Program Overview
Loyola Medicine offers a 12-month Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging Fellowship program which is designed to provide the training and experience needed for a career in cardiovascular imaging.
Successful completion of a three year general cardiology fellowship training is a prerequisite for the program. There is one fully funded fellowship position available in any given year.
As one of the leading heart centers in the nation, Loyola offers the ability to gain experience in a wide variety of advanced cardiovascular imaging procedures.
Mushabbar Syed, MD, FACC
Fellowship Program Director
12-Month Clinical Training Program
The Advanced Imaging Fellowship is a 12-month training program with in-depth training in both cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and computed tomography (CCT). The program is designed as an advanced fellowship position for trainees who have completed a formal three-year general cardiology fellowship.
In addition to gaining the relevant knowledge of physics and instrumentation for each modality, fellows will learn to independently acquire, post-process, and interpret CMR and CCT studies.
Fellows have hands-on supervised clinical training, one-on-one teaching sessions with imaging attendings and participate in research and educational activities. The high volume of clinical studies and research opportunities provide fellows an excellent teaching environment.
In addition to the standard CMR studies for evaluating cardiac morphology and function, advanced techniques including pharmacologic stress imaging, adult congenital heart disease and arrhythmia substrate imaging are routinely performed. Loyola is also one of the few academic centers that offer CMR for patients with pacemakers/defibrillators.
Cardiac CT studies include evaluation of coronary artery disease, pulmonary venous anatomy, cardiac morphology and function, and TAVR planning. We are also one of the few centers in the nation that offer FFR-CT for the functional assessment of coronary artery stenosis.
The program consists of seven full-time cardiologists and radiologists who are level 3 trained in CMR and level 2-3 trained in CCT, a full complement of support staff, and state of the art imaging facility including a 3D laboratory with multimodality post-processing capabilities.
Research Training
In addition to the clinical training, all fellows are expected to participate in research endeavors. Faculty members are available for mentorship and oversee research activities. Fellows are expected to present in at least one conference (SCMR, SCCT, ACC, AHA) and/or complete and submit a manuscript as part of their fellowship training requirement.
Educational Programs, Conferences, Seminars
The Advanced Imaging Fellow is expected to present at the biweekly didactic advanced imaging conferences and to assist in general cardiology fellows’ education who are assigned to the advanced imaging rotation. Fellow is encouraged to attend cardiology grand rounds and other didactic conferences in cardiology.
How to Apply
To apply for the advanced imaging fellowship, the following documents should be submitted to Kim Treckler:
- A curriculum vitae
- A personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation from individuals familiar with your profession including one from your current program director.
- Applicants must possess a valid ECFMG certificate (if you graduated from a medical school outside of the U.S. or Canada)
- Applicants must possess a valid permanent Visa or U.S. citizenship.
- All Fellowship candidates must possess a valid Illinois permanent medical license prior to the start of this program.
Only completed files will be considered.
Interviews will be scheduled upon review of the candidates completed file.
Correspondence will be sent to the respective applicants after the completed applications have been reviewed informing them of their status.
Current Imaging Fellow & Program Graduates
Current Fellow
Mirza Baig, DO
Cardiology Fellowship: Aurora Health Care
Internal Medicine Residency: Medical College of Wisconsin
Medical School: Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine
Program Graduates
2021-2022
Joanne Sutter, MD
Academic Cardiologist/Cardiac Imaging
Rush University Medical Center
Chicago, IL
2020-2021
Stella Kyung, MD
Attending Cardiologist/Cardiac Imaging
Northwest Indiana Cardiovascular Physicians
Valpariso, IN
2019-2020
Amina Adil, MD
Attending Cardiologist/Cardiac Imaging
Ascencia Health-St. Mary's Medical Center
Duluth, MN
2018-2019
Siri Kunchakarra, MD
Academic Practice
Central California Faculty Medical Foundation/UCSF Fresno
Fresno, CA
2017-2018
Rina Verma, MD
Attending Cardiologist
Alexian Brothers Medical Center
Elk Grove Village, IL
2016-2017
Shermeen Memon, MD
Director of Cardiac MRI/CT
Advocate Christ Hospital
Oak Lawn, IL
2015-2016
Nikhil Jariwala, MD
Attending Cardiologist
North Carolina Heart & Vascular
Raleigh, NC
2014-2015
Rajeev Fernando, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine/Cardiology
University of Louisville
Louisville, KY
2013-2014
Lara Bakhos, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine/Cardiology
Loyola University Medical Center
Maywood, IL
2012-2013
Santanu Biswas, MD
Attending Cardiologist
Cardiovascular Imaging, Intermountain Heart Institute
Murray, UT
2011-2012
Mark Rabbat, MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine/Cardiology
Loyola University Medical Center
Maywood, IL
Contact Us
For additional information, please contact:
Kimberly Treckler
Loyola University Medical Center
2160 South First Avenue
Building 110 - Room 6292
Maywood, IL 60153
Phone: 708-216-5911
Fax: (708) 327-2771
Email: ktreckler@lumc.edu
