Osteopathic Cardiothoracic Surgery

[FormerCorpsman]

I am interested in pursuing thoracic surgery, as I have been shadowing a wide range of doctors. In the military, I worked with several primary care physicians and anesthesiologists. After the military, I shadowed extensively (near 150 hours) IM physicians and cardiologists. As of now, I am shadowing an ENT, Gastro, and a thoracic surgeon. Thus far, thoracic surgery is really appealing. Therefore, I would like to inquire about osteopathic general surgery residency programs that have the potential to catapult an individual into a great thoracic surgery fellowship. I know the number of osteopathic fellowships are sparse, so please elucidate on ACGME fellowships that have admitted an osteopathic physician.

Also, does anyone know whether or not a D.O. has been admitted to an integrated allopathic residency? Any replies would be nice.

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[Chakrabs]

Integrated CT programs haven't been around for all that long, and are considered quite competitive. I personally have never heard of a DO being accepted into one of them. Perhaps post on the surgery forums? Also, get into a med school before thinking about what you may want to do for a living.

 

[The kitchen sink]

I am interested in pursuing thoracic surgery, as I have been shadowing a wide range of doctors. In the military, I worked with several primary care physicians and anesthesiologists. After the military, I shadowed extensively (near 150 hours) IM physicians and cardiologists. As of now, I am shadowing an ENT, Gastro, and a thoracic surgeon. Thus far, thoracic surgery is really appealing. Therefore, I would like to inquire about osteopathic general surgery residency programs that have the potential to catapult an individual into a great thoracic surgery fellowship. I know the number of osteopathic fellowships are sparse, so please elucidate on ACGME fellowships that have admitted an osteopathic physician.

Also, does anyone know whether or not a D.O. has been admitted to an integrated allopathic residency? Any replies would be nice.

are you in a medical school right now?

 

[WDeagle]

Didn't DMU have someone match into a thoracic surgery spot?

 

[FormerCorpsman]

Didn't DMU have someone match into a thoracic surgery spot?

After you stated this, I did some research and found this. Two of the three residents are DOs. And no, I am not in medical school, but I like to look forward and plan. I do not wish to be haphazardly wandering about during medical school trying to decide, which field to enter. Thus, I am taking the time now to shadow several doctors.

http://utcardiothoracicsurgery.com/education/thoracic.asp

 

[crmellon]

After you stated this, I did some research and found this. Two of the three residents are DOs. And no, I am not in medical school, but I like to look forward and plan. I do not wish to be haphazardly wandering about during medical school trying to decide, which field to enter. Thus, I am taking the time now to shadow several doctors.

http://utcardiothoracicsurgery.com/education/thoracic.asp

This is almost everyone in medical school.

It's good to set the bar high, however.

 

[crmellon]

The biosketches on the two DO residents are insane, by the way. It's pretty obvious that they were extremely competitive.

 

[DrPapa]

Dr. Harold Tabaie in Turlock, CA is a DO that went allopathic cardiothoracic. I'm not sure if he did integrated, however.

 

[The kitchen sink]

After you stated this, I did some research and found this. Two of the three residents are DOs. And no, I am not in medical school, but I like to look forward and plan. I do not wish to be haphazardly wandering about during medical school trying to decide, which field to enter. Thus, I am taking the time now to shadow several doctors.

http://utcardiothoracicsurgery.com/education/thoracic.asp

are you planning on going to an osteopathic school? whether or not you end up at an osteo or allo program, you seem to be on the right track. I would suggest shadowing physicians/residents from hospitals that have the residency and fellowship in what you want to pursue in the future. Facetime (as lame as it sounds) can go a long way and since your starting in Pre-med it will just give you that much more time.

 

[FormerCorpsman]

are you planning on going to an osteopathic school? whether or not you end up at an osteo or allo program, you seem to be on the right track. I would suggest shadowing physicians/residents from hospitals that have the residency and fellowship in what you want to pursue in the future. Facetime (as lame as it sounds) can go a long way and since your starting in Pre-med it will just give you that much more time.

