Education

Program Requirements for Residency Education in Thoracic Surgery.

Note: ACGME Common Program Requirements appear in bold.

Definition and Scope of the Specialty

Thoracic Surgery encompasses the operative and perioperative care and the critical care of patients with pathologic conditions within the chest. This includes the surgical care of coronary artery disease; cancers of the lung, esophagus, and chest wall; abnormalities of the great vessels and heart valves; congenital anomalies of the chest and heart; tumors of the mediastinum; diseases of the diaphragm; and management of chest injuries.

Duration and Scope of Education

Before admission to a thoracic surgery residency program, the resident must have documented completion of a general surgery residency program accredited by either the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
The length of the educational program required for the acquisition of the necessary knowledge, judgment, and technical skills in the specialty is two years. Any program extended beyond these minimum requirements must present a clear educational rationale consistent with these program requirements and must be approved in advance by the RRC.
Prior to admission to the program, each resident must be notified in writing of the length of the process.

What are the Core Competencies?

At its February 1999 meeting, the ACGME endorsed six general competencies for residents:

Patient Care
Medical Knowledge
Practice-Based Learning and Improvement
Interpersonal and Communication Skills
Professionalism
Systems-Based Practice

Since then, these competencies have been incorporated into the Institutional Requirements and all sets of Program Requirements effective July, 2002.

ACGME Competencies

The residency program must require that its residents obtain competence in the six areas detailed below to the level expected of a new practitioner. Programs must define the specific knowledge, skills, behaviors, and attitudes required and provide educational experiences as needed in order for residents to demonstrate their competancy.

Patient Care that is compassionate, appropriate, and effective for the treatment of health problems and the promotion of health. Surgical residents must:

Demonstrate manual dexterity appropriate for their training level; and
Be able to develop and execute patient care plans appropriate for the resident's level.

Medical Knowledge about established and evolving biomedical, clinical, and cognate (eg. epidemiological and social-behavioral) sciences and the application of this knowledge to patient care. Surgical residents are expected to:

Critically evaluate and demonstrate knowledge of pertinent scientific information.

Practice-Based Learning and Improvement that involves investigation and evaluation of their own patient care, appraisal and assimilation of scientific evidence, and improvements in patient care. Surgical residents are expected to:

Critique personal practice outcomes; and
Demonstrate a recognition of the importance of lifelong learning in surgical practice.

Interpersonal and Communication Skills that result in effective information exchange and collaboration with patients, their families, and other health professionals. Surgical residents are expected to:

Communicate effectively with other health care professionals;
Counsel and educate patients and families; and
Effectively document practice activities.

Professionalism as manifested through a commitment to carrying out professional responsibilities, adherence to ethical principles, and sensitivity to a diverse patient population. Surgical residents are expected to:

Maintain high standards of ethical behavior;
Demonstrate a commitment to continuity of patient care; and
Demonstrate sensitivity to age, gender, and culture of patients and other healthcare professionals.

Systems-Based Practice as manifested by actions that demonstrate an awareness of and response to the larger context and system of healthcare, and ability to effectively call on system resources to provide optimal care. Surgical residents are expected to:

Practice high-quality, cost-effective patient care;
Demonstrate a knowledge of risk-benefit analysis; and
Demonstrate an understanding of the role of different specialists and other healthcare professionals in overall patient management.