Where Will the Cardiothoracic Surgeon–Scientist of the Future Come From? - The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
The editorial by Ikonomidis and colleagues1 is a timely piece that highlights the pressing issue of the decline of the cardiothoracic surgeon–scientist. The authors highlight many important barriers to the surgeon–scientist career, such as high clinical and administrative burdens and the challenging funding environment. However, another factor can be added to that list: the lack of graduates of combined MD/PhD programs choosing to pursue training in cardiothoracic surgery. Programs to train medical students thoroughly in the basic and translational science, such as the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have existed for more than 50 years.
The editorial by Ikonomidis and colleagues1 is a timely piece that highlights the pressing issue of the decline of the cardiothoracic surgeon–scientist. The authors highlight many important barriers to the surgeon–scientist career, such as high clinical and administrative burdens and the challenging funding environment. However, another factor can be added to that list: the lack of graduates of combined MD/PhD programs choosing to pursue training in cardiothoracic surgery. Programs to train medical students thoroughly in the basic and translational science, such as the Medical Scientist Traini
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