A Bright Future: Cardiothoracic Surgery Training in Transition

Jennifer Nelson, the former STS Resident Director, discusses the past, present, and future of cardiothoracic surgery training.  Changes that have occurred in the recent past include removal of the requirement for general surgery certification, the establishment of specialty tracks, and the development of integrated programs.  This has resulted in a large number of applicants for integrated programs and a recent increase in applicants for traditional programs.  The future of our field is bright.