2024-2025 STS/TSF Advanced Robotic Cardiac Surgery Fellowship Application

Fellowship Purpose:

This $25,000 advanced fellowship opportunity will be awarded to a surgeon and their institution to support and facilitate the initiation of a high quality robotic cardiac surgery program at their home institution. Applicants must attend the STS Workshop on Robotic Cardiac Surgery, meet specific requirements confirming institutional support and resources, and have experience performing mitral valve repair and replacement. The fellow will be assigned to an STS proctor, who will then serve as the primary mentor/sponsor and assist the fellow with five robotic cases at the fellow’s institution. This fellowship is supported by the generosity of Intuitive.

This advanced Fellowship has two pathways: CABG or Mitral. It is expected that applicants should have significant experience performing CABG or mitral valve repair and replacement depending on the desired pathway.

Application Process:

Any surgeon applicant and their first assist must have first attended the STS Robotic Cardiac Surgery Workshop.
Application must address all the requirements noted in the “Requirements” section below.
Surgeon applicant must designate one desired training pathway, robotic mitral valve or coronary, and indicate any desired technique preferences, which will guide the mentor-sponsor selection.
Applications will be accepted through June 10, 2024, and will be reviewed by the TSF Robotic Surgery Fellowship Award Committee.
The TSF Robotic Surgery Fellowship Award Committee will make selections based on the quality of applications and fellowship funds available.
The STS Robotic Cardiac Surgery Task Force will designate one experienced surgeon task force member to serve as the primary mentor-sponsor of each successful surgeon applicant for the duration of the fellowship program.
Surgeon applicant and their institution will be notified of acceptance or rejection.

Application Deadline: June 10, 2024

The fellowship winner will be notified within six weeks following the application deadline.

The fellowship will begin on September 1, 2024.

For more information about the details of this fellowship, please visit: https://thoracicsurgeryfoundation.org/roboticcardiacfellowship/

Please contact TSF Headquarters at tsf@sts.org or (312) 202-5868, with any questions.

Requirements:
1. Letter of support from the chief of cardiothoracic surgery at the applicant's institution.

2. Letter of support from an appropriate hospital administrator (e.g. service line director, COO, or CEO) confirming the necessary resources and program support commitment, as outlined below:

Minimum Operating room block time of 2 full days per week of robotic surgery OR systems (with availability for the first case in the morning);
Confirmation that surgeon applicant’s institution has invested in the necessary ancillary equipment and supplies (which may amount to an investment of several hundred thousand dollars);
Confirmation of support for surgeon applicant and team robotic surgery training time and expenses;
Confirmation of support for a dedicated initial operating room team;
Assurance of confirmed support by anesthesia, nursing, and perfusion leaders;
Confirmation of the clinical volumes reported by the surgeon applicant (see further below);
Confirmation that surgeon applicant’s institution will cover the remainder of training and other associated costs, including the proctoring costs set forth in the “Expenses” section of the award description.
Submit an initial Cardiovascular Robotic Team Development Plan. This Development Plan can be assembled and administrated by a local institutional administrator or an industry consultant. The institution must be aware that Intuitive Surgical representatives are not trained to cover cardiac cases, and that a detailed training plan is necessary. This plan should include various milestones such as Onsite Training, daVinci TR100 & TR200 Training Labs, instrumentation acquisition, cadaver lab, simulated cases, and proctor engagement.

3. Surgeon applicant and first assist (other team members optional) must have attended the STS Workshop on Robotic Cardiac Surgery on May 9-10, 2024.

4. Surgeon applicant must meet the minimum requirements with respect to Training & Practice and Clinical Experience, per “Contemporary Robotic Cardiac Surgical Training, Badhwar et al, prepress online: 11/10/2021, JTCVS,” appropriate for the fellowship track:
Robotic Revascularization Program:

American Board of Thoracic Surgery accreditation or equivalent
3 years of independent attending-level clinical practice, and/or a minimum 1-year post-graduate robotic cardiac fellowship with robotic revascularization concentration
250 career cases of coronary revascularization as primary operator (on or off pump) with an O/E of ≤ 1, of which 50 should be off pump

Robotic Valve/Intracardiac Program:

American Board of Thoracic Surgery accreditation or equivalent
3 years of independent attending level clinical practice, and/or a minimum 1-year post-graduate robotic cardiac fellowship with robotic valve concentration
75 career cases of mitral valve repair or replacement, with or without concomitant procedures that may include surgical ablation, with an O/E of ≤ 1, of which 50 should be within the prior two years
15 cases of valve/intracardiac operations performed via minimally invasive thoracotomy involving peripheral cardiopulmonary bypass performed within the prior two year with O/E of ≤ 1

5. Institutional Resources including:

250 adult cardiac surgical cases per year for a minimum of 3 years
A dedicated team of institutionally based cardiac anesthesiologists practicing routine use of transesophageal echocardiography
A dedicated team of institutionally based perfusionists
Immediate institutional access to advanced mechanical circulatory

Question Title

* 1. Applicant Information:

First Name

Middle Initial

Last Name

Designation

Institution

Title at Institution

Mailing Address

Suite #

City

State/Province

Country

Postal Code

E-mail Address

Phone Number

Question Title

* 2. Please list the name of the body that certified you as a cardiothoracic surgeon. (e.g., ABTS)

Question Title

* 3. Please indicate the number of years you have been practicing cardiothoracic surgery after completion of a cardiothoracic surgery residency or other training.