I have been pretty dogmatic lately on pursuing osteopathic school. However, I know there are some complications (between ACGME and AOA) with getting board certified as a Cardiothoracic surgeon. After shadowing a thoracic surgeon this week for eight hours (3 in clinic and 5 in surgery), I am convinced that this is the field that I wish to enter. So, I am going to have to do some serious research and make some phone calls, in order to see which thoracic fellowship programs or integrated CT programs is amicable for board certification by the AOA. The fact that this complication exists is limiting. I just wish that the shenanigans and politics would leave medicine, but it seems that someone always has an axe to grind, a monopoly to protect, so on and so forth.

I am thinking of traveling TCOM and discussing the aforementioned dilemma with Dr. Yurvati, a Osteopathic Cardiothoracic surgeon who is the Chair of the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery. However, I need to focus on the MCAT, now that I know exactly what I want to do.

 

[DrMaximus]

I have been pretty dogmatic lately on pursuing osteopathic school. However, I know there are some complications (between ACGME and AOA) with getting board certified as a Cardiothoracic surgeon. After shadowing a thoracic surgeon this week for eight hours (3 in clinic and 5 in surgery), I am convinced that this is the field that I wish to enter. So, I am going to have to do some serious research and make some phone calls, in order to see which thoracic fellowship programs or integrated CT programs is amicable for board certification by the AOA. The fact that this complication exists is limiting. I just wish that the shenanigans and politics would leave medicine, but it seems that someone always has an axe to grind, a monopoly to protect, so on and so forth.

I am thinking of traveling TCOM and discussing the aforementioned dilemma with Dr. Yurvati, a Osteopathic Cardiothoracic surgeon who is the Chair of the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery. However, I need to focus on the MCAT, now that I know exactly what I want to do.

You only have to be board certified by the AOA if you do an osteopathic residency. If you do an ACGME residency, you won't have to worry about it.

 

[Oxer45]

I am interested in pursuing thoracic surgery, as I have been shadowing a wide range of doctors. In the military, I worked with several primary care physicians and anesthesiologists. After the military, I shadowed extensively (near 150 hours) IM physicians and cardiologists. As of now, I am shadowing an ENT, Gastro, and a thoracic surgeon. Thus far, thoracic surgery is really appealing. Therefore, I would like to inquire about osteopathic general surgery residency programs that have the potential to catapult an individual into a great thoracic surgery fellowship. I know the number of osteopathic fellowships are sparse, so please elucidate on ACGME fellowships that have admitted an osteopathic physician.

Also, does anyone know whether or not a D.O. has been admitted to an integrated allopathic residency? Any replies would be nice.

Last year a girl from my school went to integrated CT surg. Very few people know in med school early enough (2nd, 3rd yr) whether they want to even do surgery, let alone CT surgery. Its one of those fields you gotta try for early on. A few DO's go onto CT surg after gen surg every year. Most people doing CT surg fellowship are quite busy and are unlikely to come to SDN to give advice. So your best bet is to ask your school's dean. From what I can gather, going to CT after gen surg is doable. There are no integrated DO CT surg, but there are DO CT fellowships.
_MS4

 

[RM38]

There is really only one D.O. fellowship listed on the opportunities website and don't even list it as having any fellows, so your best option is really to do an Allopathic fellowship after residency. Luckily Cardiothoracic fellowships aren't super competitive currently and I haven't heard of any D.O. residents having a problem finding spots if that is what they want to do. I know PCOM has had several people match to good programs recently as well as several other programs. As others have said it is tough to know that you will still want to do TCVS when you begin to apply for residency until you have actually gone through your surgery rotation (rotation is WAY different than 8 hrs of shadowing. Remember I have worked many shifts >3x as long as that), but it is good to have a idea of what you want to do. Your first goal should be working as hard as you can to match into surgery as this year was a competitive year for the match and it will only get more competitive in the coming years.

