Waikato Hospital offers two fellowship positions in cardiac anaesthesia.  Both positions are ANZCA-accredited for the Provisional Fellow year.

The cardiac fellowship experience involves 2 days per week with the cardiac anaesthetic team.  The cardiothoracic unit at Waikato performs approximately 600 open heart procedures per year, running two cardiothroacic theatres most days of the week.  In addition there are regular GA sessions in the cath lab, with weekly EP sessions and fortnightly strucutural heart lists (TAVI's, BAVs, closure devices etc). 

Transoesophageal echocardiography (TOE/TEE) is used routinely in our cardiac operating theatres and fellows will get significant exposure to TOE.  It is expected that the fellow will undertake a formal qualification in echocardiography and will be financially supported to do this.  In addition, fellows will be expected to contribute to multidisciplinary team meetings, pre-operative assessment and post-operative follow-up of cardiac patients.

Additional clinical exposure includes up to 2 'service provision' lists per week and participation in an after-hours roster (evenings only).  Waikato Hospital is a tertiary public hospital with a full range of subspecialties including paediatrics, obstetrics, neurosurgery and trauma, and there is scope for a wide range of clinical experiences beyond cardiac. 

The Cardiac Fellow will have one day per week of non-clinical time.  It is anticipated that this time will be used to work towards an echocardiography qualification, undertake audit, contribute to appropriate research, and teaching.