Advanced Cardiac Surgery Fellowships
These 12-month, non-accredited fellowships on the adult cardiac surgery service at Northwestern Memorial Hospital offers the full complement of adult cardiac surgery provide two tracks for candidates to pursue.
The first fellowship (Structural Heart and Aortic Diseases Fellowship) focuses on complex valve surgery and heart failure, including the surgical treatment of atrial fibrillation. The Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, ranked in the top 10 cardiovascular centers in the US, performs nearly 2,000 cardiac surgeries annually, with over 500 valvular and aortic surgeries, of which 200 are complex mitral valve repairs, 200 aortic root procedures (valve-sparing, Ross, and replacement), and 100 ascending/arch/thoraco-abdominal aneurysms. The institute also offers a robust program in percutaneous valve experience including over 300 TAVR, 50 MitraClip, 30 TMVR, and 20 TTVR cases. Additionally, over 100 heart transplantations/VAD implantations are performed each year. Clinical research opportunities are also available and strongly encouraged. As a member of the Division of Cardiac Surgery, fellows will have the opportunity to work with our cardiac faculty throughout the Northwestern system (8 cardiac surgeons at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 2 cardiac surgeons at Central DuPage Hospital, 2 cardiac surgeons at Palos Hospital and 1 cardiac surgeon at McHenry Hospital). The Division is currently developing a curriculum and program to focus on robotic training in the fields of structural and aortic surgeries.
The second fellowship (Heart Failure, Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support Fellowship) focuses primarily on heart transplantation, ventricular assist devices, acute mechanical circulatory support, and “conventional surgeries” for heart failure, including high-risk coronary revascularization, complex valvular repair/replacement, and percutaneous valve interventions. As a member of the Division of Cardiac Surgery, fellows will have the opportunity to work with our cardiac faculty throughout the Northwestern system (8 cardiac surgeons at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 2 cardiac surgeons at Central DuPage Hospital, 2 cardiac surgeons at Palos Hospital and 1 cardiac surgeon at McHenry Hospital). The heart transplant program consistently ranks among the top 20 in country, with over 50 heart transplants a year, including multi-organ, adult congenital, and re-transplantation. We also implant over 60 LVADs annually, including Heartmate 3 with over 30% through minimally invasive approaches. Our acute mechanical circulatory support program, with over 100 cases a year, includes Impella, TandemHeart, CentriMag, as well as ECMO. In addition, the institute offers a robust program in percutaneous valve implantation experience including aortic and mitral interventions, of which include over 300 TAVR, 50 MitraClip, 30 TMVR, and 20 TTVR cases.
Clinical research opportunities are also available and strongly encouraged.
Requirements & Eligibility
These one year fellowship programs are available for individuals seeking additional training in cardiac surgery, who have successfully completed an ACGME-accredited Thoracic Surgery program (or equivalent) and are eligible for medical licensure in the State of Illinois.
This is a 12-month experience on the adult cardiac surgery service at Feinberg's clinical affiliate, Northwestern Memorial Hospital.
Application Process
Please send the complete application to education coordinator, Hemali Shah , including the following:
- CV
- USMLE transcript
- Three letters of recommendation
- Certificate of Completion from U.S. or board-approved residency and/or fellowship program
- ABTS Certification or proof of eligibility (or equivalent)
- Visa documents (if applicable)
Only full and complete applications will be reviewed.
