Busy CT Surg fellow here. Have any questions? Ask away!

[Buzz Me]

Whats with the new territory spat with cardiologists? an attending mentioned some study thats bringing CT surgeons back into the black.

Which one is that? SYNTAX?

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[tiedyeddog]

I will preface this by saying my experience with NSGY is working along side them as interns (they do a year of Gen Surg), then our frequent shared patients during trauma.

Arduous as defined by what?

Length of training? The NSGY residents I worked with had a 6-year pathway - 5 years clinical, 1 year research. I'm on the 10-year plan for CT. If you're in an integrated program, this can be as short as 6 years (3+3)...if you did research in residency and are doing a traditional fellowship, this can be as long as 9-11.

Hours worked per week? I think the NSGY guys worked around 80-100 hours a week. 90-100 hours a week is a GOOD week for me now.

Malignant personalities? Beatdowns by attendings? Yelling during M&M? Both fields probably have a lot of that. But (and of course I'm biased), cardiac surgery is one of the fields that first comes to mind when you think of arrogant jerk attendings.

Amount of work that needs to be done (studying) while at home? Probably a toss-up. Research? I'd say they do more.

Longer, more painful cases? Both fields have this.

Busy call nights, lots of emergency cases in the middle of the night? Again, both fields have this.

Damn, 100 is a good week for you? How much worse can it get?

 

[Buzz Me]

Damn, 100 is a good week for you? How much worse can it get?

It can always get worse.

120-130 is a busy week for me here.

 

[Maali]

I'm really interested in the heart, lungs and esophagus for both personal and academic reasons even though I'm just a premed. I enjoy the anatomy of the esophagus and lungs especially. I was just wondering how hard it is to get a cardiothoracic fellowship. I did a bit of research and from what I see several spots go unfilled each year. Is this so? The link to the information I have is below. Thanks!

www.nrmp.org/fellow/match_name/thoracic/stats.html

 

[Buzz Me]

I'm really interested in the heart, lungs and esophagus for both personal and academic reasons even though I'm just a premed. I enjoy the anatomy of the esophagus and lungs especially. I was just wondering how hard it is to get a cardiothoracic fellowship. I did a bit of research and from what I see several spots go unfilled each year. Is this so? The link to the information I have is below. Thanks!

www.nrmp.org/fellow/match_name/thoracic/stats.html

The current trend has been that there are MANY more spots than applicants - somewhere around 70% fill rate each year. Obviously, the better programs are all super-competitive, and the programs located in less desirable locations, with more malignant attendings, or more horrendous call schedules, are the ones that don't fill.

But that's putting the cart before the horse. Study hard, do well on your MCAT, get a high GPA, give yourself the most options possible for a strong med school.

Edit: I just realized you only recently graduated from high school. SLOW DOWN! Take time to enjoy life, don't worry about fellowship so soon.

 

[The Buff OP]

I had asked this on the I6 thread, but those guys haven't got on in a long time. If a person is URM and they speak fluent Spanish do they have a better chance on matching into a CT integrated program, you know besides academics?

 

[No Limits]

I had asked this on the I6 thread, but those guys haven't got on in a long time. If a person is URM and they speak fluent Spanish do they have a better chance on matching into a CT integrated program, you know besides academics?

I'd imagine being URM doesn't help as much as having a great step 1 score, strong clinical grades, research, and having great LOR's. However, this is based off what my mentor (CT Surgeon) has told me. I'm just a pre-med.

 

[The Buff OP]

I'd imagine being URM doesn't help as much as having a great step 1 score, strong clinical grades, research, and having great LOR's. However, this is based off what my mentor (CT Surgeon) has told me. I'm just a pre-med.

Gotcha. Yeah, I know academics come into play as well. I was just wondering since most of those programs are flooded with ORM's plus I have been told if you can speak Spanish in a hosptial enviroment you are a godsend. lol

 

[No Limits]

Gotcha. Yeah, I know academics come into play as well. I was just wondering since most of those programs are flooded with ORM's plus I have been told if you can speak Spanish in a hosptial enviroment you are a godsend. lol

Lol, I don't think it hurts to be URM and to be able to speak fluent Spanish in a hospital with a diverse patient population though. Also, it seems most Cardiothoracic and Cardiovascular surgeons seem to not like the I6 programs very much... at least around here that is.

