Thoracic Surgery Training Programs

Two thoracic surgeons in training observe faculty during a surgical procedure.


Program Director:
Walter E. McGregor, MD
Accreditation: ACGME
Program Length: 2-Years (PGY6-PGY7)
Residents Per Year: 2

About the program

Letter from the program director

Thank you for your interest in the Cardiothoracic Surgery profession!  Allegheny General Hospital maintains a distinguished history in this field since the 1950s when George J. Magovern, Sr., MD, a pioneering physician and one of the country’s foremost cardiovascular surgeons, founded one of the earliest and continuously running Thoracic Surgery Residency Programs in existence today. In 1995 our department achieved further distinction under George J. Magovern, Jr., MD’s leadership and is recognized for its education contributions on a national level while Dr. Magovern, Jr. served on the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS).  Our highly regarded and experienced faculty uphold the foundations of this program through high expectations and cutting edge surgical techniques.

The Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery promotes an honest and collegial environment.  We want residents to develop the commitment and maturity needed for success in the fields of cardiac or thoracic surgery and expect residents to develop ownership of their education.  We define expectations for them with a goal of fostering graded responsibility, judgement, knowledge acquisition, and development of technical skills so that they can enter the profession and be successful.

Our case volume is very strong.  Over 1100 cardiac and 700 Thoracic cases are performed each year and consist of routine along with sophisticated procedures such as robotic mitral valve surgery, thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysms, minimally invasive techniques for aortic valve repair, aortic aneurysms, ventricular assist devices, robotic lung resection, robotic esophagectomy, single port lobectomy, minimally invasive and robotic repair of hiatal hernia, POEM, and all aspect of thoracic endoscopy.

We offer three training pathways in cardiothoracic surgery:

1. Traditional Pathway – 2 years Cardiothoracic Surgery (PGY-6 – PGY-7)

2. Joint 4/3 Pathway – 4 years General Surgery (PGY-1 – PGY-4), 3 years Cardiothoracic Surgery (PGY-5 – PGY-7)

3. Integrated 5 + 2 Pathway – 5 years Vascular Surgery (PGY-1 – PGY-5), 2 years Cardiothoracic Surgery (PGY-6 – PGY-7) Only program in the country that offers this pathway.

Our graduates pursue successful careers in both private and academic institutions across the country. Our commitment to developing our residents in all facets of their education is paramount to their experience with us. Please explore our website and reach out with questions. Thank you again for your interest in this noble profession.

Sincerely,

Walter E. McGregor, MD
Director, Robotic and Minimally Invasive Heart Surgery
Director, Thoracic Surgery Residency Program

About Graduate Medical Education

The Thoracic Surgery Residency program is part of the Graduate Medical Education (GME) opportunities offered by the AHN Medical Education Consortium. Learn more about Graduate Medical Education.

Contact us

Amy Fletcher

Residency Program Coordinator

Allegheny General Hospital
Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery
320 East North Avenue, 14th Floor, South Tower
Pittsburgh, PA 15212

(412) 359-3836

Fax: (412) 359-3277

Amy.Fletcher@ahn.org

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