The Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) Laboratory of the Montreal Heart Institute conducts exams for a vast range of indications, such as cardiomyopathy, coronary disease (tested with stress perfusion studies using adenosine, dipyridamole and dobutamine), and adult congenital cardiopathy. The laboratory has two MRIs: one with a 1.5-Tesla magnet for clinical exams and one with a 3-Tesla magnet for clinical and research exams. Scans are mainly read with the cardiologists. Fellows are involved in planning exams, interpreting scans and writing reports, with gradually increasing independence based on their level of training. Several types of fellowships are available depending on the needs of the fellow and laboratory availability:
1- Fellowships exclusively in CMR with time divided between reading clinical scans and conducting a research project (12 or 24 months).
2- Fellowship combined with 24 months in echocardiography and CMR.
3- Fellowship in CMR research.
For all fellowships (excluding research fellowships), candidates may be cardiologists, radiologists or nuclear medicine physicians; in all cases, candidates are required to have good knowledge of cardiovascular pathologies. Fellows with clinical privileges will perform on-call duty at the hospital either in cardiology or radiology depending on their basic field of training.
During the fellowship, you will be conducting clinical exams and procedures on patients, which means you will have to obtain privileges as a fellow.
To obtain these privileges, you must meet the following conditions:
• Have a grant from a recognized agency, as positions are reserved solely for grant holders. This grant must be a minimum of C$40,000 per year. To obtain funding, candidates should apply for grants from recognized agencies. Different departments at the Montreal Heart Institute (MHI) offer scholarships; however, these scholarships are limited and awarded on a competitive basis.
• Have very good knowledge of French. The MHI is a Francophone hospital and all clinical activities are conducted in French. The patients are Francophone, progress notes are written in French, and all meetings are held in French.
• Pay the tuition fees charged by Université de Montréal.
• Hold a specialist's certificate that allows you to practise medicine in your country.
• Have a letter of recommendation from the dean of the faculty of medicine where you are taking or where you finished your specialty as well as a letter of recommendation from the dean of the faculty of medicine at Université de Montréal.
It is highly recommended that you submit your application at least 18 months in advance, as the process to become a fellow is quite long.
For more information about this process, please consult the Université de Montréal website.
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