Program Directors Survey on the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Cardiology Fellowship Training

Background The COVID-19 pandemic catalyzed unprecedented changes to medical education, including CV fellowship programs. CV fellowship PDs offer a unique perspective regarding the impact of the pandemic on CV medical education. Objectives The 4th annual Cardiovascular Diseases (CV) Fellowship Program Directors (PDs) Survey sought to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CV fellows and fellowship programs. Methods The survey contained 31 items examining the clinical, educational, and academic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on CV fellowship programs. Results Survey response rate was 54%. Most respondents (58%) represented university-based programs. Most PDs felt that changes to clinical practice during the COVID-19 negatively impacted fellow education in cardiac catheterization (66%), outpatient cardiology (52%), nuclear imaging (51%), and echocardiography (50%). Despite improving attendance, 75% of PDs felt that virtual educational conferences adversely impacted interaction between participants. Only 22% felt they improved fellow education. Most PDs (85%) reported a negative impact of the pandemic on fellow well-being and burnout, and 57% reported a decrease in research productivity among fellows. Even though virtual recruitment allowed programs to interview more competitive candidates, most PDs felt that virtual interviews adversely impacted interactions between their fellows and candidates (71%) and their ability to convey the culture of their program (60%). Conclusions Most CV fellowship PDs felt the COVID-19 pandemic brought changes that negatively impacted the clinical training, didactic learning, academic productivity, and well-being among cardiology fellows. The implications of these changes on the competency of cardiologists that trained during the COVID-19 pandemic deserve future study.