The Full Curriculum — 16 Lessons, 21+ Hours, 100% ACC Core Curriculum

The APP Cardiology Academy curriculum covers all major domains of the ACC Core Curriculum for Cardiovascular Care across 16 lessons organized into three sections: Core Clinical Skills, Disease Management, and Professional Development. Each lesson includes a video lecture, structured handout, interactive case study, and physician discussion guide. Total instruction time is 21+ hours, designed for completion in 2–3 months at a self-paced schedule.

Total lessons 16
Total instruction 21+ hours
Completion time 2–3 months (self-paced)
Format per lesson Video instruction + handout + case study + physician discussion guide (video length varies by lesson; newer lessons are delivered as several shorter videos)
ACC Core Curriculum coverage 100% (verified against all 14 ACC competency tables)
Certificate Yes, upon completion

Section 1: Core Clinical Skills — Lessons 1–5

Section 1 starts with the clinical skills you will use every day — before any disease-specific content. Cardiac physical examination, ECG interpretation, diagnostic reasoning for cardiovascular symptoms, pharmacology foundations, and imaging interpretation. This is what cardiology practice actually requires from Day 1.

Lesson 1: Cardiovascular History & Physical Examination

  • Taking focused histories for chest pain, dyspnea, syncope, and palpitations
  • Systematic physical examination: JVP assessment, peripheral pulses, PMI, heart sounds (S1, S2, S3, S4, murmurs)
  • Interpreting volume status and hemodynamics at the bedside
  • Identifying examination findings that change management

Why this lesson matters: The cardiovascular physical exam is the foundation of every patient encounter in cardiology. New APPs who can assess JVP, identify an S3, and interpret a murmur earn clinical credibility faster than those who rely on imaging to do what a stethoscope should.

Lesson 2: ECG, CXR & Laboratory Essentials

  • Systematic ECG interpretation: rate, rhythm, axis, hypertrophy, ischemia/infarction
  • Chest X-ray essentials: cardiac silhouette, pulmonary vascular redistribution, pleural effusions, device leads
  • Cardiac biomarkers: troponin kinetics, BNP/NT-proBNP, D-dimer in clinical context
  • Common ECG findings requiring immediate action

Why this lesson matters: An APP in cardiology reads ECGs every day. This lesson builds the systematic approach that prevents missed findings.

Lesson 3: Common Cardiovascular Symptoms

  • Chest pain differential: ACS, aortic dissection, PE, pericarditis, musculoskeletal
  • Syncope: cardiogenic vs. vasovagal vs. orthostatic — risk stratification and admission decisions
  • Palpitations: workup, risk stratification, when to pursue EP referral
  • Risk stratification tools: HEART score, CHA₂DS₂-VASc, PERC rule

Why this lesson matters: The most common reason a cardiology APP gets called is one of these three presentations.

Lesson 4: Cardiovascular Pharmacology

  • Beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors, ARBs, ARNIs: mechanisms, indications, titration
  • Diuretics: loop, thiazide, mineralocorticoid antagonists
  • Statins, ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors: intensity selection, LDL targets
  • Antiplatelet agents: aspirin, P2Y12 inhibitors, DAPT duration
  • Anticoagulants: DOACs vs. warfarin, dosing in renal impairment

Why this lesson matters: Cardiovascular pharmacology is where APPs get burned most often — wrong dose, wrong monitoring, wrong drug for the indication.

Lesson 5: Cardiac Imaging & Invasive Procedures

  • Stress testing: exercise vs. pharmacologic, imaging vs. non-imaging, appropriate use criteria
  • Echocardiography: LV function, wall motion, valvular assessment, LVEF interpretation
  • Cardiac CT: coronary CTA, calcium scoring
  • Cardiac MRI: when it adds to echo, viability assessment
  • Cardiac catheterization: indications, basic hemodynamic interpretation, post-procedure care

Why this lesson matters: Ordering the wrong test at the wrong time delays care and exposes patients to risk.

Section 2: Disease Management — Lessons 6–14

Section 2 covers the bread-and-butter cardiovascular conditions you will manage in any cardiology practice. Each lesson is built against the current ACC/AHA guideline for that condition, with Class of Recommendation and Level of Evidence stated for every management recommendation.

