Board Certification Requirements

Visit the National Board of Echocardiography for complete information on certification.

Requirements:

1. TOTAL of 300 complete examinations under appropriate supervision.
2. CATEGORY 1. A MINIMUM of 150 must be personally performed, interpreted and reported.
3. CATEGORY 2. The remaining number (towards the 300 mark): These TEE exams are not preformed by the applicant, but studied/reviewed with a supervising physician.

We will provide the following opportunities for meeting the NBE certification requirements for all fellows in the Cardiothoracic Anesthesia and Critical Care Medicine Fellowship Program.

FOR CATEGORY 1

1. For TEE examinations performed in the OR (cardiac or non-cardiac) and Critical Care Units, the following guidelines will apply for certification credit. A maximum of 2 individuals will get credit for having personally performed, interpreted and reported the TEE exam. They will include:
   1. The TEE Echo fellow for that case
   2. The Anesthesia Fellow for the case.
      When you enter a TEE exam in the database, please give credit to the additional TEE fellow on rotation with you (in case there are two TEE fellows during that week), or the fellow providing anesthesia care for that case. Failure to do so will only result in insufficient exams at the end of the year. If there are 2 TEE fellows for the week AND an anesthesia fellow, the 2nd TEE fellow will only get Category 2 credit. The primary TEE fellow and anesthesia fellow will get Category 1 credit. Please keep this in mind when entering data in the database.
   3. Additionally, the following guidelines will apply:
      1. Any additional fellows (more than two TEE fellows) will get credit towards CATEGORY 2 ONLY. Fellows reviewing TEE exams in the OR must review with an attending anesthesiologist for that case.
      2. Residents providing anesthesia care or on TEE rotation are not eligible for certification credit.
      3. The fellows are responsible for appropriate entries in the report. An end-of-year report will be electronically generated. The numbers in this report will also reflect any inaccuracies or omissions in data entry. So be careful and give credit appropriately in the report.
      4. TEE exams performed during pediatric anesthesia rotation will also count (towards CATEGORY 2). However, fellows are advised to actively participate in these TEE exams and keep a log, including the name of the supervising pediatric cardiologist. This log must be \’signed off\’ by the pediatric cardiologist.
      5. You must give credit to the following personnel in the appropriate locations on the TOW screens.
         1. Yourself
         2. The fellow providing anesthesia, or the second TEE fellow
         3. The attending anesthesiologist for the case

FOR CATEGORY 2

1. For cases that are reviewed with supervising faculty, i.e., not performed, but reviewed only. The Division will offer the following opportunities:
   1. Daily case TEE Review.
      1. Fellows may review TEE exams performed that day with an attending anesthesiologist. You may choose cases performed during the last week and request an attending to review these with you on Xcelera. You may also review the day\’s cases in the OR with the attending in the OR on your non-clinical day. Our experience is that this is the most effective way to generate adequate category 2 case volume. Please remember to do this regularly from the start of the fellowship. You may find it impossible to get to the 150 mark if you start this later in the year.
      2. Fellows cannot get double credit for reviewing those cases they have been anesthesia providers for. That is, you cannot claim category 1 and 2 credit for the same patient.
      3. All fellows present at this reading session will get credit for reviewing (as long as they have not already received Category 1 credit for the case; i.e., participated in the TEE or anesthesia in the OR for that case).
   2. Tuesday Cardiac Conference.
      1. TEE exams reviewed at cardiac conference (the TEE M&M) will also count in this category (reviewing only).
      2. Fellows that have signed the attendance sheet for the cardiac conference will get credit.
      3. Please keep a log. Remember, the format for itemizing must be followed, i.e., date reviewed, date of surgery, diagnosis, surgery and reviewing physician.
   3. Fellows are strongly advised to keep a log of cases reviewed in the template provided.