The Influence of Seminars Organized by the German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery on Career Pathways of Young Cardiothoracic Surgeons with Interest for Congenital Heart Surgery

Objectives: Only few young cardiothoracic surgeons aim at pursuing a career in congenital cardiothoracic surgery (cCTS). The German Society for Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery and Aesculap Academy (Tuttlingen, Germany) developed a series of seminars on different topics in the field of CTS. One of the seminars is dedicated to the treatment of congenital heart disease (“congenital heart disease I”). We sought to evaluate if this seminar is helpful and relevant for the further development of the participants' careers.

Methods: Participants from all four so far completed seminars “congenital heart disease I” were included in the study. Evaluation sheets completed by the participants at the end of the seminars were analyzed using German school grades (1: very good to 6: insufficient). Additionally, a survey comprising 18 items was conducted among the former participants.

Result: The seminars were evaluated by n = 41 participants. The ratings for the theoretical content (mean: 1, IQR: 1–1), the practical exercises (mean: 1, IQR: 1–2) and the overall rating (mean: 1, IQR: 1–1) were positive. Twenty participants answered the online survey. 95% stated that, before the seminar they had only (39%) or predominantly (56%) experience in adult CTS. 33% had intended or already begun a cCTS fellowship. The seminar itself changed the attitude toward cCTS rather positively in 61% or very positively in 28%, respectively. After the seminar, 22% state increased interest in cCTS, 17% changed their focus toward cCTS in their current center, and 5.5% changed their workplace to specialize in cCTS. Today, 50% of the participants specialize exclusively in adult CTS, 11% predominantly in adult CTS, 17% equally in adult and cCTS, 17% predominantly or exclusively in cCTS. 50% stated that the seminar had no or little relevance for their further career, 38% found the seminar to be relevant for changes while 12% stated that the seminar had directly implicated career changes. Generally, 39% of the participants rate cCTS unattractive or little attractive, while 61% rate it rather or very attractive. Contrarily, only 11% of the participants rate the current opportunities for training in cCTS rather good or good. The three most named aspects for a good training program were surgical exposure under supervision (89%), structured curricula (67%) and exposure to autonomously performing procedures (50%).

Conclusion: Despite a positive perception of cCTS and a positive appreciation of the seminar “congenital heart disease I,” only few young surgeons choose to specialize in cCTS. Efforts of the cCTS community should focus on further optimizing training curricula.

Publication History

Article published online:
19 February 2021