Cardiologists in the Quarter

An important element in academic medicine is the communication of ideas and discoveries to peers outside the institution. Some of the best venues for that communication are national meetings of professional organizations. In addition to communication, each division within the department sees the educational opportunities these conferences represent and makes it a priority to support trainee attendance. Many faculty, fellows, and residents traveled to this year’s American College of Cardiology (ACC) Scientific Session in New Orleans with support from the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine.

Attendees from Iowa were involved in the submission and acceptance of nearly 30 different abstracts for presentation at the four-day conference. Among them, second-year resident Nick Williford, MD, presented the abstract he prepared with mentor Milena Gebska, MD, PhD, “Stress Cardiomyopathy: Arrythmogenic Dilemma.” Amanda Heuszel, MD, second-year resident presented “A Contrast Catastrophe: A Case of Contrast-Induced Neurotoxicity Following Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement,” a case presentation prepared with mentor James Rossen, MD, and others.

In sending these and other photos, Gebska said, “I have been truly impressed with all the outstanding residents and their strong academic accomplishments!” Read a full list of presenters and presentations.  Many included the input and skills of residents and fellows working alongside dedicated faculty.

And it would not be a national conference without some kind of quiz bowl or Jeopardy!-style competition. Cardiology fellows Chad Ward, MD (F3), Faisal Matto, MBBS (F2), and Musab Alqasrawi, MBBS (F3), took part in ACC’s Fellows in Training (FIT) Jeopardy. Ward and Alqasrawi report that although they did not make it into the final round to face off against the eventual champions from Virginia Commonwealth University, they still had a good time representing Iowa.

A special feature at each ACC conference is the FITsontheGo Lounge, where brief interviews and conversations can be recorded and broadcast on YouTube or under the Twitter hashtag. “Cardiology News, for Fellows, by Fellows” is their tagline. Third-year fellow Dr. Haseeb Qazi sat down with James O’Keefe, MD, associate clinical professor at University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine. Watch the two discuss moderation, marathons, and the history of the ketogenic diet all in less than 6 minutes.

Meetings such as these also allow for discussion of shared interests and decision-making on organizational response to issues that concern colleagues. Mahi Ashwath, MD, recently elected ACC Iowa Chapter president met with many of her fellow chapter leaders to coordinate chapter activity in the coming year.

Thanks to the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine for making possible the showcasing of so much educational, clinical, and research activity at Iowa on the national stage.