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Thoracic Surgery Fellowship - Cardiac Track

Message from
Marisa Cevasco, MD, MPH - Program Director

Head shot for Marisa CevascoAt Penn, we are proud to have the nation’s best cardiothoracic surgery training program. Our trainees go through rigorous, demanding training in the complete spectrum of heart, aortic, and thoracic disease.  Graduates from our program are able to perform a wide variety of complex surgeries, including coronary artery bypass grafting, valve surgery, aortic surgery, heart and lung transplantation, mechanical circulatory support, and hybrid interventions. There is wonderful camaraderie and sense of community amongst our trainees, and we are careful to preserve this in our program. The faculty are dedicated to the development and growth of our residents and fellows and are excited to see them go on to be leaders in the field of cardiothoracic surgery. We will continue to maintain our exacting standards for patient care and surgical training. We are dedicated to being at the forefront of cardiothoracic surgical education.

Marisa Cevasco, MD, MPH
Program Director, Thoracic Surgery Fellowship
Assistant Professor of Surgery

The Cardiac Track fellowship is an intense two-year training program for graduates of general surgery programs.  The cardiac track fellows will spend two clinical years at Penn, with their main focus on adult cardiac surgery, but with additional time spent on thoracic surgery and congenital heart surgery, in accordance with the American Board of Thoracic Surgery requirements.  Graduates of the cardiac track program can be expected to be proficient in all aspects of adult cardiac surgery, including coronary revascularization, valve repair and replacement, aortic surgery, and transplant and mechanical circulatory support.  Graduates of the cardiac track fellowship may spend an additional six months to a year gaining experience in a specific niche focus of their choosing, such as advanced valve repair; aortic surgery; or mechanical support and transplant.

Cardiac track fellows will rotate at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.  The cardiac track fellows and the integrated residency program trainees work together in one program, and each year we typically graduate trainees from both tracks, equally versed in cardiac surgery.

Penn cardiac surgery performs nearly 5000 pump cases across its campuses each year, with additional procedures including TAVR, endovascular interventions, and ECMO rounding out the trainee's exposure to modern cardiac surgery.  Trainees will take in-house call and participate in the full spectrum of adult cardiac surgery cases, with responsibility and operative experience commensurate with their clinical standing.

 

  • Application Process

    The program is open to surgeons who hold a medical degree or equivalent and who are either certified or eligible to take the examination for certification by the American Board of Surgery.

  • Meet the Faculty

    Meet the current Cardiac Surgery Faculty.

  • Meet Our Fellow

    Meet our current Cardiac Surgery Fellow

  • Graduate Career Paths

    Immediate post-fellowship positions of our thoracic surgery graduates.

  • Clinical Sites

    Multiple entities within the Penn Medicine healthcare system where you may be during your clinical rotations.

  • Housestaff Policies and Procedures

    Housestaff policies and procedures for all training programs.

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