The educational mission of the Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH)/Boston Children's Hospital Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program is to train surgeons to function as qualified practitioners of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery at the highest level of performance expected of a certified specialist. This includes providing an optimum number of a variety of adult cardiac, congenital cardiac and general thoracic operative experiences under the supervision of world class cardiothoracic surgery faculty, all of whom hold full-time teaching appointments at Harvard Medical School, to gain surgical skills leading to eligibility for American Board of Thoracic Surgery certification.

The residents' experience in this program includes comprehensive pre-operative, operative and post-operative care of all patients assigned to them. Caseloads for residents in the program at the time of applying for American Board of Thoracic Surgery certification have averaged nearly double the minimal requirements for case designations. Academic guidance and clinical instruction is performed in the operating rooms, ambulatory area, teaching conferences and research facilities.

In addition, we desire to train cardiothoracic residents for academic and leadership positions in cardiothoracic surgery. Each of the three services in this training program (cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery and pediatric cardiac surgery) have dedicated facilities for clinical and laboratory research.

BWH offers a position to one Army resident per year. The residency provides a broad exposure to cardiothoracic surgery with rotations at our affiliated community hospitals increasing the volume of cardiothoracic cases. The military residents will rotate for dedicated cardiac surgery and general thoracic surgery experiences at the West Roxbury Veterans Affairs Hospital. The program will include 16 months of dedicated thoracic surgical rotations, seven months of dedicated cardiac surgical rotations, and one month of congenital cardiac surgery.

BWH has multiple alumnus who served in the military from the Navy, Army, and Air Force who serve as mentors to the military residents.

For additional program-specific information, including clinical rotations/schedules, curriculum, and research opportunities, please visit the BWH Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency website.

To request an interview, please e-mail the Cardiothoracic Surgery Program Coordinator and include the following information:

• Name, military service, and scholarship program (HPSP, HSCP, USU, or currently on active duty as a physician), e-mail address, and phone number
• Curriculum Vitae
• Personal Statement/Letter of Intent (may use the same statement in your graduate medicine education application packet)
• Self-report of USMLE/COMLEX scores.
  • Include the number of attempts and whether or not you have failed any attempts.
  • If USMLE/COMLEX step/level 2 scores are not available, please provide the exam date, if scheduled.
• Self-report of any failed courses or clinical rotations during medical school.
• Self-report of current and/or previous adverse comments in medical school transcript, military, or GME records that will appear in your GME application. If you're unsure of what you should disclose, contact the appropriate organization that will be submitting the information for your GME application, e.g. your school’s student affairs office regarding your medical school transcript.
• Additional details about research listed on your CV, if applicable.