Two weeks at Harvard, for two European heart failure trainees

Abstract

Two European Cardiologists cross the Atlantic for a pioneer Visiting Heart Failure Fellowship at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital ![Graphic][1] Heart failure (HF) remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, that is expected to become more prevalent as long-term effects of non-communicable cardiovascular risk markers result in manifest disease1,2. There is a compelling need to develop focused training in this field, to produce a generation of dedicated specialists armed with the tools to advance the field of heart failure treatment and improve patient outcomes. The aim of this report is to describe our specialized visiting observer Fellowship at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and Harvard Medical School (both in Boston, Massachusetts, USA) and its role in our ongoing journey as HF specialists. We hope to inspire our colleagues at how this opportunity paved the way in changing our approach to HF management. We are two young Italian cardiologists who have been very interested in HF since we were medical students and then as postgraduate trainees. We first met each other in Zurich in January 2014 as participants of the 1st Postgraduate Course in Heart Failure (PCHF) held by University of Zurich and the European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Association (ESC-HFA)3. The 2-year course was divided into eight Modules, culminating in a Certificate of Advanced Studies in HF 4. Learning about HF was facilitated by didactic teaching, practical training and networking with participants from many different European and other countries. Importantly, PCHF … [1]: /embed/inline-graphic-1.gif