It Is the Journey, Not the Destination

Wisdom from Past Presidents of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) is a highly impactful professional organization in cardiothoracic surgery and an important network of mentors for trainees. Annually, STS presidents deliver an address encapsulating their professional experiences, lessons learned, and future vision for the field. We sought to summarize these lessons into salient points for trainees. Transcriptions from 1964 to 2018 were reviewed by residents and expounded into categories of importance for readers. Six overarching themes were identified which included: (1) leadership, (2) education, (3) clinical excellence and innovation, (4) humanism and professionalism, (5) diversity and inclusion, and (6) the future of cardiothoracic surgery.

Equal means equal: Cardiothoracic surgery in its second century

OBJECTIVE

As the specialty of cardiothoracic surgery turns the corner into its second century of existence, there has been an uptick in the number of women and underrepresented minorities entering the field, but we have a long way to go before race and gender equity prevails.

METHODS

In this report, specific barriers to diversity without exclusion and mechanisms to breakdown these barriers will be explored.

RESULTS

Barriers to inclusion include a long-standing deficiency in exposure, encouragement, mentorship, and sponsorship to actively attract underrepresented groups to the specialty. Diversity will not occur passively. It will take a concerted effort best employed through a top-down approach at the local and national level, and it has to seem normal.

CONCLUSIONS

Cardiothoracic surgery is an outstanding field for anyone and everyone who seeks a challenging, rewarding career, regardless of their gender, race, or ethnic background. It is the responsibility of leadership to dispel the tradition that certain individuals are not welcome.

Cardiothoracic surgery training in South Korea: Challenges and new hopes

In this era when multiple challenges are surrounding the cardiothoracic surgery specialty, including an increase in procedural complexity and institutionalization of public reporting, it is rather paradoxical to have an unprecedentedly unfavorable condition for quality education while the level of proficiency and competency to be achieved during the course of training became more demanding. Cardiothoracic surgery in South Korea is also facing several challenges across multiple levels that includes a persistent low filling rate of residency positions, severe therapeutic deviation toward percutaneous transcatheter intervention in coronary artery disease, a social climate reluctant to cardiovascular surgery and consequent underestimation of surgical volume, and skewed health insurance reimbursement system. Meanwhile, some hopeful signs have been observed in our specialty because of ongoing efforts of our leaderships of the Society, including recent financial initiative and several educational platforms such as boot camp. We introduce our system internationally to share our experience for the purpose of promoting further discussions and encouraging persistent efforts toward education.