The course is key to the mission of the International Society for Cardiovascular Translational Research (ISCTR), which is to shorten the time from discovery of a product until its approval for routine patient care. We believe that simultaneous consideration of the overall steps from scientific discovery to treatment will expedite the process. As a result, we developed this four-course certificate program in which all stakeholders — the FDA, medical device companies, pharmaceutical industries and health care payers — are represented.