General Thoracic Surgery Service Summer Scholars Program

Overview

Most medical students have limited awareness of the specialty of Thoracic Surgery by the time they are deciding on their residency. The Massachusetts General Hospital Division of Thoracic Surgery Service Summer Scholars Program is a long-running program designed to provide significant exposure to this specialty. Medical students (second-year and beyond) can participate in this eight-week clinical and research program that allows them to:

• Attend clinical conferences
• Attend thoracic didactics
• Attend sessions with Uma Sachdeva, MD, thoracic surgeon
• Participate in in-patient rounds and gain exposure to surgical procedures
• Learn from the cardiothoracic surgery residents and fellows

Students also have the opportunity to publish and conduct research, time permitting. Students are encouraged to apply for additional funding from organizations such as the American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS).

Application Requirements

In order to be considered as an applicant, you must:

• Be enrolled in an accredited medical school
• Be a United States resident
• Live in Boston for six-eight weeks

Important Dates

• Application Deadline: March 1, 2025
• Start Date: June 17, 2025 (flexible)

Apply today

Program Director

Uma Sachdeva, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor, Harvard Medical School

Program Manager

Jennifer Manu

Former Scholars

Jessica (Nelson) Eaton, MD
Neurosurgery Resident
University of Washington

"My summer as a Thoracic Surgery Summer Scholar at Mass General was my first exposure to the operating room. I learned to tie knots, to hold the scope and to see anatomy translated from textbook to patient. The team embodied several important principles that I've adopted: an expectation of excellence, a dedication to career and a passion for what we do."

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Elbert Y. Kuo, MD, MPH, MMS, FACS
Section Chief of Thoracic Surgery, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center
Adjunct Associate Professor
University of Texas

"My experience started with an interview in a clinic room with Douglas Mathisen, MD. Little did I know at that time, but spending the next few summers at Mass General would change my life. I can honestly say that this program is the reason I am a thoracic surgeon."

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Clauden Louis, MD, MS
Integrated Cardiothoracic Surgery Chief Resident
University of Rochester Medical Center

"The Mass General Thoracic Summer Scholars program left a major impression on both my career and my life. It was during this program that my aspirations to pursue cardiothoracic surgery as a medical student were solidified. Having access to experts and mentors was a very formidable opportunity."

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John W. MacArthur, MD
Surgical Director, Lung Transplantation
Stanford Hospital

"The Thoracic Summer Scholars program was my introduction to chest surgery as a young medical student and played a major influence on the path I have chosen for my career. Working with and learning from the late Hermes Grillo, MD, Dr. Mathisen and the entire Division of Thoracic Surgery was an incredible educational experience."

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Jackie Olive
Medical Student
Baylor College of Medicine

"I gained firsthand exposure to the field of thoracic surgery under the guidance of extraordinary mentors. I learned how to be an effective team member on a surgical service and about a wide breadth of thoracic surgical pathology as well as the rich history of surgical innovation at Mass General."

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Thomas Rogan, MD
Medical Student
St. George's University

"Dr. Mathisen gave me the opportunity to be immersed in the field of thoracic surgery, which shaped my education and future goals. This early exposure and my conversations with the entire division have inspired me to become a surgeon and taught me the degree of dedication and passion needed to pursue this career."

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Liqi Shu, MD
Neurology Resident
Brown University

"I had opportunities to work with almost all the attendings in the division in different settings. I scrubbed in for cases, watched eye-opening tracheal resection and reconstruction procedures, learned clinical research skills and visited the whole organ regeneration lab. Even as a medicine preliminary, the skills I learned then are still very relevant to my patient care today."

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Victor M. Zaydfudim, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of Surgery, Division of Surgical Oncology
University of Virginia

"Dr. Mathisen gave me the opportunity of a lifetime when he and his partners started me on a career in surgery. I have many fond memories, some of which continue to influence my day-to-day practice. I am and will be forever grateful."