Members
Welcome to the Thoracic Surgery Resident Association (TSRA)!
As a cardiothoracic surgery resident you are automatically a part of the TSRA and we are excited to have you on board.
Who We Are:
Founded in 1997 under the Thoracic Surgery Directors Association, TSRA was formed and is led by cardiothoracic surgery residents, and guided by the Executive Committee. While the Executive Committee is the primary leadership body of the organization, the bulk of the TSRA’s work is done by its its Committees: Projects, Education, Membership, and Communications.
What We Do:
TSRA’s goal is to provide resources and support for fellow cardiothoracic surgery residents to make you successful during residency and prepare you for a successful career. This support ranges from educational resources, such as TSRA podcasts, the TSRA Review of Cardiothoracic Surgery book and app, Clinical Scenarios with Board style review scenarios; Operative Dictations; Journal Club; and the TSRA Primer, to mentorship programs, opportunities to network at national meetings, educational luncheons at the STS and AATS Annual Meetings, the TSRA/STS Traveling Fellowship, and the TSRA/STS Global Outreach Fellowship in Cardiothoracic Surgery.
How You Can Get Involved:
Get involved in a committee! TSRA needs all hands on deck and anyone can join any of the four committees (Projects, Education, Membership, and Communications). Below is a brief description of each committee:
Projects: This committee is currently creating podcasts on clinical topics and aiding the CTSNet in creating a video library.
Education: This committee organizes educational luncheons at the national meetings, and is actively involved in curriculum reform by aiding in writing multiple-choice questions for the STS Thoracic Surgical Curriculum and creating a thoracic wiki-textbook.
Membership: This committee is involved in expanding TSRA membership with collaborations with cardiology associations, including the American College of Cardiology (ACC), and the American Thoracic Society (ATS). It also organizes the mentorship program and social events at the national meetings.
Communications: This committee writes the TSRA newsletters, post announcements on Facebook, and communicates with the list-serve via email.
Be or find a mentor by joining either the traditional or integrated mentorship program. These mentorship programs pair more senior residents with junior residents within a given program type (traditional or integrated). TSRA tries to match interests and pair people from different institutions allowing mentorship outside of your home institution. The mentorship pairs then can communicate by email or phone, or whatever suits them best.
Apply to be a part of the Executive Committee. TSRA seeks Executive Committee members annually and seek people invested and willing to commit their time to leading the organization. The voting members of the Executive Committee include the President, Past President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President, Committee Chairs and four members-at-large. The Executive Committee meets monthly via conference call on Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET (EC members will be notified when exact dates are identified). Executive Committee members MUST be able to participate in the majority of calls, as well as be involved in e-mail communication between meetings, and attend at least one of the two TSRA Executive Committee meetings held in conjunction with the STS and AATS Annual Meetings. Generally, no more than one institution can be represented on the Executive Committee. Final decisions with regard to Committee Chair positions will be made after the Executive Committee has been finalized. Components of an application should include:
- Letter of interest (1 page) – please highlight previous involvement with TSRA committees, if applicable, and how/why you would contribute to the TSRA Executive Committee
- Current CV
- Letter from your program director expressing support for serving on the TSRA Executive Committee including the time off and financial support to be able to attend the STS and AATS Annual Meetings.
Please submit your completed application for the 2021-2022 TSRA Executive Committee by June 20, 2021.
Email tsrasurgery@gmail.com with any comments or questions.
All cardiothoracic surgery residents are automatically granted TSRA membership. Also, all CT surgery residents are invited to become members of CTSNet. Visit www.ctsnet.org for more information and to view personal home pages for professionals associated with cardiothoracic surgery including surgeons, cardiologists, perfusionists, data managers, and organization staff.
General Surgery Residents, Cardiology Residents, and International Cardiothoracic Surgery Residents are now eligible for Associate Membership in TSRA. Click here to download a TSRA Association Membership application.