Dr. J. David Burkhardt selected his path in medicine because he loves a challenge. As he learned about Cardiac Electrophysiology, he found it challenging and cerebral and was intrigued. As he began to practice Cardiac Electrophysiology, he saw patients who had been told they had no hope; he was able to help them, and he was hooked.

Dr. Burkhardt received his medical degree from the University of Louisville School of Medicine. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Iowa in Iowa City. He then completed fellowships in Cardiovascular Medicine and Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology from the University of Kentucky’s Chandler Medical Center in Lexington and the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, respectively.

After completing his training, Dr. Burkhardt accepted a staff position in Cardiovascular Medicine as an Electrophysiologist at the Cleveland Clinic. In 2005, he was named Associate Program Director for the Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology Fellowship training program and director of Clinical Electrophysiology curriculum at the Lerner Case Western Reserve School of Medicine at The Cleveland Clinic. He has authored or co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, 10 book chapters, 100 abstracts, and has presented at numerous national and international meetings.

As challenging as he finds the practice of Cardiac Electrophysiology, Dr. Burkhardt also says it’s easy, because he loves what he does. If you love helping people, he says, if you love advancing science and changing the practice of medicine, then all obstacles are minor.