The ACC’s Federal Cardiology Section is continuously working to raise its profile and to strengthen and enhance its perspective within the ACC.

As part of our efforts, we’ve produced two papers that have been published in recent issues of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology , highlighting issues of specific relevance to our Fellow in Training and Early Career Audiences—the future of our profession.

We invite you to explore the two articles below:

Insight & Response: Training in the Veteran Affairs Health Care System

The opinion, Veterans Affairs Health Care System as Cardiology Training Site: A Fellow’s Perspective covers the unique role and challenges of advanced cardiology training at Veterans Affairs Health Administration (VHA) hospitals and clinics and explores potential directional changes the cardiology training could make for improvement, from a Fellow’s point of view. The response, Don’t Sell the VA Healthcare System Short as an Integral Partner in CV Fellowship Training, discusses the unique ways VA training can augment a Fellows training experience and encourages Fellows to embrace the ways it can complement procedurally-directed inpatient exposure many also receive in their university-based educational experience.

Insight & Response: Military Cardiovascular Fellowship Training

The opinion, Serving to Heal & Honored to Serve: An Insight into Military CV Fellowship provides insight to the dual roles, and accompanying opporutunities and challenges, cardiology FITs in the military face as both cardiology trainees and military officers. The piece discusses program structure, transition to early career and how the current military training landscape helps prepare trainees to be well-rounded cardiovascular care specialists. The response, Does the Tree Produce Good Fruit, further highlights the main differences in civilian vs. military cardiovascular training and how we can ensure we’re meeting the system’s strategic workforce needs and subsequently, the needs of the country’s cardiovascular patients.

The ACC’s Federal Cardiology Section is always working on exciting new projects, and looks forward to working with you to get involved. If you’re interested in getting involved in publications or in any of ACC’s Federal Cardiology Section initiatives, email Abby Cestoni at acestoni@acc.org.