Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship
The SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program trains physicians to diagnose and treat infants, children and young adults with congenital and acquired heart disease.
A Message From the Program Director
Welcome to the Pediatric Cardiology Fellowship Program. Our program provides broad exposure to the field, preparing fellows for successful careers as clinicians, researchers and investigators.
Training occurs at the Dorothy and Larry Dallas Heart Center in SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital. It has an active surgical program, providing neonatal through adult congenital heart surgery --- including ventricular assist device and cardiac transplantation. Fellows rotate in inpatient cardiology, echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, electrophysiology and cardiac ICU, as well as various outpatient clinics. They also have opportunities to rotate in cardiac MRI and CT, fetal echocardiography, transesophageal echo, adult congenital heart disease, and heart failure and transplant medicine. Additionally, there is dedicated time for research.
Many fellows go on to pursue a fourth year of training, while others begin practice as pediatric cardiologists after graduation.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.
Renuka Peterson, M.D.
Program director
Program Overview
The three-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) accredited program offers training in the core competency areas through a mix of clinical training and research. Fellows become proficient in a wide array of cardiac procedures.
Fellows train at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Hospital.
Fellows have 24 total months of clinical training with progressive exposure to specialized areas.
- Timeline Breakdown (Core Clinical Rotations):
- Year 1: inpatient (10 weeks), echo (12 weeks), cath lab (eight weeks), EP (eight weeks), ICU (six weeks), outpatient (two weeks)
- Year 2: inpatient (eight weeks), echo (eight weeks), cath lab (eight weeks), EP (four weeks), ICU (six weeks), ACHD (two weeks), heart transplant (two weeks)
- Year 3: inpatient (four weeks), echo (four weeks), cath lab (four weeks), ICU (four weeks), electives
- Specialized Training Areas: transesophageal echo, fetal echo/perinatal cardiology, cardiac MRI/CT, adult congenital heart disease and cardiac transplant medicine
Fellows have 12 total months of research.
- Timeline (Weeks per Year): Year 1 (four weeks), Year 2 (16 weeks), Year 3 (28 weeks)
- Focus: clinical and translational research with opportunities for presentation and publication
- Adult Congenital Heart Disease Conference: weekly
- Cardiac Cath and Surgery Conference: weekly
- Echo Conference: weekly
- Pediatric Transplant Conference: weekly
- Board Review Conference: twice per month
- Cath Fellow Conference: twice per month
- EP Fellow Conference: twice per month
- Introduction to Academic Medicine: twice per month
- Pediatrics Research Colloquium: twice per month
- Case Management and Selective Cardiology Topics: monthly
- Surgical Morbidity and Mortality Conference: monthly
- Cardiac Pathology Conference/Journal Club: quarterly
Program Highlights
- High volume and variety of cardiac procedures
- Comprehensive, integrated clinical and surgical review curriculum
- Mentorship from distinguished faculty
- Research and teaching opportunities
- State-of-the-art facilities
Current Fellows
Ali Aldelhafiz, M.D.
Residency: Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Medical school: Cairo University
Ali Aldelhafiz is from Cairo, Egypt. He became interested in pediatric cardiology after meeting with Ziyad Hijaz, M.D., in 2017. After traveling and working in the Maldives for a year, Aldelhafiz came to the U.S. in 2019 to conduct research at University of Pittsburg Medical Center and complete his pediatric residency training. His future plans involve loving all flavors of pediatric cardiology.
Aldelhafiz loves watching soccer with his son (both are Liverpool fans, "obviously for Mo Salah"). He was called the "locked-out resident" in his residency program because he was locked out of his Airbnb and went to his interview without a suit.
Abinash Pandey, M.D.
Residency: Woodhull Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York
Medical school: Nepalgunj Medical College in Banke, Nepal
Abinash Pandey is from Kathmandu, Nepal. He graduated from medical school in 2015 and worked as a general practitioner in rural Nepal until 2020, when he decided to pursue pediatric residency training in the U.S. He developed an interest in pediatric cardiology while rotating in Hassenfeld Children's Hospital at NYU Langone, and he's currently in his third year of pediatric cardiology fellowship training. He looks forward to a career in general pediatric cardiology.
Pandey enjoys going outdoors in nature, hiking and climbing when he can. He loves cooking and trying new recipes, and he spends most of his free time trying to recreate different recipes from YouTube classes.
Clementine Knight, M.D.
Residency: SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Medical school: Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, New York
Clementine Knight is originally from Massachusetts but has lived all over the U.S. Before going to medical school, she graduated from Brown University with a business degree; worked in product development, market research and fashion; earned a culinary diploma from Le Cordon Bleu; and completed a post-baccalaureate program at the University of Vermont. Pediatric residency training took her back to UVM before the call of further opportunities in pediatric cardiology spurred a transfer to SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children's Hospital, where she completed her residency training and before entering the fellowship program.
In her spare time, Knight takes her dog on walks and hikes, is an avid crossword and jigsaw puzzler, and drinks lots of coffee.
Stephen Ream, M.D.
Residency: The Ohio State University/Nationwide Children's Hospital
Medical school: Saint Louis University School of Medicine
Stephen Ream is a St. Louis native. He earned an undergraduate and medical degree at Saint Louis University before traveling to Columbus, Ohio, for further combined training in internal medicine and pediatrics. Clinically, Ream is interested in congenital heart disease across the lifespan. He intends to pursue an advanced fellowship in adult congenital heart disease and have a career in pediatric and adult congenital cardiology.
Outside the hospital, Ream is a proud husband and father, and a passionate Billiken basketball fan. He appreciates a good craft beer and coffee, and he's an avid fan of live music and motorsports.
Rochelle Rubinstein, M.D.
Residency: Maria Fareri Children's Hospital at Westchester Medical Center
Medical school: New York Medical College
Rochelle Rubinstein was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. She stayed close to home for an undergraduate degree from Touro University. She fell in love with pediatric cardiology during medical school, and her interest in the field continued to grow during residency training. Rubinstein is grateful for the mentors who helped guide her along the way, and she's excited for fellowship training in St. Louis.
Outside of work, Rubinstein enjoys painting, exploring nature and spending time with her nieces and nephews.
Erin Skelley, D.O.
Residency: Sparrow Hospital in Lansing, Michigan
Medical school: Erie, Pennsylvania
Erin Skelley is from North East, Pennsylvania, a small town nestled on Lake Erie. Her interest in pediatric cardiology first piqued during residency training. She is currently interested in general cardiology but is open to changing her mind during fellowship.
In her free time, Skelley likes to read (sci-fi, fantasy) and enjoys the fiber arts (knitting, crochet). She is moving to St. Louis with her two cats, Captain and Catsby.
Apply
The program has two available fellowship positions per year.
The program participates in the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS) and the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP).
Review the Application Process
About the SSM Health/Saint Louis University School of Medicine Graduate Medical Education Program
SSM Health proudly sponsors the Graduate Medical Education Program at Saint Louis University School of Medicine. This university-based training program offers a world-class academic environment that fosters clinical excellence, research innovation and compassionate care. All program participants are employed by SSM Health, ensuring a cohesive and supportive experience within a nationally recognized health system.