Research Assessment #1

Date: ​September 6, 2019

Subject: ​Cardiothoracic Surgery Career Outlook

Assessment:

Throughout my adolescence, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in which I could

have a positive impact on others everyday. With the beneficial influence of my mother, who is a

doctor, I realized that by becoming a physician I could have a direct influence in saving people’s

lives and having a lasting worthwhile impact on the world. I recently decided that I wanted to

specialize specifically in cardiothoracic surgery due to the fact that I find the heart a very

interesting and complex organ, and that I work best when I am hands-on with what I do.

A cardiothoracic surgeon is a career field that is very demanding and complex. These

surgeons diagnose and treat conditions of the heart, lungs, esophagus, and other organs in the

chest. An example of some of the diseases they may treat are coronary artery disease, lung

cancer, and esophageal cancer. About two to three days of the working week are spent in the

operating room performing surgeries, which may take up to twelve hours or longer during the

day or at night. The specific number of surgeries depends on the area that the physician works in.

Surgeons will also have to remain on-call on specific days during the week in order to perform

operations on patients in emergency situations. The aspect of working under high risk emergency

situations scares me, but also excites me because I should have the ability to know exactly what

to do in the moment to save a life. Furthermore, cardiothoracic surgeons have to monitor their

patients in the intensive care unit after their operation to ensure that everything remains normal.

This is surprising to me because doing surgeries is more than only the operation; it also
constitutes pre- and post-operative procedures. Surgeons are required to conduct research into

their field, and about one day a week is usually spent on research, administration and meetings,

working on lectures, and writing articles. I am excited about the research aspect of the career due

to the fact that I would love to discover new innovations to help save more lives in the future. In

order to be a successful surgeon, I will have to be able to remain calm in stressful situations,

have adequate hand-eye coordination, communicate efficiently, work well in teams, and have the

stamina to work long hours. There are many skills that I will have to refine in order to become

successful in my career, but I believe with time and the proper guidance I will be able to reach

the point that I need to be at.

The most daunting aspect of pursuing a career in the medical field, especially surgery, is

the extensive education that is required. In order to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, four years

for an undergraduate degree, four years of medical school, and six years of cardiothoracic

surgery residency or five years of a general surgery program with a two or three year

cardiovascular surgery residency program is required. In total, this is about fourteen to fifteen

years of schooling after high school. This seems like an extensive and arduous task for me,

however I know that many classes that I am taking right now and will take in high school are

setting me up for success in the future. AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Health Science, Anatomy

and Physiology, and AP Physics are all classes that will help me successfully obtain my

bachelor’s degree in either biology or chemistry and give me the proper foundational

understanding that I will need in medical school.

Currently in the United States, the median annual salary for a cardiothoracic surgeon is

$353,627. However there is a discretion in salary depending on the experience that an individual
has. Five years of experience yields $203,000, ten years yields $303,000, and twenty or more

years yields $500,000 and more. I believe that this salary compensates well for the demanding

nature of the job and the extensive education requirements. The average medical school debt for

students is $190,000, and I believe that with a cardiothoracic surgeon’s salary, I will be able to

pay off any debt that I have in a timely manner. Furthermore, the job prospect for this career is

projected to grow by thirteen percent in the next ten years. This is because the aging population

in the United States right now will lead to a proliferation of chronic diseases, like heart diseases,

that cardiothoracic surgeons will need to operate on. This is really beneficial for me due to the

fact that I will be able to have a stable career, and will not have to worry about if I will lose my

job or not.

Looking for a mentor, I will focus on trying to find someone who will help me focus on

cardiothoracic surgery. By mentoring an expert in the field, I will be able to get the full picture of

what it takes to be a surgeon, both academically and physically. I am so grateful to be a part of

this program because it allows me to research what I am passionate about, and gain more insight

on what I have to do in order to be successful in this field.

MLA Citations:

Health Education England. “Entry Requirements, Skills and Interests (Cardiothoracic Surgery).”

NHS Choices, NHS, 2019,

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/roles-doctors/surgery/cardiothoracic-surg

ery/entry-requirements-skills-and-interests​.

Health Education England. “Working Life (Cardiothoracic Surgery).” NHS Choices, NHS, 2019,

https://www.healthcareers.nhs.uk/explore-roles/doctors/roles-doctors/surgery/cardiothoracic-surg

ery/working-life​.

Kessler, Sarah. “Average Medical School Debt In 2017 - Student Debt Relief.” Student Debt

Relief | Student Loan Forgiveness, Student Debt Relief | Student Loan Forgiveness, 9 May 2019,

https://www.studentdebtrelief.us/news/average-medical-school-debt/​.

The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. “What Is a Cardiothoracic Surgeon?” The Patient Guide to

Heart, Lung, and Esophageal Surgery, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons, 25 July 2017,

https://ctsurgerypatients.org/what-is-a-cardiothoracic-surgeon​.

Thompson, Jayne. "Cardiothoracic Surgeon: Salary, Job Description and Requirements." Work -

Chron.com, ​http://work.chron.com/expected-salary-range-cardiovascular-surgeon-3161.html​. 24

July 2018.