Evaluation of the UK Intervention Subspecialty Programme: The Trainees' Experience

Interventional cardiology (IC) is a competitive and oversubscribed subspecialty. The UK cardiology programme is currently in a state of transition of curricula, and concerns have arisen about the impact of this change on the standard of training. This study aimed to provide a snapshot of UK IC training at present.

A 68-question survey was disseminated through the British Cardiovascular Interventional Society mailing list in November 2023 to all UK intervention trainees across both curricula. Questions included procedural numbers, exposure to adjunct techniques and confidence in the transition to consultancy.

The survey was completed by 60 participants, providing a response rate of 38% for training grades. A total of 87% of participants were men, and 78% remained on the 2010 curriculum. For the 2010 curriculum trainees, the median number of first-operator percutaneous coronary intervention was 101-200 in their first year. Confidence levels were higher for radial (98%) than femoral (62%) access. A total of 83% felt comfortable or confident using intravascular lithotripsy (83%) compared with 23% for rotational atherectomy. Comfort was higher with intravascular ultrasound (82%) compared with optical coherence tomography (53%). Half felt unprepared for consultancy, citing insufficient procedural experience. To address this, 65% plan to extend training with a fellowship year. Overall, 72% rated the programme as excellent or good, and 10% as poor.

While many trainees report a positive experience with UK IC training, several areas need improvement, including procedural volume and requirement for extended training. Moving forward, it will be crucial to monitor the impact of the 2022 curriculum on IC training.