Cardiology

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust’s Cardiology Visiting Professional Programme (VPP) provides international visiting professionals the opportunity to be fully integrated within a cardiology service which is at the forefront of clinical activity, training and research.

Programme aims

The programme is designed to enhance visiting professional’s clinical expertise in cardiology and to provide a unique insight into the technology and treatment available within a leading NHS hospital.

A Certificate of Attendance will be awarded to visitors upon the end of their programme.


Format

The Guy’s and St Thomas’ Cardiology Department is divided into a range of cardiac services; our cardiac services are adult congenital heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, inherited cardiac conditions, interventional cardiology, cardiac imaging, structural intervention and valve disease. We offer specialised visiting professional programmes within all of our services for professionals that are interested in a specific area, alternatively visitors may apply to rotate throughout our cardiology department.

The cardiology programme is delivered within the hospital work place and it includes exposure to electrophysiology and heart failure clinics, inpatient ward rounds, multidisciplinary team meetings, and access to training courses depending on the length of programme that visitors request. Visiting professional will be aligned with supervisors from within the clinical teams who will ensure that all of the learning and development needs and expectations are met. The supervisors will also ensure that visiting professionals are totally integrated in the day to day service within our cardiology team, regardless of the speciality and duration that visitors apply for.

We will also provide visitors with access to a multi-tiered support structure through receiving peer mentorship from the onset of their programme.


Who can apply

The Cardiology Visiting Professional Programme is intended for non-UK trainee clinicians, specialist registrars and consultants.

We offer both observership programmes and practical programmes. Visitors that wish to apply for a practical programme must have GMC registration. GMC registration can be applied for directly through the GMC website, alternatively the Royal College of Physicians runs a medical training initiative which facilitates GMC registration and provides sponsorship for a Tier 5 visa. You can find out more about their Medical Training Initiative by visiting their website here.


Programme duration

We are able to offer visiting professional programmes for periods of three months up to 12 months. The duration can be tailored to the specific learning requirements of those visiting our Cardiology Department.


Cardiology service

Cardiology department key facts

Our Cardiology Department is made up of adult congenital heart disease, arrhythmia, heart failure, inherited cardiac conditions, interventional cardiology, cardiac imaging, structural intervention and valve disease services


Example Timetable

Monday morning

  • Heart Failure meeting
  • Ward round with consultant and juniors

Monday afternoon

  • Lunch
  • Research admin

Tuesday morning

  • Ward round with Professor Redwood
  • Clinic

Tuesday afternoon

  • Lunch
  • Ward work

Wednesday morning

  • Joint Cardiology Cardiac meeting Or Morning report 8am
  • Meet Dr Ronak Rajani
  • Ward round
  • Ward work

Wednesday afternoon

  • Grand round 
  • Heart Failure ward round

Thursday morning

  • Ward round/Specialist session

Thursday afternoon

  • Cardiology Teaching
  • Clinic/Ward Work

Friday morning

  • Echo meeting
  • Ward round
  • Heart Failure

Friday afternoon

  • FY1 teaching
  • FY2 teaching
  • Clinic/Ward work

Fees

A course fee per week will be applied; this fee excludes accommodation and travelling expenses. To find out the fee amount please email [email protected].


Please note

Clinicians are able to offer bursaries or discounted placements on an individual basis. This is at the discretion of the Directorates of GSTT and does not affect the terms and conditions of the Visiting Professional Programme agreements.

Start your application

Why Cardiology?

Dr Ronak Rajani, consultant cardiologist, discusses the benefits of attending the Cardiology Visiting Professional Programme

The Cardiology department at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital has the full spectrum of cardiac facilities for treating patients with both simple and complex cardiac conditions.

We have a world renowned leading structural heart intervention programme along with clinical electrophysiologists who are at the forefront of academic science, internationally.

Visiting Professionals who visit Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital will be able to witness the core values of the National Health Service.

We’re able to offer a whole spectrum of cardiovascular experiences starting from clinical skills and ranging to complex structural interventions, interventional cardiology, heart failure, inherited cardiac conditions and also complex pacemakers and devices.

Participants who visit our programme will have a bespoke programme made for them which will be tailor made to each individual who is visiting our department.

And by doing this we’re able to make sure that the learning objectives for each visiting professional will be met.

We also offer a friendly working environment with regular supervisor meetings to ensure that all of our visitors make sure that they can maximise their experience whilst with us.

Come and join us and see the NHS at work, at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital.

We endeavour to offer you a fantastic experience during your time with us and hope to expose you to the whole array of different cardiac conditions and cardiac services that we’re able to offer.

Come and join us at Guy’s and St Thomas’ Hospital and witness the NHS at work, with also access to state of the art cardiac technologies in a dedicated programme made especially just for you.

Visiting Professional Programme attendee

The Visiting Professional Programme was very helpful for me because it provided comprehensive cardiovascular studies including rounds, clinics, interventional surgery, echo, CT, etc. The best form of these is the MDT meeting which allows multidisciplinary collaboration to carry out an in-depth discussion of difficult cases, resulting in a reasonable diagnosis and treatment plan

Doctor from China