Career Development Blog

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.

Conflict is inevitable in the high-pressure, high-stakes world of cardiothoracic surgery. Whether it's a difference in opinion during an operation, tension between surgical team members, or friction over program outcomes, the ability to manage conflict effectively is a critical—yet often underdeveloped—skill for surgeons at all stages of their careers.

Congratulations—you’ve landed the leadership role you’ve been working toward. After months (or years) of strategic effort, your appointment is finalized and the path forward begins. Whether you're stepping into a new position or pioneering an inaugural role, this change is as much about vision and preparation as it is about execution.

The 2025 Society of Thoracic Surgeon Annual Meeting was an incredible experience.  Los Angeles was a beautiful host city and it was great to see the resilience of the community after the tragic wildfires that caused unfathomable loss of life and property.  

The STS Annual Meeting is only a few short weeks away. Currently, we are preparing to gather for the 61st Annual Meeting of our Society, with the first being held in January of 1965 in St. Louis.

International medical graduates (IMG) are physicians who obtained their medical degree from a medical school outside the US. Moreover, US citizens who graduated from non-US medical schools are still considered international medical graduates.

There are so many ways in which we, as surgeons, lead teams—from our first day in practice, through the end of our careers. As we lead teams, we learn repeatedly that a cohesive and effective team works toward common goals, and that successful leaders inspire team members by elucidating and giving importance to those shared goals. But is having the same end goal enough?

Early career cardiothoracic surgeons have many important relationships that need to be managed and developed. The patient relationship can be excellent, a source of pride and healing, or damaging, a source of stress and contempt.

The STS oversees numerous workforces and councils with various focuses ranging from cardiothoracic clinical practice to databases to education to surgeon wellness.

As physicians, we spend the first half of our adult lives being told to always say yes. The goal is to build that CV so you can make it to the next step. Set a foundation to show you have potential and you’ll get accepted to medical school. Show academic, research, and leadership promise to land that coveted residency spot.

As physicians we are committed to caring for our patients, guiding them through physical and emotional traumas. Our training, especially as cardiothoracic surgeons, has taught us to be disciplined, self-sufficient, and strong. As cardiothoracic surgeons we deal with significant adversity and are resilient.