Lesson 6: Coronary Artery Disease — Stable & Acute

  • Risk stratification for stable ischemic heart disease
  • NSTE-ACS recognition: NSTEMI vs. unstable angina, early invasive vs. conservative strategy
  • STEMI: recognition including LBBB/Sgarbossa criteria, reperfusion strategy
  • Guideline-directed medical therapy for all CAD
  • Revascularization decisions: PCI vs. CABG
  • Post-PCI and post-ACS management: DAPT duration, secondary prevention

Lesson 7: Heart Failure — HFrEF, HFpEF & Advanced

  • Heart failure classification: HFrEF, HFmrEF, HFpEF
  • HFrEF quadruple therapy: initiation, titration, and targets
  • Diuretic management: loop diuretics, decongestion monitoring
  • HFpEF: evidence-based management, comorbidity treatment
  • Device therapy: ICD indications, CRT selection, LVEF thresholds
  • Advanced heart failure: MCS, transplant criteria, palliative trajectory

Lesson 8: Cardiac Arrhythmias & Device Therapy

  • Atrial fibrillation: rate vs. rhythm control, anticoagulation, CHA₂DS₂-VASc, DOAC selection
  • SVT: AVNRT, AVRT, atrial flutter — acute and long-term management
  • Bradyarrhythmias: sinus node dysfunction, AV block, pacemaker indications
  • Ventricular tachycardia: sustained vs. non-sustained, ICD indications
  • Device basics: pacemaker vs. ICD vs. CRT — indications, programming overview

Lesson 9: Hypertension & Lipid Management

  • Hypertension staging, therapy selection, resistant hypertension workup
  • Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, white coat and masked hypertension
  • ASCVD risk calculators: PCE, when to calculate and communicate
  • Statin intensity selection: high, moderate, low — indications and LDL targets
  • Non-statin agents: ezetimibe, PCSK9 inhibitors

Lesson 10: Structural Heart Disease

  • Pericarditis: diagnosis, treatment, recurrence; cardiac tamponade; constrictive physiology
  • Cardiomyopathy phenotypes: dilated, hypertrophic, restrictive, ARVC
  • HCM: diagnosis, management, SCD risk stratification
  • Valvular heart disease: aortic stenosis, MR, AR, mitral stenosis — grading and intervention timing
  • TAVR and transcatheter mitral repair: indications, heart team referral

Lesson 11: Vascular Disease

  • Peripheral arterial disease: ABI interpretation, medical therapy, revascularization indications
  • VTE: DVT and PE diagnosis, anticoagulation selection and duration
  • Aortic aneurysm: screening, surveillance, surgical thresholds
  • Aortic dissection: Stanford classification, Type A vs. B management
  • Secondary prevention in vascular disease

Lesson 12: Preventive Cardiology & Special Populations

  • Diet, physical activity, tobacco cessation — evidence-based counseling
  • Coronary artery calcium scoring: when to order, how to apply results
  • Cardio-oncology: cardiac surveillance on cardiotoxic therapy
  • Cardiovascular disease in pregnancy: peripartum cardiomyopathy
  • Diabetes and cardiovascular risk: SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 agonists

Lesson 13: Critical Care Cardiology Essentials

  • Shock classification: cardiogenic, distributive, hypovolemic, obstructive
  • Vasopressor and inotrope selection: norepinephrine, dobutamine, milrinone
  • Temporary MCS: IABP, Impella, VA-ECMO — indications and basics
  • Acute decompensated heart failure in the ICU
  • Post-cardiac surgery complications

Lesson 14: Palliative & End-of-Life Care in Cardiovascular Disease

  • Symptom management in advanced heart failure
  • Goals-of-care conversations: prognostic disclosure, documentation
  • ICD deactivation: clinical and ethical framework
  • Hospice criteria for heart failure and advanced cardiovascular disease
  • Caregiver support and family communication

Section 3: Professional Development — Lessons 15–16

The final section addresses the professional skills that determine how effectively you practice cardiology — not just whether you know the clinical content.

Lesson 15: Professional Competencies, Communication & Practice Management

  • PA and NP role definition in cardiovascular medicine: scope, collaborative agreements, privileging
  • Billing and documentation: E&M coding, incident-to, split/shared visits
  • Transitions of care: hospital-to-outpatient handoffs, readmission reduction
  • Difficult conversations: serious news, goals-of-care, motivational interviewing
  • QI participation, burnout prevention, sustainable practice

Lesson 16: Career Development & Lifelong Learning in Cardiology

  • Self-assessment and reflective practice
  • Reading cardiology literature: trials, meta-analyses, guidelines
  • ACC, AANP, AAPA membership and resources
  • Cardiology subspecialty pathways for APPs: HF, EP, structural, interventional, imaging, prevention
  • Building niche expertise

Optional Module: Adult Congenital Heart Disease (30 minutes)

A focused introduction to the congenital heart disease patients you will encounter in general cardiology practice.

What Clinicians Say About This Teaching

The Academy is built from the same cardiology teaching Paul Logan delivered at the 2025 AANP National Conference. Written attendee evaluations from those sessions:

"The most engaging speaker at the conference."

"Best course I attended overall."

"Probably the best speaker/presentation I attended."

"Please have him back."

Anonymous written evaluations, 2025 AANP National Conference concurrent sessions. Multiple attendees requested longer sessions.

One Payment. Lifetime Access to All 16 Lessons.

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