Overview:

The faculty of UT Health San Antonio Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery welcomes your interest in the six-year Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery program. We began training our first integrated resident in 2009 and are one of the more mature integrated programs in the country. The course of study is specifically designed to efficiently provide the very best training through an integrated, multidisciplinary, competency-based approach.

The integrated curriculum is divided into two distinct phases of training: Foundations and Thoracic Surgery. The Foundations curriculum includes rotations in cardiothoracic surgery, general surgery, vascular surgery, transplant, pediatric surgery, trauma and emergency surgery, cardiology, pulmonary, radiology, and simulation training. The Thoracic Surgery curriculum consists of graduated rotations in adult and congenital cardiothoracic surgery. Graduates are eligible for certification by The American Board of Thoracic Surgery and fully competent in all areas of cardiothoracic surgery.

Our faculty chose the cardiothoracic surgery career path because it offers unique rewards. Our entire team is committed to providing an environment that provides a good work/life balance. As we continue to practice this rigorous and challenging medical specialty daily, we are mindful projections suggest a looming shortage of CT Surgeons. While we cannot predict the exact landscape of CT surgery, it seems clear our skill set will remain in demand.

We are therefore pleased to be one of the earliest residency programs approved to offer to interested and focused graduates an integrated Cardiothoracic Surgery curriculum. This program offers substantial benefits for the motivated medical school graduate to learn, master, and then perform the delicate and crucial art of cardiac and thoracic surgery and other essential operative procedures. It also affords the opportunity for supervised, yet hands-on cardiac surgery and thoracic surgery experience in the third year or even sooner.

Dr.  John H. Calhoon serves as our Program Director, and Mrs. Amanda N. Bennett is our Program Coordinator.  We encourage you to reach out to them for any questions on the residency program, including visiting rotations and applying for residency.

Our Program Goals:

  • Develop innovative educational programs that train the next generation of cardiothoracic surgeons
  • Deliver an educational experience through a curriculum based on evidence-based medicine.

Objectives:

  • Teach the art and science of cardiothoracic surgery through an ACGME accredited integrated cardiothoracic surgery program.
  • Provide cardiothoracic surgical residents an opportunity to prepare for the transition to independent practice with graduated increases in patient care responsibility.
  • Provide educational rotations to general surgery residents through a focused exposure to common cardiothoracic conditions and therapies.
  • Provide educational opportunities for 3rd and 4th year medical students to participate in cardiothoracic surgery.

Dr. John H. Calhoon

Program Director | Email


Associate Program Directors

Dr. Aaron Abarbanell

 

 


Mrs. Amanda N. Bennett

Program Coordinator | Email