In this month’s President’s address I would like to focus on our young colleagues. The European Association of Percutaneous Cardiovascular Interventions (EAPCI) has a mandate to further training and education in our speciality across Europe. This of course is exemplified in our annual courses EuroPCR and PCR London Valves. However, it also includes activities and programmes specifically aimed at helping young interventional cardiologists in their career path.
The New Initiatives for Young Interventionalists Committee, chaired by Salvatore Brugaletta and co-chaired by Piera Capranzano, is spearheading the development of networks within the community (#EAPCI), with specially assigned regional ambassadors in the member countries. Furthermore, and as a main focus together with the PCR NextGen group, it organises the annual Fellows Course in interventional cardiology. This course is an opportunity, just before the main EuroPCR course gets underway in Paris, for an interactive, highly didactic update on the knowledge and skills cardiologists in training need as they set out into clinical practice. This foundation is also tested in the EAPCI certification examination in interventional cardiology. The call for registration is open – don’t wait as I expect a full house again, as we have seen the Fellows Course grow in popularity over recent years.
A fellowship in interventional cardiology is a life-changing, career-enhancing experience. Many great careers have started with a year away from home base. It is an opportunity to expand your network and your practice standards, learn new techniques, gain exposure to cutting-edge interventions and in some cases learn the benefits of integrating clinical research activities into practice. The EAPCI one-year interventional and research fellowship programme has a long tradition. Supported by unrestricted grants from our industry partners, applicants will be able to choose a centre of excellence, in a European country other than their own and spend 12 months training in coronary or structural interventions (or both) and research. The current Fellowship Committee chaired by Bernard Prendergast and Gabor Toth has secured the largest number of funded positions to date. In 2019 there will be more than 10 one-year fellowships, the highest number ever commissioned by the EAPCI. We also pledge strong support to our female interventional colleagues and have dedicated 50% of the available fellowships to women.
A new Trialist fellowship has also been announced. For colleagues interested in clinical trials research, a special fellowship is available in collaboration with the Centre European de Recherche (CERC) led by Marie-Claude Morice.
I encourage our young colleagues to apply! The winners will be announced at EuroPCR 2019 in May.
As a society, we are committed to furthering the careers of our young aspiring interventional cardiologists through strong mentorship, as we look to the next generation to drive the field forward.
