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Education Personnel and Resources

Note: ACGME Common Program Requirements appear in bold.

Program Director

• There must be a single program director responsible for the program. The person designated with this authority is accountable for the operation of the program. In the event of a change of either program director or department chair, the program director should promptly notify the executive director of the Residency Review Committee (RRC) through the Web Accreditation Data System of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
• The program director, together with the faculty, is responsible for the general administration of the program, and for the establishment and maintenance of a stable educational environment. Adequate lengths of appointment for both the program director and faculty are essential to maintaining such an appropriate continuity of leadership.
• Qualifications of the program director are as follows:
• The program director must possess the requisite specialty expertise, as well as documented educational and administrative abilities.
• The program director must be certified in the specialty by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, or possess qualifications judged to be acceptable by the RRC.
• The program director must be appointed in good standing and based at the primary teaching site.

Responsibilities (program director)

• The program director must oversee and organize the activities of the educational program in all institutions that participate in the program. This includes selecting and supervising the faculty and other program personnel at each participating institution, appointing a local site director, and monitoring appropriate resident supervision at all participating institutions.
• The program director is responsible for preparing an accurate statistical and narrative description of the program as requested by the RRC, as well as updating annually both program and resident records through the ACGME's Accreditation Data System.
• The program director must ensure the implementation of fair policies, grievance procedures, and due process, as established by the sponsoring institution and in compliance with the Institutional Requirements.
• The program director must seek the prior approval of the RRC for any changes in the program that may significantly alter the educational experience of the residents. Such changes, for example, include:
• The addition or deletion of a participating institution or integrated institution;
• A change in the format of the educational program;
• A change in the approved resident complement for those specialties that approve resident complement.

On review of a proposal for any such major change in a program, the RRC may determine that a site visit is necessary.

• Promptly notify the executive director of the RRC using the ADS of a change in program director or department chair, or any additional program change that may significantly alter the educational experience for the residents.

Faculty

• At each participating institution, there must be a sufficient number of faculty with documented qualifications to instruct and supervise adequately all residents in the program. One designated cardiothoracic faculty member should be responsible for coordinating multidisciplinary clinical conferences and organizing instruction and research in general thoracic surgery.
• The faculty, furthermore, must devote sufficient time to the educational program to fulfill their supervisory and teaching responsibilities, including documented participation in the undergraduate curriculum. They must demonstrate a strong interest in the education of residents, and must support the goals and objectives of the educational program of which they are a member.
• Qualifications of the physician faculty are as follows:
• The physician faculty must possess the requisite specialty expertise and competence in clinical care and teaching abilities, as well as documented educational and administrative abilities and experience in their field.
• The physician faculty must be certified in the specialty by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, or possess qualifications judged to be acceptable by the RRC.
• The physician faculty must be appointed in good standing to the staff of an institution participating in the program.
• The responsibility for establishing and maintaining an environment of inquiry and scholarship rests with the faculty, and an active research component must be included in each program. Scholarship is defined as the following:
• The scholarship of discovery, as evidenced by peer-reviewed funding or by publication of original research in a peer-reviewed journal;
• The scholarship of dissemination, as evidenced by review articles or chapters in textbooks;
• The scholarship of application, as evidenced by the publication or presentation of, for example, case reports or clinical series at local, regional, or national professional and scientific society meetings.

Complementary to the above scholarship is the regular participation of the teaching staff in clinical discussions, rounds, journal clubs, and research conferences in a manner that promotes a spirit of inquiry and scholarship (e.g., the offering of guidance and technical support for residents involved in research such as research design and statistical analysis); and the provision of support for residents' participation, as appropriate, in scholarly activities

• Qualifications of Non-physician Faculty:
• Non-physician faculty must be appropriately qualified in their field.
• Non-physician faculty must possess appropriate institutional appointments.

• Other Program Personnel
• Additional necessary professional, technical, and clerical personnel must be provided to support the program.

• Resources
• The program must ensure that adequate resources (e.g., sufficient laboratory space and equipment, computer and statistical consultation services) are available.