May 2008
The Thoracic Surgery Residents Association is announcing three open positions on the Executive Committee for the 2008-2009 academic year. Each Executive Committee member will be nominated for a position as the TSRA representative for a national organization such as the Residency Review Committee (RRC), The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), and the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC). (Note: STS Candidate Membership is required for nomination.) The TSRA representative is required to attend the national meetings for his/her respective organization and serve as an active participant. Also, each Executive Committee member must communicate with residents (surveys, e-mails, etc.), so that we speak in a unified voice.
These positions require dedication and time beyond your clinical responsibilities. You may apply for a position if you are beginning or continuing a cardiothoracic residency in July 2008; you must remain a resident through June 30, 2009, to be considered. To apply, please send:
- A letter of intent (one page) outlining your desire to be involved in TSRA and your vision of the future of cardiothoracic training;
- A letter from your Program Director stating your leadership potential as well as confirming financial support and schedule flexibility to attend national meetings (at least two per year);
- Your curriculum vitae.
- All materials should be e-mailed to Bret Mettler at BAM9C@hscmail.mcc.virginia.edu by Wednesday, June 18.
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January 2008
Dear Colleagues,
As we approach the midway point of the academic year, we would like to keep you informed of the activities of the Thoracic Surgery Residents Association. The TSRA is committed to serving the needs and interests of all thoracic surgery residents and fellows. Among our goals is communicating with our leaders and achieving changes important to our future, which we can do more effectively with an organized voice. I urge you to contact any member of the TSRA executive committee with issues on a national or regional level that you feel need to be addressed.
We want to extend the scope of our organization beyond current cardiothoracic residents. This year, for the first time, we will serve as mentors to a group of general surgery residents who will be attending The Society of Thoracic Surgeons 44th Annual Meeting via scholarships awarded by STS. By increasing our interaction with current general surgery residents and medical students we hope to continue to attract the best residents to our field. In addition, we are in the process of appointing the first international executive committee member, which will allow us to more readily communicate with our colleagues overseas.
TSRA Web site
TSRAnet.org is an important tool for exchanging information. Look for updates to the site in the coming weeks. Contributions to the Web site are welcome. Please e-mail ideas to TSRA Secretary Bret Mettler.
TSRA Luncheon
Once again the TSRA is organizing a luncheon at the upcoming STS Annual Meeting in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, which will be held on Monday, January 28, 2008, at 12:15 p.m. The topic of this year’s discussion will be “Achieving Success in the Job Market: What Employers Seek.” Scheduled to speak are Dr. Robert Guyton from Emory, Dr. Mark Allen from Mayo Clinic, and Dr. Michael Mack, from the Cardiothoracic Surgery Associates of North Texas. Please visit www.sts.org for more information on this and other resident events at the meeting. Please note: CT surgery residents register for the STS Annual Meeting at no charge!
CT Surgery Resident Surveys
Over the next several weeks, we will be conducting a survey via e-mail. Surveys allow us to collect important information regarding trends in employment, work hours, meeting case requirements, etc. I encourage you to respond as they will allow us to have objective data supporting our various endeavors.
Once again, please do not hesitate to contact me with any concerns or suggestions. Happy holidays and I hope to see you at STS at the end of the month.
Faraz Kerendi, MD
President
Thoracic Surgery Residents Association
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August 2007
TSRA Past President: STS Candidate Membership Benefits Your Career and the Specialty
Dear Cardiothoracic Resident,
I am writing to encourage you to join The Society of Thoracic Surgeons as a Candidate Member. Click here for a membership application.
STS leadership recognizes that this is a critical time in the history of cardiothoracic surgery. Advances in technology are threatening to redefine the roles of all cardiothoracic caregivers. Those in training are both the most vulnerable and the best positioned to capitalize on this transition. For this reason, now more than ever, it is imperative that residents become more involved in their national professional organization. STS is an excellent interface with the leaders and policy makers in our field.
The Society is also an invaluable resource for clinical education, organizing conferences and courses to share new technology with surgeons so they may participate in the evolution of our specialty. In addition to education, STS focuses a great deal of energy on both quality and quality improvement, as evidenced by growing participation in the STS National Databases. Finally, STS maintains a Washington office that has made a significant impact on the way surgeons are viewed and compensated. Recently, workforce-related issues were brought to the forefront of the congressional agenda by STS representatives.
I strongly urge you to join STS now and incorporate your voice into the discussions that will define the future of cardiothoracic surgery. As an added incentive, Candidate Members will not be charged an initiation fee when transitioning to full membership. Join your colleagues and apply now for STS membership.
Daniel J. Boffa, MD
Immediate Past President
Thoracic Surgery Residents Association
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3/12/07 UPDATE: Survey results have been released. Click here to access results (PDF file).Dear Cardiothoracic Surgery Residents:
The mission of the TSRA is to accurately convey the status, needs and interests of the thoracic surgery residents to the surgical leadership. This role is made possible by having residents incorporated throughout the major surgical and residency organizations. This degree of resident involvement should ensure appropriate consideration on the current issues in our field. However your representation is only as good as the representatives. Right now your representatives are paralyzed because of a lack of data about the residents.
Two major issues are at the forefront of residency discourse: Jobs for the graduating residents; and a demand for skill sets that are outside of the ABTS curriculum (and that require exposure beyond what traditional residencies can provide).
In order for committee members to effectively represent the residents, it is imperative to replace opinion with fact. In preparation for the STS and AATS national meetings, we will be conducting a survey via e-mail in the coming weeks to get a handle on these two issues. We ask that every resident comply as completely as possible with the survey so that we may make informed decisions on our behalf.
This survey and communication with your TRSA committee members are the only ways to get the voice of the thoracic residents into the mouths of TSRA representatives—and into the ears of the surgical leadership.
Please feel free to contact myself or any member of the executive committee regarding these or other issues. Thank you and we look forward to serving you over the next year.
Dan Boffa
President
TSRA
TSRA Newsletter Archives
August 2003