Educating tomorrow's cardiac and thoracic surgeons: a Canadian initiative

Societal, technologic, organizational and educational developments during the past 10 years have brought about increasing promises for change in the graduate medical education of cardiac and thoracic surgeons. These changes effectively lengthened training to 8'years and created a double standard for the education of a thoracic surgeon. A task force mandated by the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada nucleus committees in both cardiac and thoracic surgery and with the support of the Canadian Society of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgeons studied the problem and made the following recommendation: cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery should each become a primary specialty with its own nucleus committee. Each specialty would require 6'years' training, with the possibility of obtaining certification in both specialties after an additional 18'months training. Each specialty could also be entered after completion of full training in general surgery. The task force also urged the development of a curriculum to guide educational objectives in each specialty. These changes will produce a flexible, shorter, more focused program for cardiac and thoracic surgeons for both university and community settings.