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Update on Outcomes of a Novel Pathway for Thoracic Surgery Training
John R Potts1, Mary E Klingensmith2,3, Walter H Merrill4
1From the Superior Value in Program Accreditation, Chicago, IL (Potts).
Journal of the American College of Surgeons
|January 10, 2024
Summary
The novel Joint Surgery-Thoracic Surgery pathway successfully trains thoracic surgeons, with enrollees exceeding national case numbers in thoracic surgery and achieving high certification rates.
Area of Science:
- Medical Education
- Surgical Training
- Residency Programs
Background:
- The Joint Surgery-Thoracic Surgery (JS-TS) pathway was established to integrate general surgery residency and thoracic surgery fellowship training.
- This novel program grants credit for 12 months of PGY-4 and PGY-5 years towards both general surgery and thoracic surgery credentials.
Approach:
- Data was collected from 14 institutions participating in the JS-TS pathway, including enrollee demographics and case logs.
- Enrollee case numbers were compared against national contemporary data for both general surgery and thoracic surgery.
- Certification data was obtained from the American Board of Surgery and the American Board of Thoracic Surgery.
Key Points:
- Eighty-seven enrollees completed the JS-TS pathway analysis.
- General surgery case logs showed fewer cases in most domains compared to national contemporaries, except for thoracic and endocrine surgery.
- Thoracic surgery case logs for JS-TS enrollees exceeded national averages in all major categories.
- A significant majority of enrollees achieved board certification in both general surgery and thoracic surgery.
Conclusions:
- The JS-TS pathway represents a successful alternative training model for thoracic surgery.
- This innovative pathway may serve as a model for other surgical specialties seeking new training avenues.
