The Hub: Resources and Community for Your Early Career Journey

Trainee Hub

early surgeons

Early Career Surgeons

A collection of resources, programs, and advice for cardiothoracic surgeons in their first seven years of practice.
Mentorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery

Video
Mentorship in Cardiothoracic Surgery

Mentorship is an important component to success for many up-and-coming cardiothoracic surgeons. For established surgeons, being a good mentor is equally as important. Vinay Badhwar, MD (West Virginia University) moderates a discussion that includes Shanda H. Blackmon, MD, MPH (Mayo Clinic), Melanie A. Edwards, MD (Saint Louis University), and David D. Odell, MD, MMSc (Northwestern University) talking about how mentorship is critical to the future of the specialty and what STS is doing to promote mentorship for early career surgeons.

early career journey webinar

Webinar
How to Maximize Your First Six Months of Training

Join this upcoming Early Career Journey webinar to hear tips and best practices for navigating the start of your cardiothoracic surgery residency. Members of the STS Task Force on Trainee and Resident Development will share their perspectives as an I-6 trainee, traditional path trainee, junior faculty, and program director. They’ll discuss situations that may arise in early training, including developing surgical skills, preparing for nights on call, building your career trajectory, and maintaining personal wellness.

7 p.m. ET
Same Surgeon, Different Light 'You Belong' Scholars

Podcast
170; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ 'You Belong’ Scholarship Recipients

In the latest episode of Same Surgeon, Different Light, host Dr. Sara Pereira welcomes three recent “You Belong” Scholarship recipients — medical student Manuel De La Garza, Dr. Sanjhai Ramdeen, and Dr. Humberto Rodriguez-Quintero — to discuss the career paths they are forging as future leaders in medicine.

48 minutes
halub

Blog
Leading with Safety: Lessons from the 2025 STS Leadership Institute

The 2025 STS Leadership Institute meeting held in Chicago was a fantastic experience that far exceeded my expectations.  I was not only able to network and get to know many people in the field, but was also able to take away many lessons that helped me to determine the path I would like to take to become a better leader as I grow and mature as a surgeon.

2 min read
Meghan Halub, MD
Dr. Emily Farkas

Podcast
169; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Emily Farkas

Host Dr. Cherie Erkmen welcomes Dr. Emily Farkas, a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Indiana University School of Medicine, to discuss her unconventional path to becoming a trailblazer in global medicine. Dr. Farkas shares how she balances a clinical career in academic medicine with surgical missions around the world, and she reflects on her hope of serving as a model for the next generation of surgeons committed to giving back. As she puts it, “You can craft a career that’s a bit different from the rigid way we traditionally view cardiac surgery.”

52 minutes
greenleaf

Blog
Finding the Right Fit: A CT Surgeon’s Guide to Evaluating Job Opportunities

Starting your first job, or making your first move, as a cardiothoracic surgeon is a big step. The right decision can shape your professional and personal life for years to come.  You would prefer not to be that person who makes the wrong choice and who bounces from wrong job to wrong job for the next 10 years.

4 min read
Christopher Greenleaf, MD
Dr. Brittany Zwischenberger

Podcast
168; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Brittany Zwischenberger

Host Dr. Sara Pereira sits down with Dr. Brittany Zwischenberger, a cardiothoracic surgeon at Duke University, to explore her remarkable career journey. Dr. Zwischenberger shares how she briefly considered majoring in Italian Studies before deciding to follow in the footsteps of her surgeon father and mentor. She also opens up about personal challenges—including divorce and single motherhood—and how support from her surgical partners helped her become a respected clinician, accomplished researcher, and the first female associate professor of cardiac surgery at Duke.

45 minutes
Dr. Ian Bostock

Podcast
#167; S5: Same Surgeon, Different Light w/ Dr. Ian Bostock

Host Dr. Sara Pereira welcomes Dr. Ian Bostock, thoracic surgeon at Baptist Health Miami Cancer Institute and associate professor of surgery at Florida International University. Their conversation explores his journey from childhood in Mexico and his early passion for both biology and art, to an initial interest in transplant surgery—and how a serendipitous meeting at Starbucks helped shape his career path. Dr. Bostock also reflects on the importance of supporting trainees and early-career surgeons as they embark on their professional journeys.

40 minutes
mentorship

Blog
The Power of Mentorship: What I Learned from a CT Surgery Leader

In December, on the eve of our last winter break, medical students swarm the library like anxious ants, eager to hear advice from those who had survived the crucible of clerkships. Having nurtured an inclination for cardiothoracic surgery, I waited until the session was over to approach one of the panelists and get the insider information. 

4 min read
Alan Gutierrez
baedke

Podcast
#174, S5 Becoming A High-Performing Surgeon Leader

Laurie Baedke, executive coach, founder and CEO of Growth Edge Holdings, and best-selling author, talks with Dr. Michael Maddaus about “stepping outside your comfort zone” to grow professionally and personally in this episode of The Resilient Surgeon. They address the challenges of promoting high performers into leadership roles without equipping them with critical skills like communication, accountability, and influence. Listen today.

 

1 hr
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