ECMO and ECLS fellowships

About this area of training

Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) and extracorporeal life support (ECLS) are taught inside several kinds of fellowship rather than one. This page gathers every listed programme whose title or published focus names ECMO or ECLS, across transplant, mechanical circulatory support, congenital, adult cardiac and critical care.

Training ranges from cannulation and circuit management to patient selection, weaning, bridging to transplant and managing cardiogenic shock. Some posts are surgeon-led; others are shared with intensivists and cardiologists in a shock team.

Listed fellowships

Open and upcoming calls come first. Select a fellowship for eligibility, application route and its official source.

What training typically covers

• Veno-arterial and veno-venous ECMO for cardiogenic shock and respiratory failure
• Post-cardiotomy mechanical circulatory support and ECLS
• Bridge to transplant and bridge to decision
• Paediatric and neonatal ECMO
• Cannulation, circuit management, anticoagulation and weaning
• Shock-team organisation with cardiology, intensive care and perfusion

Who it suits

Programmes differ in who they accept: cardiac surgeons, anaesthesiologists, intensivists and cardiologists all appear. Hands-on cannulation usually needs local licensure, so short posts in this list may be observational. The programme page states the clinical participation and registration conditions.

Where to train

Countries: Canada (5), United States (5), Brazil (3), Australia (2), Austria (1), Belgium (1), Germany (1), India (1), Netherlands (1), Singapore (1), United Kingdom (1)

Institutions: Alder Hey Children's Hospital and Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital (1), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (1), EACTS Francis Fontan Fund (hosts: Maastricht University Medical Centre; Gasthuisberg Hospital, KU Leuven; Medical University of Vienna) (1), Emory University (1), Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (Ensino Einstein) (1), Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP) – HCX Fmusp, Programa de Capacitação Profissional para Médicos Estrangeiros (PCPME) (1), Instituto D'Or de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR) / Rede D'Or – Regional Rio de Janeiro (1), KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), Cardiothoracic Surgery Service (1), Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital — Children's Heart Centre (1), Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education (1), McMaster University, Division of Cardiac Surgery (Hamilton Health Sciences) (1), Montreal Heart Institute (Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal), Department of Cardiac Surgery and Cardiovascular Intensive Care Service (1) and 8 more.

Where these fellowships sit by subspecialty

• Transplant & MCS (10)
• Congenital (5)
• Adult Cardiac (2)
• Cardiothoracic Critical Care (2)
• General Thoracic (1)

Each fellowship has one primary subspecialty. Follow a link for the full list in that area.

How to choose a programme

• Ask for annual ECMO run numbers by indication, and who performs cannulation and weaning.
• Check whether you will be part of an ECMO or shock team with defined call duties.
• Compare ECMO-only posts with broader transplant and MCS fellowships that include it.
• Confirm licensing and language requirements, which decide whether you can take part in clinical decisions.

Related guides

• Evaluate operative exposure
• Understand licensing and registration
• Clinical fellowship, observership or research?
• Check visa and work rights

Related subspecialties and topics

• Transplant and mechanical circulatory support fellowships34 fellowships
• Cardiothoracic critical care and cardiac anaesthesia fellowships5 fellowships
• Heart failure and mechanical circulatory support fellowships1 fellowship
• Congenital and paediatric cardiac surgery fellowships58 fellowships