Why are so many seats vacant in a once glamorous super-specialty of Cardio Vascular & Thoracic Surgery (CTVS)? Recently 130 of 185 seats for MCh CTVS went empty. This is indeed shocking and a reason to worry. There is no single reason, but a multitude of factors. Let us see the perceived demerits of CTVS and its apparent lack of popularity Long Training: CTVS is a skill which takes time to master and the more one practices, the better he gets at it.
After a grueling MBBS, and an MS General Surgery - one needs to train long and hard to become competent CTV surgeon. There is an almost mandatory loss of at least a year in between MBBS and MS entry and then between MS and MCh entry due to stiff competition. Even after MCh CTVS, one needs to work further for 4-5 years to reach some semblance of competence. Setup: Consider you have gone through all hardship and struggle and became a…
