I'm very unfamiliar with what are considered good training programs for cardiothoracics. I am familiar, however, with which programs have the best "reputations". I just can't put a finger on which programs actually allow their fellows to operate a ton and with a significant amount of autonomy. Cleveland Clinic is know for CTsurg but how much do their fellows get to do?

Other programs I question: Louisville (droliver, do you mind commenting on the training), UAB, Kentucky, Virginia, Duke, MCV, Arizona, Iowa, Colorado, Utah, Texas Heart, St. Louis, WashU, etc.

Pretty much any program not in the original 13 colonies?:p or in California. I don't want to live in those places.

I'm asking all of this for not only me for future reference but for a current 4th year resident who has the same question.

Thanks a lot guys/gals.

Evil,

The fellowship here @ UofL is VERY high volume for cardiac surgery & I think the fellows get great training. The thoracic part of it suffers a bit comapred to others as most of the general thoracic surgery is done by our trauma staff and a private vascular-thoracic group who work with us the general surgery residents. My general thoracic case #'s from gen. surg are pretty comparable to what the fellows will do and ends up being in the 90%+ among general surgery residencies usually.

I think similar biases towards mostly cardiac experience exists at most fellowships these days.

I know several of our best residents in the last 15 years here have done CT @ University of Florida, an incredible program from what I understand. One of my good friends just finished there & joined the faculty who was THE best resident I have ever seen.

Another friend just finished @ Baylor (houston) & really liked that program as well. Incredible resources there