Ready to level up your STS experience? The Hub is back for STS 2025. A fun and vibrant space, The Hub will be the center of activity for programs, sessions, networking, and mentoring specifically for cardiothoracic surgery trainees and early surgeons. Check out the following schedule of daily activities.
Friday, January 24 LTTF Medical Students Program 9:30 - 10:45 a.m. Small Theatre
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The Hub made its debut at STS 2024.
By invitation only for the 2025 Looking to the Future (LTTF) Scholars, this session offers LTTF medical student scholars the chance to hear from CT surgeons and residents about the cardiothoracic field, including insights into their application and residency experiences. Upon completion of the session, participants will gain a clear understanding of how to navigate the application process for thoracic residency programs and the various types of CT surgery residency programs available.
Learn more about the LTTF program and how you can become a LTTF Scholar.
Photo Station 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Lounge Area
Update your professional headshot or have some fun with props at our selfie station. Be sure to share your pictures on social media!
STS Trainee Luncheon 11:15 a.m. - 1 p.m. Big Theatre
Leaders in CT surgery, including members of the STS Board of Directors, workforces, and task forces, will be seated with trainees to discuss topics of interest to residents. Discussion topics include subspecialty training, dedicated research time, interventional and catheter-based skills during training, gaps in diversity, training paradigms, the current job market, and addressing non-clinical training needs. Attendance is limited to trainees (residents, fellows, medical students, LTTF scholars) and invited faculty.
STS Trainee Symposium: Setting Yourself Up for a Successful Career 1 - 2:30 p.m. Big Theatre
Presented by the Workforce on Thoracic Surgery Resident Development, this essential session in The Hub will help residents and fellows learn how to find mentors, maintain professionalism, transition from resident to attending, interview for their first job, and manage student loans. Participants will gain the tools to secure mentorship for career transitions, maintain professionalism across settings, interview effectively, and manage student debt.
Heart Surgery 101: Concepts Your Faculty Wants You To Know 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. Small Theatre
In this session, you will explore a range of essential topics including Imaging 101, where you'll learn to read echos and understand guided CTAs and PA numbers. The session will also cover the process of writing and publishing a paper, determining when to call the surgeon, and identifying post-residency career pathways with a focus on advanced fellowships. Additionally, there will be insights into perfecting your anastomoses, understanding PTTAVR and TEVAR, and opportunities to get involved in robotic cardiothoracic surgery.
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The Hub will be the center of activity at STS 2025.
Saturday, January 25 How Medical Providers Can Build Wealth, Pay Off Debt, and Reduce Burnout
9:30 - 10:15 a.m. Small Theatre
In this presentation, James M. Dahle, MD, FACEP, a practicing emergency physician and founder of The White Coat Investor, will offer valuable insights into financial wellness. He will share a basic framework and actionable strategies to help attendees understand the link between financial stress and burnout.
Dr. Dahle will also provide practical advice on how to protect your most valuable assets and safeguard your loved ones from financial catastrophe. Additionally, he will discuss effective ways to build a nest egg, lower taxes, make smart investments, and ultimately achieve financial independence.
Challenges and Success of Parental Policies for CT Trainees 10:30 - 11:30 a.m. Small Theatre
This session will explore parental policies for cardiothoracic trainees, highlighting the difficulties of parenthood and family planning in this demanding field. It will provide insights into the experiences of partners of women cardiothoracic surgeons and feature a moderated panel discussion with program directors and trainees, offering a platform to discuss how to navigate the balance between career and family life in the specialty.
Winning Research: Presentations by TSF Awardees 11:45 a.m. - 1 p.m. Small Theatre
The Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF), STS's charitable arm, provides grants and scholarships that support research, skill development, and access to top mentors and cutting-edge technology. Join us for this session where recent awardees will present their research projects in 5–10-minute presentations, followed by a feedback session.
Early Career Roundtables 2:45 – 3:30 p.m. Big Theatre
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Make a point to engage with new people at The Hub!
Engage in focused, topic-driven discussions with experienced, senior surgeons and expand your professional network while learning how to advance your career. You will have the opportunity to explore subjects such as making the most of the STS Annual Meeting, discovering fellowship and award opportunities, and understanding the pathway to involvement and leadership within STS. Additionally, you'll learn strategies for managing your time effectively, negotiating contracts, transitioning from your first job, and gaining valuable networking tips.
LTTF General Surgery Residents Program 3 - 4 p.m. Small Theatre
By invitation only for the 2025 Looking to the Future (LTTF) Scholars, this session offers an opportunity for Looking to the Future General Surgery Resident Scholars to hear from CT surgeons and residents about the future of cardiothoracic (CT) surgery, their residency experiences, and the job search process. Participants will gain insights into navigating the application process for thoracic residency programs, as well as a deeper understanding of the CT surgery field and the job search process.
Learn more about the LTTF program and how you can become an LTTF Scholar.
Fiscal Issues Surrounding Modern Healthcare 4:15 - 5:15 p.m. Small Theatre
In this session, attendees will explore a variety of financial challenges facing contemporary healthcare, including the impact of government and private insurance, obstacles in academia and independent practice, the evolution since Medicare's introduction, and insights into future developments in the healthcare industry.
Sunday, January 26 Early Career Roundtables 9:30 - 10:15 a.m. Big Theatre
Participate in targeted, focused discussions with experienced surgeons on topics like becoming an OR team leader, avoiding burnout, personal wellness, financial health, knowing when to say "yes" or "no," building successful systems, and achieving early clinical success while networking and advancing your career.
This program is designed to help reduce Board exam stress by helping trainees prepare for the oral exam format. It includes online modules and resources that cover effective test-taking strategies, the structure of an oral exam, and key dos and don’ts. These materials are provided 1-2 weeks before the live session.
