). Dean Taylor taught me how to study, and thanks to him I was introduced to the beauty of cardiology and all of my subsequent mentors.

What is something that people might not know about you?

A friend and I once biked from Hanoi, Vietnam, along the coast all the way to Ho Chi Minh City—over 1,000 miles. We spent 2 weeks biking through villages, met the locals, helped build an outhouse, drank homemade rice wine, ate fresh-killed duck including duck brain and tongue. And we saw the benefit of hard work, physical activity, and healthy eating.

* To nominate a stellar cardiology fellow for the Featured Fellow section of TCTMD’s Fellows Forum, click here.