AVF Fellows Course: Welcoming Trainees to Venous Disease
Origins of the Fellows Course
Steve Elias explained the course began about 18 years ago, founded with Bill Marston and Tom O’Donnell after recognizing venous disease, four to five times more common than arterial disease, received little coverage in fellowship and residency training, later becoming an American Venous Forum program.
An Interactive, Industry Sponsored Format
The course relies on industry sponsorship from companies including Boston Scientific, Medtronic, and Tactile Medical, and is built around interactive polling questions, live patient case discussions, and hands on simulation rather than lecture only content, encouraging questions throughout.
Expanding to Early Career Practitioners
The course expanded beyond fellows to early career practitioners who finish training with limited venous exposure and then discover many patients need vein care, giving them practical, foundational knowledge and an outline for further in depth learning.
A Faculty Spanning Career Stages and Practice Types
Faculty introduced themselves as practicing venous only, mixed arterial and venous, and general vascular surgery across academic centers, private practices, and VA settings, reflecting varied paths into venous disease care from residency onward.