The course also features a live, 1.5-hour virtual role-playing session, where trainees work with mock examiners who present case scenarios, ask questions, and offer personalized feedback. Participants also receive a recording of the session for review.
Limited spots are available, and priority will be given to cardiothoracic surgery residents who are registered for the Annual Meeting and scheduled to take the ABTS oral examination in June 2025.
Hone your suture skills at the Suture Table! STS is offering this opportunity in collaboration with the Thoracic Surgery Medical Students Association (TSMA).
Learn everything you need to know about board exams and your path to certification. Visit the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) info table where the ABTS team will answer your questions, provide valuable resources, and offer guidance on taking the board exams.
Join us for this new program designed to help trainees and early-career surgeons enhance their interview skills. Sign up for a 30-minute, one-on-one mock interview session, including 20 minutes of practice and 10 minutes of feedback. Participants can choose between an academic-focused or non-academic session. Once your slot is confirmed, you'll receive preparation instructions, including a short online course on "pitfalls to avoid during interviews" and a reminder to bring your most recent CV.
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.
Early career surgeons should plan to attend this webinar on effective financial management of student loans, presented by an expert speaker from the White Coat Investor. The presentation will examine a variety of student loan considerations: loan repayment plans (IBR, SAVE, PAYE), loan forgiveness (Public Service Loan Forgiveness), refinancing, and making a personal loan management plan.
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.
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.
Application Deadline for 2025 Thoracic Surgery Foundation Scholarships Is September 15, 2024
In 2023, Dr. Chizoba Efobi was awarded the Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF) International Medical Volunteer Scholarship and used it to participate in a surgical outreach trip to Kampala, Uganda.
Dr. Efobi volunteered at the Uganda Heart Institute, located within the Mulago National Referral Hospital. There, he joined a medical mission group from the US to mentor local healthcare providers. Their goal was to help the local team become more efficient and increase the number of heart surgeries performed each year.
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Dr. Chizoba Efobi, joined by TSF Every Heartbeat Matters awardee Dr. Pranava Sinha on the surgical outreach trip to Uganda.
According to Dr. Efobi, what made this mission unique was its capacity to involve the entire heart care team at the Uganda Heart Institute, including cardiology, anesthesia, nursing, and clinical administration. The focus was on teaching, training, and skills transfer rather than the volume of cases performed.
“I observed a different model of upscaling skills and training not limited to surgery, but across the entire field of heartcare,” explained Dr. Efobi. “In this case, skills and knowledge transfer were given the highest priority and guided other activities. The results of the sustained local capacity building were very evident.”
Bringing the Lessons Home
Upon returning home to Nigeria, Dr. Efobi’s participation in the TSF International Medical Volunteer Scholarship positively impacted his hospital, including the recommencement of the open-heart surgery program. Patients are now experiencing “uneventful perioperative periods” discharge within a week and satisfying recoveries.
Learn more about Dr. Efobi’s mission experience as a TSF International Medical Volunteer Scholar in his personal blog.
TSF, the charitable heart of the STS, is currently accepting applications for its 2025 awards season with nearly $1.7 million in available funding. Award categories include research, education, innovation, and humanitarian outreach. The application deadline for most awards is Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024.
The STS oversees numerous workforces and councils with various focuses ranging from cardiothoracic clinical practice to databases to education to surgeon wellness.
Learn how to take advantage of everything the STS Annual Meeting has to offer, from educational sessions and networking opportunities. Special focus will be given to trainees and first-time attendees.
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.
The initiative, created with the Thoracic Surgery Medical Student Association (TSMA), aims to bridge the gap between seasoned professionals and the next generation of surgeons. It delves into the intricacies of cardiothoracic surgery and forms collaborative relationships between early careerists and students. The new program is an extension of the current STS mentorship program that matches trainees with senior surgeons.
The newly introduced medical student and resident mentorship opportunity is set to personalize the way aspiring surgeons acquire training, career advice, and other essential insights. The goal is to connect medical students eager for guidance with cardiothoracic surgery residents and fellows and facilitate a dynamic exchange of knowledge and experience. It is an expansion of the current STS mentorship program that matches trainees with senior surgeons.
Under this program, medical students are empowered to seek mentorship from residents and fellows, gaining crucial insights into cardiothoracic surgery as a specialty. The mentorship extends beyond theoretical knowledge, offering practical guidance on residency programs, the interview process, rotations, and other aspects vital for navigating the field successfully. This hands-on approach provides aspiring surgeons with a comprehensive understanding of the demands and opportunities within the specialty, aiding them in making informed career decisions.
Moreover, the program benefits residents and fellows too, giving them an opportunity to hone their mentorship skills while contributing to the development of future generations of cardiothoracic surgeons. By assuming the role of mentors, residents and fellows gain valuable leadership experience and the satisfaction of guiding and shaping the careers of aspiring professionals. Through this reciprocal relationship, both mentors and mentees contribute to the advancement of the field while fostering a sense of camaraderie and community.
Joseph Phillips, MD, thoracic surgeon, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, and chair of the STS Mentorship Task Force, expressed confidence in the program's potential to significantly impact STS Medical Student and Resident/Fellow members. He emphasized the importance of mentorship in nurturing talent and fostering a supportive environment conducive to professional growth.
“In a rapidly evolving field like cardiothoracic surgery, mentorship serves as a cornerstone for success, offering guidance, support, and inspiration to young surgeons as they embark on their professional journey,” said Dr. Phillips. “With this initiative, STS reaffirms its dedication to nurturing talent, fostering collaboration, and shaping the future of cardiothoracic surgery.”
It's just one more way STS is helping to cultivate a vibrant and resilient community of cardiothoracic surgeons poised to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.
