Our goal is to provide residents with broad-based and balanced training in cardiothoracic surgery.  We are committed to our residents' whole-person development as respected professionals with good judgment and sound surgical skills.  Our program provides robust experience in cardiac surgery. Graduating residents are confident going directly into private or academic practice. 

Program Highlights

  • Traditional three-year program on the cardiac track

  • One resident at each level of training

  • High cardiac case volume

  • No advance fellows to compete with thoracic surgery residents for clinical educational encounters

  • One national conference and one training course per resident per year

  • Annual $1,000 educational stipend

Program Components

Facilities

Rotations are based at Loma Linda University Medical Center, Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital, and the VA Loma Linda Healthcare System.

Operative Experience

Residents in our program are afforded a rich, hands-on operative experience, enabling them to easily meet and typically exceed minimum case log requirements.  Our trainees perform a wide range of cardiac surgical procedures, including coronary artery bypass, valve repair, VAD placement, heart transplantation, and other complex procedures for adult and pediatric heart conditions.  Trainees also acquire ample and well-rounded operative experience in thoracic surgery.

Rotations

PGY July-September October-December January-March April-June
6 General Thoracic General Thoracic Adult Cardiac Adult Cardiac
7 Adult Cardiac TAVR  Adult Cardiac General Thoracic
8 Adult Cardiac Adult Cardiac General Thoracic Adult Cardiac

 

From Our Chief Fellow

Samuel Brown, MD

When I was evaluating Cardiothoracic Surgery programs, I was looking for a program with an excellent operative experience for the trainee. Loma Linda has been exactly what I was hoping for and more. The resident autonomy in the operating room and in the ICU has been outstanding. The resident is the primary surgeon on the vast majority of cases. In addition to the excellent operative experience, the people at Loma Linda are great. The attendings genuinely care about the residents and our development as surgeons. I consider many of them to be my mentors. Overall, I am extremely grateful for the training and opportunities I have received at Loma Linda. I feel well prepared to enter practice and would choose this training program again without any hesitation.