NYU Grossman School of Medicine offers three residency training pathways through the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery: a traditional three-year residency, our 5+3 pathway; an integrated I-6 pathway; and the seven-year internal 4/3 joint thoracic and general surgery pathway.

Our programs prepare residents to independently perform valve repair and replacement, minimally invasive and robotic valve surgery, transcatheter valve replacement, major complex thoracic surgery, and robotic surgical procedures for lung and esophageal conditions. Residents also learn to manage advanced treatments for coronary artery disease and multimodality therapies.

We train our residents to conduct research, including clinical trials, and provide courses in leadership and high-reliability organizational models.

Residents learn pre-, intra-, and postoperative cardiothoracic surgery patient care skills. Residents receive training in congenital cardiac care, adult cardiac and general thoracic and thoracic oncology care, and the care of patients with adult-acquired cardiac conditions through didactic and simulation curricula provided in a series of progressive, three-month clinical rotations with increasing responsibilities. You also have the opportunity to select advanced rotations for a concentration in either cardiac surgery or general thoracic surgery.

Cardiothoracic surgery training is offered at three locations, providing access to patient populations in varied socioeconomic circumstances: Kimmel Pavilion at NYU Langone’s Tisch Hospital, NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue, and the Manhattan campus of the VA NY Harbor Healthcare System. At each location, residents learn to perform advanced surgical procedures under close supervision by attending surgeons.

Residents are evaluated and receive feedback from surgical faculty attendings, anesthesia and critical care doctors, nurse practitioners, perfusionists, and nurses. These evaluations help guide you during training and reveal any problem areas that require corrective action.

Surgical training includes performing preoperative evaluation, which may begin in the outpatient clinic setting. You are required to attend the outpatient clinic for the service you are working during your rotation.

Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Training Pathways

Each track in the cardiothoracic surgery residency training at NYU Grossman School of Medicine includes a highly structured didactic core curriculum, a simulation training curriculum, and a series of progressive clinical rotations with advancing responsibilities.

Our broad-based didactic curriculum is based on the Thoracic Surgical Curriculum and Learning Management System developed by the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association, and includes conferences and seminars on topics relevant to the specialty. The syllabus pairs with requirements for American Board of Thoracic Surgery certification. Simulations are designed to enhance your training experience and help you develop proficiency in various cardiothoracic skills and technologies.

Faculty members in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery are involved in a wide range of cardiothoracic research projects, and residents are encouraged to participate. We strongly recommend that all residents publish at least one article in a medical journal each year, and we fund travel to regional and national conferences.

Our residency program has Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) residency review committee approval for our traditional 5+3 pathway, the integrated I-6 pathway, and the general surgery–thoracic surgery combined 4/3 pathway, all of which lead to eligibility for American Board of Thoracic Surgery certification.

Residents in the 5+3 pathway and the 4/3 pathway also meet requirements for American Board of Surgery certification.

Traditional 5+3 Pathway

To choose the traditional 5+3 pathway, you must have completed a 5-year ACGME-approved general surgery training program. The 5+3 pathway provides 3 years of comprehensive cardiothoracic surgery training with flexibility to train in cardiac surgery or general thoracic surgery in the final 18 months of the program.

Our deadline for receiving applications to the 5+3 pathway is mid-February. We conduct interviews from March through April.

Integrated I-6 Pathway

To choose the I-6 pathway, an integrated general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery program (a combined six years of residency training), applicants must be in their final year of medical school and have completed the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE) Step 1 and Step 2.

As a resident on the I-6 pathway, you spend the first two years of training working alongside senior residents and attending physicians from general surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, and anesthesia. You gain foundational medical, surgical, and intensive care experiences. Your rotations coincide with the general surgery training program but maximize operative experience in general surgery, vascular surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery. In addition to rotations in cardiac and thoracic surgery, you perform rotations in acute care surgery, intensive care, cardiovascular anesthesia and perfusion, echocardiographic imaging, cardiology, and vascular surgery.

The third year is composed of six months of general surgery training with the remainder of the time spent on cardiothoracic surgery, where you gain experience in structural heart disease, ventricular assist device (VAD) transplant, and interventional cardiology.

During the final three years, residents become proficient in all aspects of complex cardiac and thoracic diseases including transplantation, assist devices, and minimally invasive and robotic surgery.

Our deadline for receiving applications to the integrated I-6 pathway is the end of November. We conduct interviews from December through January for positions that begin in July.

Combined General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery 4/3 Pathway

NYU Langone general surgery residents may apply for the 4/3 pathway, a joint general surgery and thoracic surgery program. During this fast-track pathway, residents complete four years of general surgery and three years of cardiothoracic surgery residency for a combined seven years of residency training.

During your fourth and fifth resident years, you dedicate a total of 12 months to thoracic surgery training. After your fifth year, you complete an additional two years of thoracic surgery training.

NYU Langone surgery residents are eligible to apply for the combined general surgery and thoracic surgery 4/3 pathway before completing postgraduate year three. Applicants must be in good academic standing and not subject to current disciplinary action.

Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency Program Directors

Deane E. Smith, MD
Associate Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Director, Thoracic Surgery Residency Program

Amie J. Kent, MD
Clinical Assistant Professor of Cardiothoracic Surgery
Associate Director, Thoracic Surgery Residency Program

Housing, Salary, and Benefits

Limited subsidized housing is available for cardiothoracic surgery residents. Additional information is available by contacting NYU Langone’s housing services.

NYU Langone house staff receive a salary for each year of residency. Information about benefits for residents is available through our Graduate Medical Education administration.

How to Apply

Applicants must apply through the Electronic Residency Application Service (ERAS). Applicants go through the National Resident Matching Program (NRMP), also known as The Match. Our deadlines for receiving applications through ERAS vary depending on the pathway you choose.

All applications must include the following:

• medical school transcript
• USMLE scores (Step 1 and 2 scores only for the integrated I-6 pathway)
• letters of recommendation
• Dean’s letter
• personal statement
• Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) certificate, if applicable

For more information about the application process, please contact Beata Li, residency coordinator, at 212-263-7427 or beata.li@nyulangone.org.