The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the Drexel University College of Medicine offers one ACGME-accredited position in cardiothoracic training each year. The training program lasts three years, and is designed to provide the trainee with all of the skills necessary to be an outstanding cardiothoracic surgeon, both inside and outside of the operating room. The duties and responsibilities of the cardiothoracic trainee increase over the course of the training program. The first year is focused on learning the basics of cardiac and thoracic surgical care, including harvesting of the internal mammary artery, cannulation for and management of cardiopulmonary bypass and learning to perform coronary artery bypass grafts. The trainee begins to learn the techniques of valve repair and replacement, cardiac transplantation and the use of ventricular assist devices.

The second clinical year is split into two 6-month rotations. The first is dedicated to pediatric cardiac surgery, and occurs at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia. The second rotation is adult thoracic, and focuses on benign and malignant diseases of the chest. This rotation occurs at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. Both of these rotations provide an excellent exposure to these areas of cardiothoracic diseases and their management.