Cardiac Anesthesia

The UCSF Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology Fellowship is a one-year, ACGME-accredited program focusing on the perioperative care of patients undergoing cardiothoracic surgery. The Fellowship is primarily based at UCSF Moffitt-Long Hospital which is an academic tertiary referral center providing comprehensive adult cardiac care including routine cardiac surgeries, minimally invasive and hybrid cardiac procedures, heart and lung transplantation, ventricular assist device implantation, extracorporeal life support, complex electrophysiology and cardiac catheterization intervention, as well as complex thoracic and vascular procedures. Additional clinical experience is gained through clinical rotations at the Kaiser Hospital San Francisco which serves as a high-volume center for more routine cardiac surgeries. These complementary experiences prepare the fellows for diverse practice opportunities – whether it be a busy private practice or a career in academic anesthesia. 

In addition to a comprehensive clinical experience in complex cardiovascular and thoracic anesthesia, the Fellowship offers a variety of educational opportunities for the trainees. Fellows participate in and organize educational conferences composed of didactic lectures, echo presentations and journal club. Apart from intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography, there is a dedicated rotation in echocardiography in the division of cardiology. Our graduates are well prepared to pass the Advanced Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography (Advanced PTEeXAM®) by the National Board of Echocardiography. Typical elective rotations include pediatric cardiac anesthesia, cardiopulmonary bypass and perfusion, mechanical circulatory support, and research. The fellows make their own call schedule and have the flexibility to change call whether it is for clinical interest or personal reasons. Our program takes pride in providing a nurturing environment to our fellows that fosters independence and academic growth. We encourage autonomy in the trainees who have the opportunity to be creative in designing their own elective to fit their educational and career goals. The program provides time and financial support for trainees to present their scholarly activities at international meetings. 

The year will include:

• 16 weeks of cardiac anesthesia at UCSF Moffitt-Long Hospitals
• 8 weeks of cardiac anesthesia at Kaiser Hospital San Francisco
• 4 weeks of thoracic anesthesia
• 4 weeks of CT ICU
• 8 weeks of dedicated echocardiography
• 12 weeks of elective rotations

UCSF strives to provide world-class care to patients of the city of San Francisco, the surrounding Bay Area and beyond. Our patient population is diverse and so is the community where we live and work. The faculty on the cardiac anesthesia team, and the department at large, reflects this diversity, in gender, sexual orientation, ethnic and racial backgrounds and life experience. Some of us were born in and/or completed important portions of our training in other countries.  Some of us are parents of small children. Some of us had other careers before medicine. We value the unique perspectives on medicine and life that each has and are excited to teach and work alongside motivated individuals that share those values. 

We participate in the computerized match for Adult Cardiothoracic Anesthesiology through SF Match. Important dates for this year’s application cycle – SF Match Fellowship Match Calendar.

Our interview season runs from January through April. The interviews will be conducted via remote video conferencing.

We look forward to sharing more information about our program with you and learning more about your interests in cardiothoracic anesthesiology.

Wilson Cui, MD, PhD
Program Director

Katherine Brogan
Program Coordinator