While medical school requires four years of basic sciences and clinical exposure, cardiothoracic surgery training often takes root in the student's first years of general surgery residency. During a student's senior year of medical school, she will secure a faculty advisor to help determine an appropriate pathway of study. The general surgery residency exposes students to various surgical disciplines, including cardiothoracic surgery. Many programs also encourage students to spend a year or two in research. At some point during general surgery training, students apply for a cardiothoracic surgery residency.
According to The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, there are three cardiothoracic surgery-training pathways that vary dramatically. A traditional cardiothoracic surgery residency requires medical students complete five years general surgery training and two to three years cardiothoracic surgery training.
At least 10 cardiothoracic surgery residency programs in the U.S. offer a fast-track pathway. With this program, students apply for cardiothoracic surgery residency during year two of their general surgery residency, but must remain with the same institution. Residents are exposed to various fields of surgery and spend four years in general surgery and three years in cardiothoracic surgery training.
After medical school, students may choose an integrated pathway and apply to a six-year cardiothoracic surgery-training program. Other surgery fields important to cardiovascular and thoracic conditions are also part of integrated clinical training. Integrated pathway often allows for extended training in robotic and minimally invasive technologies.
All pathways are supervised and progressive training programs in which residents develop surgical experience, technical ability, decision-making skills and high-level responsibility. Clinical training provides the opportunity for a more detailed focus on specialty practices such as pediatric heart surgery, heart transplantation or lung and esophageal disorders.
Upon completion of traditional or fast-track surgery pathways, residents are eligible for American Board of Surgery certification and American Board of Thoracic Surgery certification. Integrated pathway residents are only eligible to sit for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery certification.