Thoracic Surgery
Thoracic surgery (also called "cardiothoracic surgery" and "cardiovascular and thoracic surgery") deals with surgery of the chest cavity containing the heart, lungs, and esophagus, as well as the trachea, pleura, mediastinum, chest wall, diaphragm, and pericardium.
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Key Facts
Core Focus: Surgical treatment of chest organs including lungs and esophagus
Number of Physicians: Small (~4,000)
Training Length: 6-8 years (general surgery + 2-3 thoracic)
Subspecialties: Cardiothoracic, minimally invasive, transplant surgery
Job Progression: Academic thoracic surgeon, surgical leadership
Gender Distribution: 15% female, 85% male
Job Outlook: Stable
Work Environment: Hospitals, surgical units
Patient Relationship: Surgical with pre/post-op follow-up
Schedule: Long hours, complex cases, frequent emergencies
Common Procedures: Lung resection, esophageal surgery
Residency Length: 7 years
Fellowship Required: No
Average Annual Income: ~$690,000
Average Weekly Hours: 65 hours/week
Burnout Percentage: 59%
Match Competitiveness: High
Common Work Settings: Tertiary hospitals, cardiothoracic centers
❤️ Values and Personality Comparison
Thoracic Surgery Top Values
- Creativity
- Decision making
- Working with my hands
- Working with my mind
Thoracic Surgery Do Not Value
- Feedback from others
- Sufficient time off
🧠 Thoracic Surgery Personality Traits
- Like complex problem solving
- Think logically
- Look for possibilities
- Be a leader
- Need to see tangible results of their efforts quickly
- Act decisively
- Be adventurous / like challenges
- Be energetic / have a high energy level
- Be perfectionistic
- Have manual dexterity
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