The TCV Surgery Resident Research Training Program: 

Background: The Thoracic and Cardiovascular Division of the Department of Surgery at the University of Virginia maintains a very active research program.  The goal of our Training Program is to assist the University of Virginia in remaining in the forefront of cardiothoracic surgery research and to allow for the training of surgical investigators.

It has been the position of the University of Virginia that the best time for residents to enter laboratory training is after their second post graduate year.  By that time, they have acquired some clinical skills and areas of desired interest.  This allows them to consider whether they are truly committed to clinical training following research training.  They then complete their general surgical training and proceed to thoracic and cardiovascular surgical training.  However, there are some individuals who make up their minds at a later date about the area of surgery they prefer to enter. Therefore, our training program is designed to allow certain people, after their completion of general surgery, to complete two years of research training prior to entering specialty training in surgery.

T32 Training Grant: Our Surgery Research Training Program is supported by an NIH T32 Training award with Dr. Irving Kron as the Principle Investigator. The goal of our Training Program is to provide surgical residents with training in the fundamental aspects of research. The research focus will primarily be on end-organ function following transplantation and surgery. The purpose is to provide a foundation upon which surgical residents can develop into established investigators. The overall goal is that these individuals will combine surgery with research to eventually become surgeon-scientists. These individuals will be encouraged to go on to obtain faculty positions and to develop and maintain independent research projects and have the ability to compete for independent funding. There are very limited training programs available in cardiovascular surgery and we believe that our program is valuable in its capability to train surgeon-scientists.

It has been very beneficial for past trainees who have been supported through our NIH-funded Training Program. Many of the trainees who have trained in our program have continued their careers as surgeon scientists including:

  • Eugene McGahren, Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Virginia
  • John Kern, Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Virginia
  • Scott Langenburg, Children’s Hospital of Michigan
  • Scott Buchanan, Maine Medical Center
  • R. Christpher King, University of Washington
  • David Cassada, Assistant Professor, University of Tennessee at Knoxville
  • Jay Gangemi, Assistant Professor, University of Virginia Health System
  • David Cassada, Associate Professor of Surgery, University of Tennessee Medical Center
  • Aditya Kaza, Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Utah
  • Tom Maxey, Assistant Professor of Surgery, Louisiana State University HSC
  • T. Brette Reece, Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Colorado HSC

Model:  The program is a two-year program. The program is designed for surgical residents who usually will have completed two years of clinical training prior to entering the laboratory experience. Trainees have opportunities to conduct basic research as well as clinical research. There are required courses for all trainees including courses in scientific investigation, the ethics of scientific investigation, biostatistics and a multi disciplinary lecture series in the cardiovascular research center.  Other courses in the basic science areas can be chosen as desired by the trainees.

Laboratory and Preceptor:   Upon acceptance into the program, the trainee will select a primary and a secondary mentor, and an appropriate research project will then be decided upon within the first two months of the training period (or earlier if possible). Trainees will be expected to present their research findings at national scientific meetings such as the American Heart Association, American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Society of University Surgeons, American College of Cardiology, or other relevant meetings. In addition, presentation at specialty meetings is encouraged. Furthermore, it is expected that the trainee will submit their work for publication after preparing the research article. The trainees will also be given the opportunity to critically review scientific articles and learn the technique of writing a grant proposal. Through the publication of scientific and clinical articles in first rate peer-reviewed journals, and presentation at major scientific and clinical meetings, the trainees will be well prepared to obtain independent funding and obtain junior faculty positions after completing the research fellowship and clinical training in cardiothoracic surgery. 

More information:  For further information on our training program, please contact Irving Kron or Victor Laubach.