Weekly didactic sessions augment the operative, ward and office experience. At HUP, on Mondays, Professor Rounds are held where current cases are presented for discussion by rotating General Surgery Residents and Medical Students with Faculty supervision. Also on Monday mornings, the Lung Transplant team meets to discuss its patients. On Tuesdays, a Pulmonary Didactics Session is held consisting of Pulmonologists, Oncologists and Thoracic Surgeons to discuss upcoming pulmonary cases. A Cardiac Transplant Didactic session is also held on Tuesdays in which the Cardiac Surgeons and Cardiologists review patients on the Heart Transplant Service. On Wednesday mornings, the Cardiology-Cardiac Surgery Clinical Didactics is held to review and discuss current patients, with literature review and analysis presented by Fellows and Faculty. On Thursdays, the Department of Surgery’s Morbidity and Mortality Conference is held followed by General Surgery Grand Rounds. On the second Friday of each month, Thoracic Surgery holds its Morbidity and Mortality Conference. On the remaining Friday mornings, Thoracic Surgery Grand Rounds are held at which didactic presentations are made.
At CHOP, on Monday mornings, the Cardiothoracic Chief or other Faculty members preside at the Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgical Review Conference. A combined Congenital Cardiac Surgery-Cardiology Conference Clinical Conference is held each Tuesday morning. On Wednesday afternoon, Transplant rounds are held. Each Thursday afternoon there is a Pathology Conference at which congenital anomalies are studied.
Conferences are held at the VA Hospital and Presbyterian Medical Center. At noon on Thursdays, a combined Cardiology/Thoraic Surgical Conference is held at the VA Hospital. A combined Cardiac Surgery-Cardiology Conference is held at Presbyterian each Thursday at 7:30am, as well. A cardiac service M&M Conference occurs the last Thursday of each month. There is also a monthly Cardiology Conference that includes participation from community-based cardiologists as well as the attending cardiac surgeons.
A Visiting Professor program brings distinguished cardiothoracic surgeons to the University of Pennsylvania regularly. Visiting professors usually lecture at the Friday a.m. Thoracic Surgery Grand Rounds, conduct teaching rounds and may participate in procedures in the operating room. As an additional educational experience, each resident may attend one national surgical meeting or symposium each year of the residency at the Division’s expense.