What Is an Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship and Why Does It Matter for Your Care?

An adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) fellowship is a specialized training program, typically one to two years in length, completed after a standard cardiology fellowship. ACHD fellows train at accredited programs — usually large academic medical centers with dedicated ACHD units — where they develop expertise in the complex anatomy, physiology, imaging, catheter-based interventions, and surgical outcomes specific to congenital heart defects.

What ACHD Fellowship Training Includes

During ACHD fellowship, cardiologists gain expertise in:

• Anatomy and physiology of both simple and complex congenital heart defects.
• Echocardiography, cardiac MRI, and CT interpretation in CHD.
• Management of heart failure, arrhythmia, and pulmonary hypertension in CHD.
• Pre-conception counseling and management of pregnancy in women with CHD.
• Transition medicine — preparing adolescents for adult ACHD care.
• Collaboration with cardiac surgery, electrophysiology, and interventional cardiology.

After fellowship, physicians may sit for the ABIM Board Certification Examination in Adult Congenital Heart Disease — the only recognized certification in the field. When choosing your cardiologist, verifying that they completed an ACHD fellowship and hold board certification ensures you are receiving care from a true subspecialist. Congenital Heart Compass Medical PLLC is led by a board-certified ACHD cardiologist who completed advanced fellowship training in adult congenital heart disease, heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, and pregnancy and heart disease.