Program Aims

Our program aims to develop the unique qualities of each individual that we train. Because we are intentionally a smaller program, fellows aren't one of a dozen trainees competing for a faculty member's attention. Rather, they work closely and consistently with the same attendings throughout training, building the kind of one-on-one mentorship that's difficult to replicate in larger programs. That relationship allows faculty to genuinely understand each fellow's strengths, interests, and goals, and to tailor guidance accordingly rather than applying a single template to everyone who comes through.

We provide the framework for fellows to achieve their greatest potential, regardless of their future career. Whether a fellow is drawn toward an academic, private practice, or hybrid path, our smaller size gives us the flexibility to shape rotations, case exposure, and research opportunities around that individual's specific interests. This is something a rigid, one-size-fits-all curriculum can't offer. A fellow set on academic cardiothoracic surgery can lean into research and complex reconstructive cases; a fellow headed toward community practice can build the broad, high-volume operative experience that setting demands. We want each fellow to leave with the experience that leads to the greatest level of success in the career they've actually chosen, not a generic version of training. We feel that this breadth, combined with the closeness of a smaller program, separates us from many others.