How to become A Cardiothoracic Surgeon

• Cardiovascular Surgeon

What do  Cardiothoracic Surgeons do?

A  Cardiothoracic Surgeon would typically need to:

• Treat and provide surgical interventions for diseases occurring in the organs, bony structures and tissues that form the chest cavity
• Take the patient’s medical history and perform a physical exam to assess the patient’s condition and determine if surgery is necessary
• Order tests and review the results to identify abnormal findings; recommend, design and implement a treatment plan
• Manage and monitor preoperative and postoperative treatments and procedures, including the use of sedatives and antibiotics
• Run the patient and their family through the procedures before the surgery as a way of reassurance
• Operate on the patient to repair injuries or treat diseases for the sake of improving or restoring functions while adhering to established surgical techniques 
• Document and update charts and patient information to show findings and treatment
• Direct and coordinate the activities of other health staff within the multidisciplinary team, such as junior doctors and nurses
• Refer the patient to other medical specialists or practitioners when necessary
• Undertake ward rounds regularly and take outpatient clinics as required; complete associated administrative work, if need be
• Address lingering concerns or answer additional questions that the patient has about their health and well-being
• Help the patient take care of their health by discussing topics such as proper nutrition and hygiene

Cardiothoracic Surgeons work indoors in a sanitary and fast-paced environment with other medical personnel in hospitals, medical schools or the government. They may also need to spend time at outpatient clinics, team meetings and ward rounds. Travel between their offices and the hospital to care for patients is common practice. 

Most Cardiothoracic Surgeons work full-time for more than 60 hours per week. Long shifts, which may include irregular and overnight hours or being on call, are standard.

Finding a new job might seem challenging. Cardiothoracic Surgeons can boost their job search by asking their network for referrals, contacting employers directly, using job search platforms and leveraging social media. Self-employment is a viable option.

Cardiothoracic Surgeons are generally employed by:

• Public & Corporate Hospitals
• Medical Schools
• Clinics
• Research Institutes
• The Government

Healthcare associations, such as The International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT), provide unparalleled networking and educational opportunities. They offer all the certification courses members will need throughout their professional careers.

Affiliated Cardiothoracic Surgeons may attend conventions, seminars, and dinners frequented by peers, mentors, and other industry leaders. The events help them keep up with the newest breakthroughs and latest developments in the field, including plum jobs. 

• Regular contact with sick patients, hazardous chemicals and sharp instruments
• Emotional stress due to having to make life or death decisions at a moment’s notice
• Physical exhaustion due to long working hours spent bent over the operating table, paying close attention to minute details
• Increasing tendency to use robots for surgeries spells fewer jobs

To show their commitment to the long qualifying period, every applicant to a medical program needs work experience in their local hospital, doctor's surgery, nursing home, or mental health trust. It will help them understand some of the physical and emotional demands of a career in medicine.

Some teaching hospitals also offer work experience in their cardiology departments, specifically for secondary school students interested in a medical degree and a career as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon. It can be a helpful way to gain insight.

Read about the profession and interview/ job shadow experts working in cardiothoracic surgery to prove your commitment to course providers and prospective employers.

You will have the opportunity to gain significant hands-on surgical experience during the latter part of your medical school program. Developing a portfolio and choosing a surgical elective will go a long way towards improving your chances of acceptance to the coveted surgical residency programs. Become a member of your university’s surgical society and attend their events and skill sessions.

You will be able to further hone your surgical skills in cardiothoracic surgery and any sub-speciality you may opt for during your residency and fellowship programs.

Medical school is a must for aspiring Cardiothoracic Surgeons. Requirements are an MD (Doctor of Medicine) or DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) degree from an accredited medical school, a licensing exam­ination, a residency, and an internship.

Some locations offer prospective Cardiothoracic Surgeons the option to do a pre-med course or study subjects such as biology, physical science, healthcare at college. With entrance to medical schools remaining highly competitive, applicants submit transcripts, scores from appropriate medical college admission tests and letters of recommendation to help them stand out amongst their peers. 

Medical school typically takes four years to complete; two years of classroom work in anatomy, biochemistry, pharmacology, psychology and medical ethics followed by two years in a hospital or clinical setting with exposure to real-life medical issues.

Some medical schools offer combined undergraduate and medical school programs that last six to eight years. They may also offer combined graduate degrees such as MD/PhD, MD/MBA and MD/MPH.

Upon passing through the program, the freshly-minted MDs typically apply to highly sought-after residencies in surgeries and surgical specialities. Successful candidates complete a five-year general surgery residency and enter a two- or three-year cardiothoracic surgery fellowship program. You may have the option to choose a six-year integrated cardiothoracic residency program and gain more experience.

Some Cardiothoracic Surgeons may choose to undertake further training in sub-specialities like transplant surgery and thoracic aortic & endovascular surgery. If you wish to specialise in congenital heart surgery, you must complete an additional one-year fellowship; it is compulsory.

Take college preparatory courses in high school. English and speech classes will help you develop your research, writing, and oral communication skills.

Candidates who have graduated from an accredited medical school and completed residency apply to and pass a speciality certification exam to become board certified as Cardiothoracic Surgeons. Certification from an objective and reputed organisation can increase your chances of advancement and allow you to become an independent consultant.

Successful certification programs protect public welfare by incorporating a Code of Ethics.

By and large, residency training and passing a standard nationalised exam also entitles you to apply for licensure, although specific requirements may vary across regions. Contact your region’s medical board for precise details.

