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Since inception, the Division of Thoracic Surgery has had a strong commitment to the training and education of medical students, general surgical residents, and fellows in cardiothoracic surgery. The program has grown steadily over the years. In 1988, a 4th year medical student rotation in Thoracic Surgery was established in conjunction with Harvard Medical School. This rotation attracts students from Harvard and other prominent medical schools in North America and around the globe. Students from Harvard who rotate on the BWH core surgical clerkship also have an opportunity to select an elective in General Thoracic Surgery.
The Division of Thoracic Surgery collaborates closely with the Division of Cardiac Surgery in training cardiothoracic surgeons. The Thoracic Surgery Training Program, co-directed by Drs. Raphael Bueno (Director) and Phillip C. Camp (Associate Director), covers all aspects of the discipline (adult cardiac surgery, congenital cardiac surgery, and general thoracic surgery).
In 1990, the Cardiothoracic Training Program expanded its residency positions to accommodate two residents per year. Then, in 1992, a General Thoracic Surgery Training Track was established by approval of the Residency Review Committee of the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), and the residency program was expanded to three residents per year. The BWH program was the first general thoracic surgery track to be established in the US. In 2005, the ACGME granted the Thoracic Residency Program a fourth categorical position (again in general thoracic surgery) bringing the total resident complement to four per year. The Thoracic Surgery Residency Program at BWH and Children’s Hospital trains two residents per year in the cardiothoracic track and two residents per year in the general thoracic surgery track. Thus, the BWH is the only program in the US to have two general thoracic surgery slots.
The resident training schedule differs for each track. In the first year of the general thoracic surgery track, residents spend 6 months on the Thoracic Surgical Service (as chief residents) and 6 months in the adult and congenital cardiac surgery service. In the second year, residents spend 6 months on the Thoracic Surgical Service, 3 months on the Cardiac Surgical Service, and 3 months on an elective rotation in radiology, pathology, medical oncology, radiation oncology, pediatric cardiac surgery, or lung transplantation.
For more information, please visit our residency program page on the Brigham and Women’s Hospital website at:
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/surged/Medical/Cardiothoracic.aspx
The General Thoracic Surgery Fellowship program is designed to provide general thoracic surgery training either to physicians with previous cardiothoracic surgical training who seek specialized skills in this discipline, or to individuals who are planning to attend an accredited fellowship and wish to have additional experience in general thoracic surgery.
Duties cover all aspects of thoracic surgical patient care, with a particular focus on complex cancer surgery, in-depth experience with intraoperative thoracic pathology, and surgical techniques. Fellows participate in the preoperative evaluation and in decision-making related to patient care. Fellows also participate in the postoperative care of thoracic surgical patients. They take part in daily rounds, cover the operating room, take call, and participate in patient care at the inpatient and outpatient levels. At the end of this fellowship year, each fellow will have participated under supervision in nearly 300 procedures and will be well trained in all aspects of general thoracic surgery.
Fellows also have the opportunity to participate in clinical research and chart review under the guidance of attending mentors.
The educational content of the training program includes daily didactic teaching sessions with the attending staff, morbidity and mortality conferences, core curriculum in thoracic surgery, the Esophageal Conference, Pathology/Radiology/Surgery Conference, and teaching conferences in collaboration with the Department of Surgery and the Division of Thoracic Surgery at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital.
For the two-year program, responsibilities are matched to individual experience and ability. Responsibilities increase as fellows mature and gain experience with more complex cases at all levels of care.
Inquiries should be addressed to:
Raphael Bueno, M.D.
Program Director, Thoracic Surgery Residency Program
Brigham and Women’s Hospital
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
In 1993, the Division established a fellowship in Thoracic Oncology. To be eligible for this fellowship, individuals must have completed their general surgical training. Fellows receive one year of intensive study in the field of thoracic oncology with an emphasis on clinical research. All fellows take an intensive course in clinical epidemiology developed by Dr. Lee Goldman at the Harvard School of Public Health. The goal of this fellowship is to gain knowledge in prospective clinical research and in the construction and development of clinical trials. Fellows also work directly with Dr. Sugarbaker to perform clinical research and participate in some patient care.
Candidates for non-ACGME clinical fellowships should submit a copy of their curriculum vitae along with a letter of inquiry summarizing previous training and specific interests within the field of thoracic surgery. Inquiries should be addressed to:
David J. Sugarbaker, M.D.
Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery
Brigham and Women's Hospital
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115
The Division has worked closely with Critical Care Medicine to establish and support a Critical Care Fellowship. The Critical Care Fellow currently coordinates the pre- and postostoperative care of lung transplant patients and other critically ill patients under the care of the Thoracic Surgery Division. The duration of this fellowship is four months.
Comments about this website may be directed to: kzahner@partners.org
NOTICE: This email is not for medically related issues. Comments or concerns regarding patient-related care should be directed to the Thoracic Surgery Clinic at 617-732-6824.
©2010, Division of Thoracic Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital. All rights reserved.
Division of Thoracic Surgery
Brigham and Women's Hospital
75 Francis Street
Boston, MA 02115