Creating a Cardio-Obstetrics Elective as a Fellow in Training

BACKGROUND: Cardiovascular disease in pregnant women is a leading cause of maternal mortality in the United States. Cardio-obstetrics experts focus on the intersection of pregnancy and cardiac disease, but structured educational opportunities and training pathways are lacking. PROJECT RATIONALE: Working with the cardiovascular disease program leadership at a quaternary care center in New York City, we created a 2-week elective spanning multiple specialties to bolster cardio-obstetrics education. These included congenital cardiology, postpartum hypertension, maternal-fetal medicine, as well as the labor and delivery floors with the obstetrics and anesthesia teams. PROJECT SUMMARY: Key lessons learned included the importance of communication and flexibility among the multidisciplinary groups. Building relationships across specialties and sharing expertise was an important outcome. TAKE-HOME MESSAGES: Structured training and education in cardio-obstetrics is lacking, although there is certainly a need. Cardiovascular fellows in training should feel empowered to create tailored educational experiences at their respective institutions to address this gap.