Performance, experience, and the acquisition of professional qualifications drive the career progression of Cardiothoracic Surgeons. They must consider whether their goal is to increase their income, practice more specialised medicine, teach, audit, write or move into an administrative role.

Speciality doctors who seek supervisory positions may advance from a Medical Lead (a lead consultant for a team), they may progress to Clinical Director (a lead consultant for a department) and possibly to Medical Director (a lead consultant for a hospital trust). Such roles include the opportunity to teach, research and undertake committee work.

Cardiothoracic Surgeons interested in teaching future generations of doctors may become Director of Medical Education, Training Program Director or Associate Dean in charge of the entire training program.

Provided there is no conflict of interest, you can choose to be a private and government Consultant. You may need to acquire a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) or gain significant experience in a senior fellowship or locum consultant position before you can become a Consultant.

Cardiothoracic Surgeons willing to network from the time of their residency and relocate have the best job prospects.

Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential in the healthcare sector for public wellbeing and career progression. It embraces several new learning objectives, educational methodologies, and novel technological developments, especially in education, management and IT. CPD is also required for the regular renewal of certifications and licences.

In some locations, Cardiothoracic Surgeons need to acquire a CCT to become Consultants. 

Reflective learning, interaction with peer groups, comprehensive inclusion, workshops, and professional publications educate, influence, support, and foster lifelong enlightenment in all career-grade Cardiothoracic Surgeons. 

Publish case reports and research, network, learn about related medical specialities and their recommended programs and collaborate with cardiology, pulmonary and renal teams to facilitate post-surgery patient treatment.

Cardiothoracic Surgeons can expect support and additional training from the academic institution or from Vitae, a non-profit global leader with over 50 years of experience in enhancing the skills of researchers. In partnership with governments, funders of research, professional bodies, trusts & foundations, universities, and research institutes, Vitae offers training, resources, events, consultancy, and membership.

To Save a Heart

Cardiothoracic surgery includes adult cardiac surgery, congenital cardiac surgery, general thoracic surgery and heart & lung transplant surgery.

Cardiac surgeons perform aortic surgery to replace enlarged/damaged blood vessels leaving the heart, coronary artery bypass surgery to detour narrowed coronary arteries and restore blood flow to the heart and heart valve surgery to repair and replace usually thin or leaking heart valves.

Thoracic Surgeons undertake pectus surgery to repair chest wall deformities, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) to treat thoracic disorders without opening the chest and lung surgery to inflate collapsed lungs and remove abnormal tissues.

Congenital Cardiac Surgeons treat diseases and correct damaging physical conditions in babies and children who have suffered from birth because of them. The surgeries attempt to repair an unusually narrow aortic or aortic and pulmonary valve, a hole between two of the heart’s chambers and transposed arteries.

State-of-the-Art Machines & Techniques That Will Make Your Heart Beat

The heart-lung machine can take over the functions of the heart for many hours, allowing for cardiac surgery with very little or no loss of blood. The CardioMEMS HF System, when implanted in the pulmonary artery, wirelessly sends data to the doctor, who can then adjust the person’s treatment if needed, often without a visit to the hospital.

The heart’s temperature is cooled during a surgical procedure to give the surgeon more time to perform quality surgery on a motionless heart. It is warmed and ‘restarted’ and resumes the pumping functions after the surgery is completed. Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) fixes stiff, narrowed aortic valves without open-heart surgery. It delivers the new valve through a thin tube called a catheter threaded into an artery in the groin and gently manoeuvered into the heart.

DIFFERENT MODELS OF MEDICAL PRACTICE

A Cardiothoracic Surgeon can opt for a specific practice model from among the prevalent ones.

Solo Practice

Suburban or rural areas with significant medical needs and less competition suit solo practice. Remember that while you can grow and develop your unique style of medical care, it involves considerable effort, time and financial risk. 

Group Practice

The group practice may comprise single-speciality or multi-speciality providers. Surgeons in this model enjoy financial security and have administrative staff so the physician can focus more time and energy on patient care. However, autonomy and decision-making ability decrease, increasing the risk of conflict around significant practice issues. Larger practices also tend to become more bureaucratic and policy-driven.

Employed Physician Practice

The Cardiothoracic Surgeon can focus on practising medicine because the employer takes over the practice’s financial and administrative responsibilities. However, your work schedule and activities will be controlled by those who develop the policies and procedures.

Other Types of Medical Practice

Some Cardiothoracic Surgeons work as independent contractors in a solo or group practice; they may share financial responsibility and flexibility in clinical practice but may not be free to make all decisions.

Locum tenens (literally “place holder”) is an alternative to more permanent employment. Locum tenens positions are temporary (up to a year) offered by practices, hospitals, or healthcare organisations with an unfilled clinical need. The compensation rate is generally higher than what the permanent position would suggest. Locum tenens allows physicians to gauge a specific type of practice or location without committing to long-term employment.

One of the most common diseases treated by Cardiothoracic Surgeons is coronary artery disease.

They have many a tale to tell of life and death on the operating table and many a challenge to overcome. Still, their patient’s heart is all that matters to these miracle-workers, aka Cardiothoracic Surgeons.

“If you are a student or resident with intelligence, drive, and stamina, who loves challenges, hard work and positive outcomes, who is results-oriented, loves working with your hands as well as your brain, and enjoys caring for others and interacting with highly competent physicians and other health care professionals, you should strongly consider becoming a cardiothoracic surgeon…” 

Nicholas T. Kouchoukos, M.D.