Careers in Medicine: Specialty Information

Thoracic Surgery

Nature of the work

A thoracic surgeon provides the operative, perioperative care and critical care of patients with pathologic conditions within the chest. Included is the surgical care of coronary artery disease, cancers of the lung, esophagus and chest wall, abnormalities of the trachea, great vessels and heart valves, congenital anomalies, tumors of the mediastinum and diseases of the diaphragm.

Training/residency information

Residency training in thoracic surgery is seven to eight years total, consisting of a general surgery residency of five years before completing a minimum two year thoracic surgery residency.

Workforce and salary information

According to a June, 2003 article in the Annals of Thoracic Surgery, the workforce currently appears "right sized," although the the workforce survey cited indicates significant retirement during the next 10 to 15 years. The annual salary for thoracic surgeons ranges from $218,550 to $533.000.

For more information

• American Association for Thoracic Surgery
• American Board of Thoracic Surgery
• American College of Chest Physicians
• Society of Thoracic Surgeons
• The Thoracic Surgery Foundation for Research & Education

Source: Shemin RJ, Dziuban SW, Kaiser LR, Lowe JE, Nugent WC, Oz MC, Turney DA, Wallace JK. "Thoracic surgery workforce: snapshot at the end of the twentieth century and implications for the new millennium." Annals of Thoracic Surgery. 2003;73(6):2014-32.
The American Board of Medical Specialties and the Faculty Salary Survey, 2004, Association of American Medical Colleges.

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