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Cardiothoracic Surgery

What is Cardiothoracic Surgery? It is surgery which is performed on the organs inside the chest such as the heart and also on the bone structure and tissue that form the chest cavity. Education Pathway to becoming a Cardiothoracic Surgeon First of all, they need to complete four years of college after high school. The major can be any major of their choice, but they need to complete all the prerequisites necessary to apply to medical school. The next step is to write the MCAT, it is an exam which is necessary in order to get into medical school. Along with a good MCAT score and a good GPA, they also need some good extra curriculars which makes them stand out. That can include volunteering at a hospital, being a scribe, doing some reach, working at a clinic, shadowing a doctor, etc.

Next, they need to apply and get into medical school. They can either earn a MD or a DO. Medical School lasts for four years, the first two are pre clinical years, it mostly involves lectures and learning in a classroom environment. The next two are clinical years where they will go through rotations in different specialties. After medical school they need to apply and get matched into a residency. Here, they have a few options, they can take either the traditional pathway, integrated pathway or the Fast Track Pathway. ​ If they take the traditional pathway then they will take 7-8 years to finish. Their first five years will be a general surgery residency after which they will apply for a position as a cardiothoracic surgery resident. After completing their training they will be certified by the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. If they finish they can continue by pursuing a fellowship in thoracic surgery, heart failure/ transplant surgery, etc. If they take the integrated pathway then they will take 6 years to finish. They will directly apply to a cardiothoracic surgery residency. After completing the integrated residency they are eligible to be certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery but they will have to wait to get certified by the American Board of Surgery. If the fast track pathway is taken they will complete their training in 7 years. They must apply to a general surgery residency program who offer the fast track pathway. The completion of this pathway will allow the resident to be certified by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and by the American Board of Surgery. Typical Life of a Cardiothoracic Surgeon Some commonly performed surgeries by cardiothoracic surgeons are Heart Valve Repairs/Replacements, CABG, Heart Transplant and Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery. They work about 60 to 84 hours a week. Some of their responsibilities include determining the method of treatment, reviewing patient history, charting, identifying tests and of course performing surgery. The average salary of a cardiothoracic surgeon is 300k-710k per year. Important Points to Consider Cardiothoracic surgery is one of the specialties which requires the longest amount of training. There will be a grueling amount of pressure, stress and work you have to put in. So, unless you are very passionate you might crack. Also, cardiothoracic surgeons do some of the riskiest surgeries. So remember, if you consider becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon there will be a lot depending on you.

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