Changes in Cardiothoracic Surgery Training Pathways: Three Decades of Evolution

Cardiothoracic (CT) surgery training pathways in the United States have undergone considerable changes to keep up with changing demands and interest in the field. We sought to characterize the temporal factors and trends in CT surgery training over the past 3 decades to inform prospective trainees interested in CT surgery.

The National Resident Matching Program (NRMP) database was leveraged for the thoracic surgery match data in the US between 1995 and 2025. Match years were categorized into Era 1 (1995-2003), Era 2 (2004-2014), and Era 3 (2015-2025), as visually informed by using a stacked area chart. Statistical analyses were performed according to distributions between eras and training pathways.

During Era 1, fellowship applicants declined, but consistently exceeded the number of positions available, yielding 92.8% of programs filled with an applicant match rate of 80.8%. Era 2 saw a marked decline in the number of applicants, with a steady decline in available positions, resulting in 78.2% of positions filled. There was no significant difference in USMD and non-USMD applicant match rates during this period (92.6% vs 89.9%, p = 0.052). Era 3 was characterized by a rising number of applicants for CT surgery fellowship and a stable number of positions offered, with 98.2% of positions filled and a match rate of 66.0%.

Current trends in CT surgery training may signal the beginning of an era where CT surgery training may be equally selective regardless of the training pathway.