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Contact Us
Hemali Shah
Program Coordinator
312-926-5136
Current Fellows
Ricardo Boix Garibo, MD
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Royal College of SurgeonsMedical School: Universitat de Valencia
Andre Son, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency: Northwestern UniversityMedical School: New York University
Shohei Yoshida, MD
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Osaka University
Medical School: Osaka University
Graduated Fellows
Ho Jin Kim, MD
Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of Thoracic and CV Surgery - Asan Medical Center
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Asan Medical Center
Medical School: Catholic University of Korea
Completed Fellowship: 2022
Andrew Fagan, MD
Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon and Intensivist, Assistant Professor - University of Manitoba
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Ross University
Medical School: Dalhousie University
Completed Fellowship: 2022
Andres Jose Tobar, MD
Current Position: CT Surgeon - Charleston Area Medical Center
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Catholic University - Chile
Medical School: University of Santiago
Completed Fellowship: 2021
David Drullinsky, MD
Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon - London Health Sciences Centre
Cardiac Surgery Residency: McGill University
Medical School: Universidad de Chile
Completed Fellowship: 2021
Jonathan Hong, MD
Current Position: Assistant Professor, Cardiac Surgery - University of Manitoba
Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of British Columbia
Medical School: University of Toronto
Completed Fellowship: 2020
Janet Ngu, MD
Current Position: Cardiac Surgery Faculty - University of British Columbia
Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of Ottawa
Medical School: University of Calgary
Completed Fellowship: 2020
Yuji Kaku, MD
Current Position: CT Surgeon - Columbia University
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Tokyo Women's Medical University
Medical School: Tohoku University - Japan
Completed Fellowship: 2019
Panayotis Vardas, MD
Current Position: Assistant Professor/Associate Program Director - CT Surgery Residency - University of Alabama Birmingham
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Indiana University
Medical School: University of Rome " La Sapienza"
Completed Fellowship: 2019
Ryo Suzuki, MD
Current Position: CT Surgeon - Stanford University
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Keio University School of Medicine - Japan
Medical School: Keio University School of Medicine - Japan
Completed Fellowship: 2019
Daniel Holloway, MD
Current Position: Clinical Assistant Professor/Cardiac Surgeon/Program Director - Cardiac Surgery Training Program - University of Calgary
Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of Calgary
Medical School: Queen's University
Completed Fellowship: 2018
Russell McElveen, DO
Current Position: CVT Surgeon - Southern Illinois Healthcare
Thoracic Surgery Fellowship: University of Mississippi
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine
Completed Fellowship: 2018
Erik Orozco - Hernandez, MD
Current Position: Attending Surgeon/Instructor of Surgery - University of Alabama Birmingham
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social
Medical School: Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara
Completed Fellowship: 2017
Jota Nakano, MD
Current Position: Surgical Director of TAVI and HF Programs - Kurashiki Central Hospital - Japan
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Kokura Memorial Hospital - Japan
Medical School: Kyoto University
Completed Fellowship: 2016
Jennifer Higgins, MD
Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon - St. Mary's Hospital - Kitchner, Canada
Cardiac Surgery Residency:
Medical School: KSchulich School of Medicine and Dentistry
Completed Fellowship: 2016
Stephane Leung, MD
Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - Spectrum Health
Cardiac Surgery Residency: McGill University
Medical School: McGill University
Completed Fellowship: 2015
Michael Yamashita, MD
Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon/Assistant Professor/Director of Complex Thoracic Aorti Surgery - University of Manitoba
Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of British Columbia
Medical School: McGill University
Completed Fellowship: 2015
Karen Thompson, DO
Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - University of Florida Health - Leesburg
Cardiac Surgery Residency: University Hospital of Mississippi
Medical School: Midwestern University
Completed Fellowship: 2014
Hirohisa Ikegami, MD
Current Position: Assistant Professor/Surgical Director of the Adv. Heart Failure and Transplant Program - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - Rutgers University
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Shiga University of Medical Sciences
Medical School: Shiga University of Medical Sciences
Completed Fellowship: 2013
Emmanuel Amulraj, MD
Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - OSF Healthcare (Peoria, IL)
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Loyola University
Medical School: St. John's Medical College (Bangalore, IN)
Completed Fellowship: 2013
Larry Cohler, MD
Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - Carle BroMenn Medical Center
Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of California - San Francisco
Medical School: University of Iowa
Completed Fellowship: 2011
Kevin Richardson, MD
Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - New Mexico Heart Institute
Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship: Ohio State University
Medical School: Meharry Medical College
Completed Fellowship: 2011
Rony Atoui, MD
Current Position: Associate Professor / Cardiac Surgeon - Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Cardiac Surgery Residency: McGill University
Medical School: McGill University
Completed Fellowship: 2010
Truc Ly, MD
Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - Baptist Medical Center, San Antonio TX
Cardiac Surgery Residency: St. Joseph Mercy Health System
Medical School: St. George's School of Medicine - Grenada, West Indies
Completed Fellowship: 2010
Diyar Saeed, MD
Current Position: Vice Chair & Director of the MCS & Heart Transplant Program - Leipzig Heart Center - Germany
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Bad Oeynhausen Heart Center
Medical School: Sulaimani Medical School
Completed Fellowship: 2009
Soren Schenk, MD
Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon, Sana Heart Center - Cottbus
Cardiac Surgery Residency: Ludwig Maximilians University
Medical School:
Completed Fellowship: 2009
Jacques Kpodonu, MD
Current Position: Instructor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School / Assistant Professor of Surgery - Beth Israel
Cardiac Surgery Residency:
Medical School: University of Ghana
Completed Fellowship: 2008
Alfredo Ramirez, MD
Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - Billings, Montana
Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship: Rush University
Medical School: University of Iowa
Completed Fellowship: 2007
Physician-Scientist Training & Resources
We offer a wide range of resources, mentorship opportunities and formal training programs to help our residents and fellows excel as physician-scientists. Explore all of the resources and hear from housestaff who are making research a major part of their career development plans.