Overview

ACGME-Accredited, 3-Year Program

The Thoracic Surgery residency program is an ACGME-accredited, three-year program designed to enhance knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiology of cardiovascular, respiratory, and upper gastrointestinal diseases. At completion residents will be American Board of Thoracic Surgery eligible. Applications are accepted using Electronic Residency Application Services.

Please contact us for more information.

Clinical Experience

The majority of training occurs at VCU Medical Center in Richmond

VCU Medical Center has over 750 beds and over 30 operating rooms, and is a level one trauma center and a major referral center for the entire state of Virginia.

During their second year, trainees spend six months at the Hunter Holmes McGuire VA Medical Center, also in Richmond, where they participate in all aspects of cardiothoracic surgery. McGuire Medical Center is one of the few VA hospitals that has its own in-house heart transplant and VAD program. In addition, residents spend four months of this second year training at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.. This exposure provides a complete immersion into the field of congenital heart surgery for our trainees and support is provided via housing and stipend by the Department of Surgery.

On the MCV Campus is VCU Massey Cancer Center listed among the top 4 percent of cancer centers in the country, and VCU Health Pauley Heart Center, an inpatient and outpatient heart center ranging from noninvasive cardiology to heart transplantation.

Research

All residents are expected to complete one research project each year and submit it for presentation at a national meeting.

Research can vary from bench top research to quality and outcomes. The Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery participates in the national Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) database, the regional Virginia Cardiac Services Quality Initiative (VCSQI) and the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP). All registries are excellent sources for research on patient outcomes and quality.

Learn more about our faculty research from Drs. A. J. Cardounel, Mohammed Quader, and Walker Julliard:

Conferences

Thoracic surgery residency program at VCU ensures trainees have protected time to prepare, present and attend all educational conferences. Here are the few most important ones for your training.

Cardiothoracic surgery core curriculum: This weekly conference encompasses all aspects of CT surgery education, using a combination of didactic lectures and problem-based seminars with assigned faculty mentors.

Cardiology/cardiac surgery weekly conference: This conference is based on case management of cardiovascular problems.

Transplantation conference: Patients are reviewed before and after cardiac and pulmonary transplantation, and all management issues are discussed.

Pediatric cardiology/cardiac surgery conference (National Children’s Medical Center): Pediatric cardiologists and surgeons present patients and decisions regarding optimal management.

Thoracic Malignancy Multi D Conference: A weekly multidisciplinary conference that includes radiologists, thoracic surgeons, pulmonologists, oncologists, radiotherapists and pathologists to evaluate and discuss thoracic oncology cases and decide upon the best treatment plan for each patient.

Monthly quality assurance conference (M&M): Complications and deaths on the service are presented by the operating fellow and the staff responsible for the patient’s care. Faculty and fellowship staff review cases to identify areas of improvement.

Cardiac surgery workgroup weekly meeting: Surgical, ICU nursing and support staff discuss inpatients’ progress and areas to improve their hospital course.

Additional conferences include:

• Cardiothoracic surgery visiting professors
• Combined anesthesia and cardiovascular surgery journal club
• Research conferences
• Cardiac surgery, cardiology cath, quality assurance and tumor boards at the VA Medical Center

Teaching Faculty at DC Children's

Congenital Cardiac Surgery

Yves d'Udekem d'Acoz, MD, PhD
Division Chief, Cardiac Surgery
Co-Director, Children's National Heart Institute

Richard Jonas, MD
Emeritus Chief, Cardiac Surgery
Senior Investigator, Center for Neuroscience Research

Can Yerebakan, MD
Associate Chief, Cardiac Surgery
Director, Cardiovascular Surgery Fellowship Program

Program Alumni

2017—2020

2017:  James Wade MD, General Thoracic Surgery
Northwestern-Feinberg School of Medicine, Central Dupage and Delnor Community Hospitals, Chicago, IL

2018: Luis Velazco Devia MD, Adult Cardiac Surgery
Cleveland Clinic, Florida

2019: Josue Chery MD, Adult Cardiac Surgery & Heart Transplantation
VCU Medical Center, Richmond, VA

2020:  Katherine Klein MD, Adult Cardiac Surgery & Heart Transplantation
INOVA Fairfax, Fairfax, VA

How to Apply

Applications are accepted using Electronic Residency Application Services

Contact Us

Rachit D. Shah, MD
Thoracic Surgery Residency Program Director
Section Chief, Thoracic Surgery
rachit.shah@vcuhealth.org

Christine Mahnken
Program Coordinator
christine.mahnken@vcuhealth.org

Office location:
West Hospital
Seventh Floor, South Wing
1200 W. Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23298 

Mailing address:
Box 980068
Richmond, Virginia 23298-0068

Phone: (804) 828-4620
Fax: (804) 827-0527

Current Fellows

Rahul Rajeev, MD
CT Fellow PGY–7
rahul.rajeev@vcuhealth.org

Leslie Burrell, MD
CT Fellow PGY-6
leslie.burrell@vcuhealth.org

Jay Patel, MD
CT Fellow PGY-6 (Starting 8/1/23)