Characteristics of cardiologist training in Latin America: a survey of the Interamerican Society of Cardiology

Ezequiel Lerech, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Carlos G. Durand, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Jean P. Carrión-Arcela, Hospital Luis Heysen Incháustegui, Chiclayo, Perú
Cristhian E. Scatularo, Sanatorio de la Trinidad, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Franklin E. Cueva-Torres, CARDIOFE, Centro Cardiovascular, Loja, Ecuador
Melisa Antoniolli, Servicio de Cardiología, Sanatorio Finochietto, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Rodrigo Núñez-Méndez, Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital de Cardiología Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Ciudad de México, México
Sebastián García-Zamora, Instituto de Cardiología del Sanatorio Británico, Rosario, Argentina
Álvaro Sosa-Liprandi, Departamento de Farmacología, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Servicio de Cardiología, Sanatorio Güemes, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
Adrian Baranchuk, Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Ezequiel J. Zaidel, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina

Objectives: Describe the characteristics of the different cardiology medical residencies in Latin America. Method: Cross-sectional study that aims to evaluate the characteristics of cardiology residencies in Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America, through self-administered electronic surveys. Results: Three hundred seven residents of 147 residences were surveyed. Mean age was 31 years and 63% were male. Ninety eight percent carry out their training in the capital city. The average total training time is 4.8 years. Forty four percent complete their residency in internal medicine prior to starting cardiology, and 10% have no prior training. In cardiology training is 3 years in most countries. Fifty four percent present academic activities every day and 16% only once or less, consisting of theoretical classes (93%), clinical cases (85%), bibliographic workshops (69%), and writing scientific papers (68%). Supervision is carried out by the chief resident (45%), resident coordinator (44%), resident instructor (27%) or the department head (54%), while 2.6% do not present supervision. The main rotations were echocardiography (99%), hemodynamics (96%), coronary unit (93%), and electrophysiology (92%). Residents highlighted the need to improve academic activities (23%) and scientific production (12%). Conclusions: There are important differences in the academic and practical training between the residences of the different countries of America.

Keywords: Medical education. Burnout. Cardiology. Latin America.