title: COCATS 4: Securing the Future of Cardiovascular Medicine.
abstract: The latest iteration of the Core Cardiology Training Statement (COCATS 4) [Corrected] provides a potentially transformative advancement in cardiovascular fellowship training intended, ultimately, to improve patient care. This review addressed 3 primary themes of COCATS 4 from the perspective of fellows-in-training: 1) the evolution of training requirements culminating in a competency-based curriculum; 2) the development of novel learning paradigms; and 3) the establishment of task forces in emerging areas of multimodality imaging and critical care cardiology. This document also examined several important challenges presented by COCATS 4. The proposed changes in COCATS 4 should not only enhance the training experience but also improve trainee satisfaction. Because it embraces continual transformation of training requirements to meet evolving clinical needs and public expectations, COCATS 4 will enrich the cardiovascular fellowship training experience for patients, programs, and fellows-in-training.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, Samuel and Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan. Electronic address: sssinha@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Shashank S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Howard M
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Julien
authors.affiliation: John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, Ochsner Clinic Foundation, New Orleans, Louisiana.
authors.forename: Selim R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Krim
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Nkechinyere N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Ijioma
authors.affiliation: Mid America Heart Institute, Kansas City, Missouri.
authors.forename: Suzanne J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Baron
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Cardiology, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Andrea J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rock
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California.
authors.forename: Stephanie L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Siehr
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota.
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Cullen
mesh_terms: D002309:Cardiology / Q000193:education* / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D005257:Fellowships and Scholarships / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D012955:Societies, Medical / Q000592:standards / Q000639:trends
keywords: Next Accreditation System; cardiology; competency-based education; education; fellow-in-training; graduate; medical; milestones