 

[Whiskeypunch]

The only issue is if the ACGME ends up adopting that resolution that would make it so AOA residency grads can't do ACGME fellowships. It sounds like the AOA is going to fight hard though and the ACGME is backing down. We'll see.

My own thought is that there will be a gradual process where the AOA makes concessions in terms of independence and eventually allows MD's into their residencies.

 

[javeliina]

Any updates?

 

[DrEnderW]

Any updates?

On what?

 

[javeliina]

On what?

The ACGME resolution above

 

[DrEnderW]

The ACGME resolution above

Do a search or scroll down and you'll find a ton of threads with thousands of responses discussing it.

In brief, the ACGME and AOA were essentially agreed on a merger. The AOA pulled out last minute. The ACGME created the fellowship regulation as you saw above that would make it very difficult for DOs with AOA training to enter ACGME fellowships. The AOA and ACGME renegotiated and have agreed to a merger. The pre-accreditation process will begin shortly with all programs looking to be ACGME by 2020. This is all official now and makes the fellowship wording a moot point. As you will find if you read those threads, it is undetermined if and when there will be a joint match and if current AOA programs will have to hit all the ACGME requirements due to practical restrictions like size.

 

[javeliina]

Cool thank you

 

[Dr.Surgeon]

The biosketches on the two DO residents are insane, by the way. It's pretty obvious that they were extremely competitive.

They weren't as insane when they applied to residency. Most of those research/presentation/memberships were done after they graduated. And it lists a ton of stuff they did in undergrad too.
I like the: " manuscript submitted but wasn't chosen for a publication"

 

[W19]

I have been pretty dogmatic lately on pursuing osteopathic school. However, I know there are some complications (between ACGME and AOA) with getting board certified as a Cardiothoracic surgeon. After shadowing a thoracic surgeon this week for eight hours (3 in clinic and 5 in surgery), I am convinced that this is the field that I wish to enter. So, I am going to have to do some serious research and make some phone calls, in order to see which thoracic fellowship programs or integrated CT programs is amicable for board certification by the AOA. The fact that this complication exists is limiting. I just wish that the shenanigans and politics would leave medicine, but it seems that someone always has an axe to grind, a monopoly to protect, so on and so forth.

I am thinking of traveling TCOM and discussing the aforementioned dilemma with Dr. Yurvati, a Osteopathic Cardiothoracic surgeon who is the Chair of the American Osteopathic Board of Surgery. However, I need to focus on the MCAT, now that I know exactly what I want to do.

Welcome to medicine! I have been shocked as well to see how crazy the politics in medical school can be ... I am anticipating that it will be worst during residency and so on...

 

[Instatewaiter]

I have been pretty dogmatic lately on pursuing osteopathic school. However, I know there are some complications (between ACGME and AOA) with getting board certified as a Cardiothoracic surgeon. After shadowing a thoracic surgeon this week for eight hours (3 in clinic and 5 in surgery), I am convinced that this is the field that I wish to enter.

I just wish that the shenanigans and politics would leave medicine, but it seems that someone always has an axe to grind, a monopoly to protect, so on and so forth..

wow... a whole 8 hours?

That seems like plenty of time to be so dead set on a decision- you know since you didnt even spend a full day of work before you decided to jump whole heartedly into an 11 year pursuit

 

[bajastapler]

U don't see a lot of DOs BC most DOs unknowingly make themselves uncompetitive candidates. If u want something like what u mentioned. U need multiple basic science publications/presentations, case reports, high board scores, high clinical grades, basically a perfect CV, and most importantly a personality (lots of ppl forget the importance of likeability).
If u have literally everything than feel free to apply and be taken seriously. IMO, there's only a glass ceiling if u set yourself up for one

 

[nshalaby]

you should be cognizant that between now and the time you actually are applying for fellowship (7-8 yrs from now) things are gonna change. Baby steps man, focus on mcat, then medical school, then boards then maybe start talking about fellowships.