Thoracic Surgery Residency

Overview

UVA Surgery faculty member Dr. John Kern operating The Thoracic Surgery Residency Program at the University of Virginia was established in 1955 by Dr. William H. Muller. Our current Thoracic Surgery Residency Program Director is Dr. John Kern, and the Associate Program Directors are Dr. Curt Tribble and Dr. Linda Martin. The primary focus of our program is to produce cardiothoracic surgeons who are competitive for both premier academic and private practice jobs. Our residents are exposed to a high volume of complex cases. The Traditional (Independent) Thoracic Residency and the General Thoracic Track Residency have different NRMP Match numbers.

There are currently four Thoracic Surgery training paradigms at UVA, which include:

The Integrated (I-6) Thoracic Residency Program: 1 resident per year.
The Traditional (Independent) Thoracic Residency (2 years of CT training): 1 per year.
The General Thoracic Track Residency (2 years of CT training): 1 per year.
The Joint (4-3) Thoracic Residency Program: 1 resident per year.
Three residents, in some combination of these training paradigms, finish each year.

Letter from the Program Director

Dear Potential Applicant,

John A. Kern, MD, Program Director, Thoracic Surgery Residency Program

As Program Director, I am excited to introduce you to the Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville Virginia. We have a long and successful history of graduating CT residents fully prepared to enter independent practice, incorporating the full breadth and depth of cardiac and thoracic surgery. Our graduating residents are among the most sought after in the country year after year, and those residents who do not enter competitive advanced training programs such as congenital cardiac surgery or catheter based structural heart fellowships, most often find themselves joining highly respected academic practices. We have been blessed through the years to attract the best, most distinguished residents and medical students, and because of this it is truly our residents who make our program great.

We offer all three CT training pathways: the Integrated (I6) program, the Traditional Independent program, and the Joint 4-3 program. We finish three residents each year and aim for one of the three finishing residents to be from the general thoracic track. The Divisions of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery are members of the Department of Surgery, and you will find the entire surgical faculty hold nothing higher than quality patient care, the education of our residents and students, and the advancement of our specialty through cutting edge research. The vast majority of your training will occur at the University of Virginia Medical Center, with a few months spent at our partner affiliates. Research and professional development are expected, as we accept the responsibility of training the next generation of academic cardiothoracic surgeons. We are proud of our residents’ 95% board pass rate, which is a reflection not only of the quality of our residents but also the dynamic educational curriculum and clinical experience. Our educational curriculum and clinical rotations are reviewed yearly, and modified based on the feedback, input and needs of our residents. We strive to honor any individual needs of our residents, and do everything we can to provide opportunities for any one individual’s future professional endeavors. We value our residents as teachers and encourage leadership as independence is rapidly gained both in and out of the operating room.

We are fortunate to be a fully supported academic cardiothoracic surgery training program. Our nurses, PA’s, NP’s, surgical techs, physician colleagues, perfusionists, research coordinators, therapists and administrators are all dedicated to quality patient care, medical education and research in a safe environment. We are dedicated to the proven need for diversity and inclusion, and to erasing systemic racism and social injustices. You will find the unique culture of our CT training program to be one of collaboration, and of caring, respect and concern for colleagues and patients. There are many places to obtain an outstanding cardiothoracic surgical education, but UVA is unique in that we are a family, and the friendships you will make during your time with us will truly last a lifetime.