Our Program

The residency training program in cardiothoracic surgery is two years in length, and — upon successful completion — leads to eligibility for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery Examination. Applicants to the cardiothoracic surgery residency program must have completed a residency in surgery and either be eligible for or successfully have taken, the examination given by The American Board of Surgery. While a background including basic research experience is desirable, it is not mandatory.

Three residents are selected each year to begin a Cardiothoracic Residency on July 1. Two, who are selected by the faculty of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, are in a cardiac or thoracic track. The third resident, who is selected by the faculty at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, is in a non-cardiac track.

The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery participates in the annual National Residency Match Program. All applciations are processed through ERAS (Electronic Residency Application Service). For those who wish to apply, please visit: http://www.aamc.org/audienceeras.htm

Year One

The first year includes experience at both Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) and at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. The length of time that the individual resident spends on these two services is somewhat flexible and depends on whether the resident's primary interest is in cardiac or non-cardiac surgery.

During the time spent at MSKCC, the resident is the ranking member of the Thoracic Surgery House Staff. This service affords the resident a voluminous experience in endoscopies and surgical treatment of diseases of the lung, esophagus, mediastinum and chest wall.

The first year at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital is spent performing cardiac and non-cardiac thoracic surgery, seeing consultations for the Thoracic Surgery service, and making rounds with the Chief of Service. Over 1,000 open heart surgery cases are performed per year; of this total approximately 600 include coronary artery bypass grafts. Approximately 10% of the total are pediatric cardiac cases; approximately 10% are non-pump cases and 90% are pump cases. This volume provides ample exposure and opportunity to participate as primary surgeon as well as first assistant in all areas of cardiac surgery, including mitral and aortic valve replacements, myocardial revascularization, aneurysm surgery, congenital cardiac surgery and arrhythmia surgery.

Out-patient office visits including consultations, post-operative appointments, and re-evaluations number approximately 3,400 per year. The residents are present during patient office hours and assist in the care of the patients.

Year Two

The second year is spent, for the two cardiac track residents, as the Chief House Officer on the Cardiothoracic Service at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. For those residents who are more interested in non-cardiac surgery, provisions usually can be made to spend additional time at MSKCC. The non-cardiac track resident will spend half of the second year at MSKCC and half at another program elective.

Enhanced Rotation

WMC Cardiothoracic Surgery program has developed its own thoracic track rotation with 1 thoracic and 1 cardiac match every other year for residents interested in thoracic surgery. Thoracic rotation will be matched every other year on the odd year, eg:
2009 Thoracic Rotation ( 1 thoracic and 1 cardiac) - 2010 Cardiac Rotation (2 cardiac). The rotations will be assigned as follows:

Cardiac rotation(on an even year):

Year One: 6 months Adult/Pediatric cardiac (WMC)
6 months Thoracic (MSKCC)

Year Two 12 months Adult cardiac (WMC)

For a total of 18 months cardiac and 6 months thoracic rotation during the 2 year training period.

Thoracic rotation (on an odd year):

Year One: 3 months Thoracic (WMC)
3 months Thoracic (MSKCC)
6 months Adult/Pediatric cardiac (WMC)

Year Two: 6 months Thoracic (WMC)
6 months Adult cardiac (WMC)

For a total of 12 months thoracic and 12 cardiac rotation during the 2 year training period.

The program will still be matching 2 spots every year through NRMP. Those interested in the thoracic track at NYPH will be eligible during the 2011 match.

Practical Information

There are fours weeks paid vacation per year for each resident and the resident is given an annual expense paid trip to one of the major thoracic surgical meetings.

Conferences and Meetings

Weekly conferences include:

• Pediatric/Cardiac Surgical Conference
• Thoracic Mortality and Morbidity Conference
• Adult Cardiac Catheterization Conference
• Surgical Grand Rounds
• General Surgery Mortality and Morbidity Conference
• Walking Rounds with the Chief of the Division and the entire cardiothoracic team
• Weekly SESATS Review

Monthly meetings include a Combined Thoracic Didactic Conference and a Combined Thoracic-Pulmonary Surgical Conference.

Full-time Faculty

NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell MSKCC Chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief O. Wayne Isom, MD Vice-chairman of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Attending Surgeon Karl H. Krieger, MD Chief, Division of Thoracic Surgery and Attending Surgeon Nasser K. Altorki, MD Attending Surgeons Leonard N. Girardi, MD Samuel J. Lang, MD Anthony Tortolani, MD Associate Attending Surgeons Jonathan Chen, MD Charles Mack, MD Leonard Young Lee, MD Paul Lee, MD Jeffrey L. Port, MD Assistant Attending Surgeons Subroto Paul, MD Arash Salemi, MD Brendon M. Stiles, MD Attending Surgeons Manjit Bains, MD Valerie Rusch, MD Robert Downey, MD Raja Flores, MD Bernard Park, MD Nabil Rizk, MD Prasad Adusumilli, MD David Finley, MD James Huang, MD

Contact


Jeannette Torres, Program Coordinator
Amanda Wampler, Assistant Program Coordinator
Telephone: (212) 746-5174
Fax: (212) 746-8080
E-mail: ctsurgery-resident@med.cornell.edu


For those interested in a non-cardiac track, please contact:

Dorrel Granderson, Program Coordinator
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
Telephone: (212) 639-2805
Fax: (212) 717-3682
E-mail: granderd@mskcc.org