Thoracic surgery fellowship

The Corewell Health – Grand Rapids/Michigan State University Thoracic Surgery Fellowship is committed to providing the best academic and clinical training program for our fellows. This two-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education program prepares our physicians for certification by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. 

Corewell Health in West Michigan has the highest-volume cardiac surgery program in Michigan. To see our latest outcomes and quality data, download our 2023 heart, lung and vascular outcomes report. Fellows enjoy opportunities to learn in a state-of-the-art facility providing innovative cardiovascular care. From coronary artery bypass surgery to minimally invasive interventions and transplantation, our physicians and clinical teams are experienced in blending individualized patient plans with a dedication to quality outcomes.

Thank you for considering the Corewell Health – Grand Rapids/Michigan State University Thoracic Surgery Fellowship program.

Our passion is teaching, and the entire program is designed with the fellow in mind. Fellows will train at the largest medical center in West Michigan, which is affiliated with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. As a fellow in our program, you may pursue your passions in clinical and academic cardiac and general thoracic surgery.

Additionally, you will have research opportunities with exposure to innovative clinical and translational research studies on a national level.

Corewell Health is a nationally recognized, high-quality center that utilizes innovative surgical procedures and advanced techniques, reassuring patients they are receiving the best clinical care possible from some of the most experienced and skilled surgeons in the world. We have amongst the highest clinical volumes in the state of Michigan for LVAD, TAVR, lobectomies, and valvular and coronary surgery. Our tremendous procedural volumes enable our fellows to be exposed to complex adult and congenital cases ensuring an excellent operative experience and the ability to choose a career path in any of the disciplines of cardiac surgery.

We provide a dynamic conference series focusing on the educational needs of fellows, attending physicians, residents, medical students, and staff. Fellows can also be part of our quality improvement programs, internal and external lecture series with international experts, and cardiovascular-based journal clubs, along with participating in and leading educational conferences.

The goal of the cardiothoracic surgery faculty is to make your fellowship training the best in the country.

Sincerely,
Charles Willekes, MD
Program Director
Corewell Health – Grand Rapids/Michigan State University Thoracic Surgery Fellowship

Program aims

• Ability to preform routine operations, common to cardiac and thoracic surgery independently 
• Have the experience to perform more complex cardiac and thoracic surgery cases
• Competent and comfortable managing patients in all phases of care
• Continue to develop in professionalism and leadership at the local and national level
• Research exposure in the filed of cardiothoracic surgery

Clinical environment

Spectrum Health offers a wide breadth of cardiology, cardiothoracic and vascular services. Through Spectrum Health’s partnership with Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, fellows are surrounded by an academic environment including residents and medical students. The approach to patient care if often through multidisciplinary, collaborative team approach. Weekly Heart Team meetings allow our clinicians to come together to formalize individual treatment plans for complex cardiac cases. We believe this improves our cardiac surgical outcomes and helps maintain our 3-star rating designating Spectrum Cardiac Surgery as a center of excellence. 

Our thoracic surgery department benefits from the same approach as a multidisciplinary team evaluates lung cancer patients each week with a team of radiologists, pulmonologists, oncologists and surgeons deciding on the best care for each patient. With two dedicated DaVinci robotic machines for cardiothoracic surgery, over 85% of our lobectomies are preformed robotically and a rising number of esophagectomies. 

As a nationally recognized health care system, Spectrum Health provides high-quality clinical care to thousands of patients each year. Here are some of our clinical volumes from calendar year 2020.

Curriculum

The curriculum of the cardiothoracic surgery fellowship training program is designed to meet the goals delineated by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) and prepares our physicians for certification by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery. The 24-month core curriculum gives exposure to the essential rotations in cardiothoracic surgery.

Sample rotation

Fellows participate in various outpatient clinics a half day per week. The below rotation schedule is our current two year schedule. There is opportunity to vary the rotations based on different interests or professional goals.

Didactics

Education has been a long-standing mission of Thoracic Surgery Fellowship. The faculty have constructed a dedicated lecture series designed for fellows addressing basic management of all aspects of cardiology, specifically geared towards fellows during their first few months of training. In addition, the faculty has a list of conferences throughout the year that fellows, attendings and staff are expected to attend.

Research

Clinical research is a part of our key strategic vision at Corewell Health in West Michigan and cardiothoracic has an active research portfolio that focuses on industry clinical trials, pre-clinical animal studies and investigator-initiated studies. We have a large cardiovascular research department which provides support to our physicians, and includes research nurses, coordinators, assistants, statisticians, budget negotiations and financial analysis and Q&A. The Heart and Vascular Institute works in collaboration with numerous institutions across the globe, including the Magdi Yacoub Institute, Van Andel Research Institute, Michigan State University, Grand Valley State University and the DeVos Cardiovascular Research Program.

All applications need to be submitted through the Electronic Residency Application Service. Please be advised of the following:

• Applicants must have completed an ACGME-accredited residency program, or an RCPSC-accredited or CFPC-accredited residency program located in Canada.
• All applicants must possess U.S. work authorization or be eligible for J-1 status

For more information on our program, contact Christine Richey, program coordinator.