The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery has developed a mandatory weekly Educational Day. This includes:

• Thoracic Surgery Educational Conferences: every first and third Wednesday of the month from 6:30-10:30 AM. The Thoracic Educational Day includes Thoracic Grand Rounds, Thoracic Oncology Tumor Board, Thoracic Morbidity and Mortality Conference, TSRA Mock Oral Boards, Interesting Case Conference, and Thoracic Journal Club.
• Cardiac Surgery Educational Conferences: every second and fourth Wednesday of the month from 6:30– 10:00 AM.  Cardiac Educational Day includes Cardiac Grand Rounds, Cardiac Morbidity and Mortality Conference, Cardiac Case Conference, and Cardiac Journal Club.

Residents are excused from all clinical responsibilities to participate to the fullest extent in these educational conferences.   Advanced Fellows are strongly encouraged to attend and are provided time away from clinical responsibilities to do so.

Grand Rounds

The primary didactic educational component of the training program is the Cardiothoracic Surgery Grand Rounds which take place on Wednesday mornings with faculty, residents and mid-level providers.   Topics are chosen following the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA) Core curriculum, a web-based series of lectures covering the basics of cardiothoracic surgical anatomy, physiology, diagnosis and surgical therapy. 

Conference topics are assigned to Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery faculty members, faculty from related specialties (pulmonologists; oncology; electrocardiology; perfusion; echocardiology; cardiothoracic transplantation),invited Visiting Professorships, as well as our own resident and fellow trainees. 

In conjunction with each Visiting Professorship is an afternoon of clinical case and research presentations by the residents.  The visiting professor questions, interprets and directs discussion, providing an excellent opportunity for comparative perspective and analysis.  The Grand Rounds Schedule is organized by assigned Thoracic and Cardiac Faculty members chosen by the Program Director and rotates on an annual basis.