Aspiring cardiothoracic surgeons must complete medical school course work and a residency in general surgery. It is after residency that the specialized training for cardiothoracic surgery begins in fellowship programs.
Residents in general surgery rotate among surgical departments -- such as trauma surgery, neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery and pediatric surgery -- to get a broad understanding of what being a surgeon requires. While partaking in the specialized fellowship, you will concentrate on the anatomy, physiology and embryology of the chest wall, lungs, diaphragm and esophagus, as well as learn surgical procedures, such as transplantation.
A fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery can take two to three years to complete. The total time for training as a cardiothoracic surgeon, including four years of medical school and a five-year general surgery residency, can take up to 12 years.