Baylor College of Medicine Program

Program Identity & Fit

Baylor's I6 Thoracic Surgery Integrated Residency is a six-year, high-volume academic program built on the historic DeBakey cardiothoracic legacy, training residents across five distinct institutions including a quaternary care hospital, the largest VA in the US, the largest pediatric hospital, MD Anderson, and a Level-1 trauma safety-net site. Clinical volume is exceptional and explicitly quantified: over 1,700 adult cardiac cases, 1,075 congenital heart operations, 350 TAVRs, and rapidly growing robotic cardiothoracic surgery, giving residents exposure across adult, congenital, oncologic, and structural heart domains. Research is structurally embedded rather than optional, with a mandatory expectation of at least two peer-reviewed manuscript submissions before year three, quarterly research progress meetings, and an optional two-year dedicated research block, reflecting the department's identity as a discovery-driven academic powerhouse. The program's leadership frames its mission as producing future leaders in cardiothoracic surgery, with heavy faculty mentorship (20+ surgeons, many international leaders) and dedicated robotics curriculum culminating in a credentialing-equivalent certificate.