(Note: Applicants must have a minimum of 3 years as an independent attending surgeon and/or a minimum 1-year post-graduate robotic cardiac fellowship with robotic valve concentration.)

0-2 years

3-5 years

6-8 years

9+ years

Question Title

* 4. Have you completed a minimum of one year of a post-graduate robotic cardiac fellowship with a robotic valve concentration?

Yes

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* 5. What type of medical environment best describes your current work situation?

Private Practice

Academic Medical Center

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 6. Please choose a desired training path (one of the two options below), and indicate any desired technique preferences (to guide in mentor-sponsor selection).

Path 1: Robotic mitral valve training

Path 2: Robotic coronary bypass training

Comment

Question Title

* 7. Please certify that you meet all of the following requirements:

Attended the STS Robotic Cardiac Surgery Workshop

Minimum of 3 years as an independent attending cardiothoracic surgeon

ABTS certified (or equivalent from home country)

Candidates for robotic mitral valve training (Path 1) must have significant experience in mitral valve surgery (ideally >25 mitral valve repair & replacement/year)

Candidates for robotic coronary bypass training (Path 2) must have significant experience in both CABG and OPCAB
(ideally >100 total)

Application must address all the prerequisites noted in the “Mandatory Prerequisites” section above

Applicant must have institutional resources (250 adult cardiac surgical cases per year for a minimum of 3 years, a dedicated team of institutionally based cardiac anesthesiologists practicing routine use of transesophageal echocardiography, a dedicated team of institutionally based perfusionists, and immediate institutional access to advanced mechanical circulatory)

Question Title

* 8. (Path 1) Mitral Valve Training - Applicant case volume/experience:
(Enter "N/A" if choosing Path 2)

Total number of mitral valve repair & replacement procedures performed per year:

Total career number of mitral valve repair & replacement procedures:

Question Title

* 9. (Path 2) Coronary Bypass Training: Applicant case volume/experience:
(Enter "N/A" if choosing Path 1)

Number of CABG & OPCAB procedures performed per year:

Total career number of CABG & OPCAB procedures:

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* 10. Upload CV

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

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* 11. Upload Letter of support from the chief of cardiothoracic surgery at your institution

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

Question Title

* 12. Letter of support from an appropriate hospital administrator (such as service line director, COO, or CEO) confirming the necessary resources and program support commitment.

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

Question Title

* 13. Submit an initial Cardiovascular Robotic Team Development Plan. This Development Plan can be assembled and administrated by a local institutional administrator or an industry consultant. The institution must be aware that Intuitive Surgical representatives are not trained to cover cardiac cases, and that a detailed training plan is necessary. This plan should include various milestones such as Onsite Training, daVinci TR100 & TR200 Training Labs, instrumentation acquisition, cadaver lab, simulated cases, and proctor engagement.

PDF, DOC, DOCX, PNG, JPG, JPEG, GIF file types only.

Choose File

Question Title

* 1. Applicant Information:

Question Title

* 2. Please list the name of the body that certified you as a cardiothoracic surgeon. (e.g., ABTS)

Question Title

Question Title

* 4. Have you completed a minimum of one year of a post-graduate robotic cardiac fellowship with a robotic valve concentration?

Question Title

* 5. What type of medical environment best describes your current work situation?

Question Title

* 6. Please choose a desired training path (one of the two options below), and indicate any desired technique preferences (to guide in mentor-sponsor selection).

Question Title

* 7. Please certify that you meet all of the following requirements:

Question Title

* 8. (Path 1) Mitral Valve Training - Applicant case volume/experience:(Enter "N/A" if choosing Path 2)

Question Title

* 9. (Path 2) Coronary Bypass Training: Applicant case volume/experience:(Enter "N/A" if choosing Path 1)

Question Title

* 10. Upload CV

Question Title

* 11. Upload Letter of support from the chief of cardiothoracic surgery at your institution

Question Title

* 12. Letter of support from an appropriate hospital administrator (such as service line director, COO, or CEO) confirming the necessary resources and program support commitment.

Question Title

* 8. (Path 1) Mitral Valve Training - Applicant case volume/experience:
(Enter "N/A" if choosing Path 2)

* 9. (Path 2) Coronary Bypass Training: Applicant case volume/experience:
(Enter "N/A" if choosing Path 1)