Unique program highlights include:

• Comprehensive clinical training and exposure to a large volume of pathology and surgical cases in general thoracic surgery, surgery for adult-acquired cardiac disease, and congenital cardiac disease.
• Preoperative consultations and evaluation of all disease entities.
• Training in an academic environment with exceptional research resources and the opportunity to publish in peer-reviewed journals and present at national specialty meetings.
• Extensive and comprehensive didactic and problem-solving conference schedules covering each of the three disciplines of the Thoracic Surgery Residency; Adult Cardiac Surgery, Congenital Heart Surgery, and General Thoracic Surgery. In addition, the conference schedules provide excellent preparation for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery examination.
• A professional and collegial atmosphere between medical and surgical specialties in all areas of medicine.
• Comprehensive department resources, including: 11 cardiac surgery and four general thoracic surgery operating rooms, 45 cardiac surgery ICU beds, and a large group of mid-level providers with Physician Assistants/Nurse Practitioners who provide pre-and post-operative care to cardiac and general thoracic surgery patients.
• A strong residency program with a long history (over 70 years) of experience training leaders in the field of thoracic surgery

Accreditation

The program fulfills the training requirements as defined by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).

Certification

After successfully completing the program, you are eligible to take the certification examination offered by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.

Program history

The Thoracic Surgery Residency at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, began in 1951. Many surgical innovations still employed throughout the world were developed by general thoracic surgeons at Mayo Clinic.

• The first practical clinical application of cardiopulmonary by-pass to enable cardiac surgical operations was performed at Mayo Clinic in 1955.
• Thoracic Surgery Residency training began at Mayo in 1951 and over 150 surgeons have graduated from the program since then.
• Seven Mayo surgeons have served as President of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery; four Mayo surgeons have served as President of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons

We anticipate that three trainees will complete this program annually.

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