Pathways to a Career in Congenital Cardiac Surgery

Maureen A. McKiernan, MD, Subhadra Shashidharan, MD, Paul J. Chai, MD, Joshua M. Rosenblum, MD

Key Points

The pathway to certification in congenital cardiac surgery (CCS) is now standardized, following the creation of an Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) two-year fellowship and American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) subspecialty certification. To be eligible for a CCS fellowship, one must be certified in thoracic surgery via one of the formal ABTS training pathways. This chapter provides a summary of available pathways, but all formal up-to-date training and board certification requirements should be referenced on the ABTS website and official rules booklet.[1] Regardless of which specific pathway, the training for congenital cardiac surgeons is long and challenging, including additional exams and operative requirements. Overall, individuals who can progress beyond the early years in practice experience high levels of career satisfaction. However, ensuring adequate mentorship of junior faculty within a competitive job market remains an area of focus among those in the field.

There's more to see -- the rest of this topic is available only to subscribers.

All content is protected by copyright and may not be used for AI model training or other unauthorized purposes.