EAPC Core Curriculum for Preventive Cardiology

The EAPC Core Curriculum for Preventive Cardiology is the first common European educational framework for preventive cardiology.

It will help standardise, structure, deliver, and evaluate training in preventive cardiology across Europe and pave the way towards a well-recognised sub-specialty in cardiology.

About the EAPC Core Curriculum

Associate Professor Matthias Wilhelm 

Lead Author and EAPC Education Committee Chairperson, answers a few questions about it.

What is the Core Curriculum for Preventive Cardiology?

It is the first common European educational framework for preventive cardiology as the basis for a European Society of Cardiology subspecialty qualification. It defines the scope of preventive cardiology, domains, competencies and collaborating partners. It uses the concept of entrustable professional activities (EPA) to describe the necessary competencies in the domains of population science and public health, primary prevention and risk factor management, secondary prevention and rehabilitation, and sports cardiology and exercise.

What does the Curriculum bring to the EAPC Community?

The Core Curriculum will help to structure the EAPC educational offer and to standardise, deliver, and evaluate training in preventive cardiology across Europe. It will foster the development of dedicated fellowship programmes in preventive cardiology, both for young cardiologists and allied professionals. Thereby, it will contribute to raise quality standards in preventive cardiology, make the field an attractive career option, and support member recruitment and retention.

What is your key message about the Curriculum?

The EAPC Core Curriculum for Preventive Cardiology will help to pave the way towards a well-recognised subspecialty in cardiology.

The importance of the EAPC Core Curriculum for young professionals

Dr. Harald Jorstad, EAPC Young Community Lead, on the importance of the EAPC Core Curriculum of Preventive Cardiology for young professionals:

What does this document provide for the Young (in training/early career)?

This document constitutes a roadmap for young professionals wanting to excel in preventive cardiology. Not only does it provide the content needed to develop towards a higher professional level, but it also validates the ambitions and perspectives of young professionals who see preventive cardiology as their core area of expertise.

Which three things grabbed your attention in the Core Curriculum?

• There are so many challenges for professionals in preventive cardiology! From prevention at a population level, to tailored rehab for patients with a complex heart disease, to aiding the athlete with a heart disease wanting to excel; using skills and knowledge from, among others, the fields of genetics, risk factors, exercise physiology to psychosocial factors; in a population ranging from the very young to the very old – the scope is incredibly broad.
• A young professional could easily have a fulfilling a challenging career in each of the individual subdomains of preventive cardiology
• After studying the core curriculum, my opinion is reaffirmed that preventive cardiology truly is a team effort

EAPC Core Curriculum Testimonial

Dr. Abdelsalam Ben Sauud, EAPC Young Ambassador in Ireland, answers key questions about the Core Curriculum:

1) What is your opinion of the core curriculum?

This is a great initiative by the EAPC. A common European core curriculum for preventive cardiology could considerably help to standardise, structure, provide and assess the training of healthcare professionals in preventive cardiology across Europe.

2) Which perspectives does this document open for Young (in training/early career)?

The core curriculum could be the cornerstone of dedicated and well-recognised fellowship programmes in preventive cardiology for young trainees. It would serve as a framework for an EAPC sub-specialty qualification for young cardiologists.

3) What are the main points that grabbed your attention?

Applying the CanMEDs framework and using the concept of entrustable professional activities (EPA's) of the domains of preventive cardiology. The EPAs could provide a framework for trainers to conduct constructive assessments of clinical competencies of trainees, and help to adjust the trainee’s level of independence.