 

[The Buff OP]

Lol, I don't think it hurts to be URM and to be able to speak fluent Spanish in a hospital with a diverse patient population though. Also, it seems most Cardiothoracic and Cardiovascular surgeons seem to not like the I6 programs very much... at least around here that is.

You will hear different opinions. You see for me I know I will be like 30/31 when I graduate medical school and if by then CT is still on my mind I'm going for an integrated program.

 

[Jabbed]

Are you concerned that the demand for ct surgeons will decrease significantly as interventional radiology develops?

 

[No Limits]

You will hear different opinions. You see for me I know I will be like 30/31 when I graduate medical school and if by then CT is still on my mind I'm going for an integrated program.

Check this link out. It has some pretty useful stuff on the I6 programs especially toward the bottom
http://www.ctswot.org/advice-for-med-students.html

 

[The Buff OP]

Check this link out. It has some pretty useful stuff on the I6 programs especially toward the bottom
http://www.ctswot.org/advice-for-med-students.html

Thanks. I'll give it a look. Personally, I like I6 because as of now I have no intentions on doing surgery on the abdomen area. You know the regular pathway 5yrs GS then 2-3yrs fellowship. With I6 it's straight business then I can do a one year fellowship for transplants (Stanford).

 

[mousedoc1]

It can always get worse.

120-130 is a busy week for me here.

thank you so much for the thread buzzme -
i am new to sdn. IMG hoping to match gen surg this year. i thought the only thing i ever wanted to do was plastics - but new found interest in CT surgery has got me re-thinking that plan.

1. my perspective on CT surgery training is a little bit different since i plan on returning to my home country down the line - i am attracted to heart-lung transplants. was wondering if there are accredited or non-acmge fellowships that we can go into directly after gen surg for transplant?

2. how difficult is it for IMGs to get CT fellowships at some of the better programs - i am assuming since i will have trained in gen surg in the US i would be more or less on a level playing field with US grads when it comes to applying? how does your program view IMGs who have trained in gen surg in the US?

3. how much importance do the somewhat better CT programs place on where you did your gen surg training when deciding upon potential fellows? as you know matching gen surg at any program is an uphill battle for an IMG, matching at a good program(read big name) is almost impossible without doing 1-2 years non-desig prelim surg. that's sort of how it's playing out for me, i have interviewed for categorical positions at mostly small community programs and for prelim positions at some good programs (with the understanding that "if" i do "well" and they have a position available they will take me in - off course i take statement with a grain of salt). i am just thinking about my future fellowship prospects (CT or plastics) as i make my rank list.

4. how can a junior general surgery resident judge his/her technical aptitude for CT surgery? have you observed any fellows drop out or not do well in CT surgery because they were not technically proficient?

 

[roinom]

I read in the "ask neurosurgery resident anything" someone asking about surgical specialty that prefer not doing things endoscopically and CT surgery were mentioned together with plastics and optho. How is the trends in CT surgery if you think about open cases? What are the cases that would be especially hard to transform into an endoscopic case?

Some questions random questions:
(1) How much do you reason about hemodynamics and so on for each individual? I can see pediatric surgeon having to think a lot about this prior to surgery, but how much thought is needed before a bypass or so?
(2) The future of CT surgery: Will there be a broadening of the training you get during CT surg residency? For example, more endoscopic training etc..
(3) What skills do the best CABG-surgeons have? Are they naturally gifted with manual dexterity or are there any abilities that makes their results surpass others?
(4) It feels like thoracic surgery has more variety in it? It seems like the cardiac surgeon have either valve replacement or CABG, whilst the thoracic guys sometimes operate together with ENT on difficult tumors etcetc.

Thanks!

 

[DatBass]

I know this is toward M.Ds but for my sake will a D.O. that trains for CT Surgery be able to work at a hospital or will they be forced to go into doing their own practice or joining another?

 

[The Buff OP]

I know this is toward M.Ds but for my sake will a D.O. that trains for CT Surgery be able to work at a hospital or will they be forced to go into doing their own practice or joining another?

Good luck ever getting an answer lol. Furthermore, you say that (highlighted in bold) like it's a bad thing.

 

[Psai]

I know this is toward M.Ds but for my sake will a D.O. that trains for CT Surgery be able to work at a hospital or will they be forced to go into doing their own practice or joining another?

Having your own practice is the best thing. Working for a hospital is not as good. Working for a management company is the worst