Understanding our thoracic surgery workforce: Who, what, and where we practice

Area of Science:

• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Surgical Workforce Demographics
• Medical Education

Background:

• The composition of the thoracic surgical workforce impacts healthcare policy, training programs, and professional certification.
• A comprehensive understanding of the current thoracic surgical workforce demographics is lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the practice-based demographics of the thoracic surgical workforce.
• To explore geographic distribution, gender, age, subspecialty, and university affiliation within the field.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 2273 American Board of Thoracic Surgery Diplomates who took the Maintenance of Certification exam (2018-2024).
• Exam module selection (cardiac, general thoracic, cardiothoracic, congenital) served as a proxy for predominant clinical practice.
• Analyzed relationships between module choice and practice type, geography, gender, age, and university affiliation.

Main Results:

• Adult cardiac surgery dominated (46%), followed by cardiothoracic (24%), general thoracic (22%), and congenital (8%).
• A significant gender disparity persists, with women comprising only 7% of Diplomates.
• Younger surgeons trended towards specialized practices (cardiac, congenital), and most surgeons practiced in metropolitan areas (80%).

Conclusions:

• The thoracic surgical workforce is characterized by increasing subspecialization among younger surgeons.
• The low percentage of female Diplomates and the predominantly older, urbanized workforce necessitate strategic planning for future training and certification.
• This workforce analysis provides critical insights for the American Board of Thoracic Surgery and future workforce development.