Becoming a Cardiothoracic Surgical Educator

Cardiothoracic training continues to evolve and is a completely different teaching environment than prior. Cardiothoracic surgical educators are tasked to ensure that all levels of learners are appropriately trained. To be an effective surgical educator, one must expand their skills beyond being content experts but also acquire knowledge of educational theory and formal training in how to teach effectively. Furthermore, applying a scholarly approach and engaging in scholarship differentiate a cardiothoracic surgical educator from a teacher. Therefore, the surgical educator academic track is different from a surgical scientist track in terms of skills, work performed, documentation, and promotion requirements.