FELLOWSHIP IN NEONATAL ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

MGA Medical Global Academy’s Fellowship in Neonatal Echocardiography is an advanced training program that provides pediatricians, neonatologists, and healthcare professionals with specialized knowledge and skills in neonatal cardiac imaging. The fellow will gain extensive experience and knowledge of performing and interpreting in-depth echocardiographic evaluations of neonates, with a particular emphasis on cardiac structural and functional evaluations in the NICU environment. This program involves both theoretical and clinical training in neonatal cardiac anatomy, Doppler imaging, assessment of congenital cardiac diseases, and hemodynamic monitoring. Participants learn techniques in bedside neonatal echos, functional cardiac evaluation, PDA evaluation, pulmonary hypertension evaluation and critical care cardiac imaging. The material also covers evidence-based clinical decision-making, image interpretation, and multi-disciplinary approaches to neonatal care that are vital to the practice of modern NICUs. The increasing role of point of care cardiac imaging in the NICU has created an important need for neonatal echocardiographists in neonatal intensive care units as well as pediatric cardiac centers and tertiary care centers around the world.

Outcome

After completing this program, participants will be able to:

• Know the anatomy, physiology and transitional circulation of the newborn heart.

• Utilize 2D, M-mode and Doppler neonatal echocardiographic examinations for performance and interpretation.

• Evaluate the functioning of the ventricles, cardiac output and haemodynamics in critical ill neonates.

• Recognise and assess some congenital heart disease in newborns

• Use functional echo to make clinical decisions in NICU settings

• Assess neonatal shock states, pulmonary hypertension and patent ductus arteriosus (PDA)

• Include information from echocardiography in the management of the critically ill neonate.

• Understand the cardiac complications for pre-term and the critically ill infant

• Utilize evidence-based neonatal cardiac imaging protocols and reporting standards

• Provide safe, ethical and patient-centered care for the cardiac baby.

Career Opportunities

This fellowship offers many career options in neonatal and pediatric cardiac care such as:

• Neonatal Echocardiography Specialist

• NICU Functional Echocardiography Practitioner

• Dr. Thomas P. K. McDonald is a Pediatric Cardiology Clinical Associate.

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Imaging Professional

• Child Heart Expert

• Point of Care Ultrasound Practitioner in Neonatology (POCUS)

• He served as a Clinical Associate in the Departments of Pediatric Cardiology at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania.

• HWs in NICUs, Pediatric Cardiac Centers, Tertiary Hospitals

• Academic and Clinical Trainer in Neonatal Echocardiography is a two-year program that will lead to a PhD Doctorate in Medicine.

• Research and Clinical Roles in Neonatal Cardiac Care Programs

The growing role of bedside cardiac imaging in newborns’ intensive care and in paediatric cardiology has created an increasing need for trained professionals with expertise in neonatal echocardiography in all NICUs, paediatric hospitals, cardiac care centres and advanced neonatal care units around the world.