CaRMS Stats

[Wut?]

Originally Posted by cardiomegaly

There are plenty of students at my school who don't have an undergraduate degree...never thought it meant anything in the CaRMs process. Getting in without a degree is actually harder than with.

For English speaking schools, it doesn't make a difference. Med0123 was speaking exclusively towards the francophone schools.

[preppy038]

Originally Posted by brooksbane

It's not whether someone can do CABGs. It's whether they'll be needed at all.

Technology is the great executioner of medical fields.

There are a few more fields that will be soon be slain by technological advances. I won't say which ones, but you're free to guess.

there are still indications for CABG :S...

from our CV block, it seemed like there was still some place for CABG aside from PCI.

yes, reduced demand, but not necessarily a dead specialty?

Plus a lot of congenital stuff, cardiac surgeons can take care of. no? or is it part of pediatric surgery?

[thebouque]

Originally Posted by preppy038

there are still indications for CABG :S...

from our CV block, it seemed like there was still some place for CABG aside from PCI.

yes, reduced demand, but not necessarily a dead specialty?

Plus a lot of congenital stuff, cardiac surgeons can take care of. no? or is it part of pediatric surgery?

Even though it's not what it used to be volume wise, there is definitely a need for heart surgeons. In Japan, heart sageon! Stteady Handsss!

[A-Stark]

Originally Posted by thebouque

Even though it's not what it used to be volume wise, there is definitely a need for heart surgeons. In Japan, heart sageon! Stteady Handsss!

+10 for the reference!

Even with endovascular procedures for valve repair, open approaches will still be necessary in some cases, as with the CABG.

[NLengr]

The problem isn't there is no need for cardiac surgeons, the problem is there are very few jobs for them right now. They used to need a lot more but the requirement has decreased. However, all those guys who trained in the 80's and 90's are still working. The new grads are struggling for the few open jobs when people retire.

[1234]

Originally Posted by NLengr

The problem isn't there is no need for cardiac surgeons, the problem is there are very few jobs for them right now. They used to need a lot more but the requirement has decreased. However, all those guys who trained in the 80's and 90's are still working. The new grads are struggling for the few open jobs when people retire.

And there is a significant backlog of trained cardiac surgeons who are just waiting. From what I remember from my Cardiac Surgery rotation at St. Mikes, there were at least 4 fully trained clinical associates just doing saphenous vein harvesting. And there is some opportunity for locum, it is minimal compared to the likes of Ortho Surg because there aren't a lot of emergent cases, those cases take prestine technical skill acquired from daily practice, and cardiac surgeons don't miss cases. And the group doesn't like taking a outcomes hit from having excessive locum coverage.

[1234]

Originally Posted by thebouque

Even though it's not what it used to be volume wise, there is definitely a need for heart surgeons. In Japan, heart sageon! Stteady Handsss!

Yes there is a definite need for cardiac surgeons. But bread and butter CABG secondary to atherosclerosis has been dropped by 70-80%. And the rest of the cases have been significantly delayed. But I think there is a bolus in patients requiring CABG as the retirement group expands. It is one of the fields that medical intervention has made the biggest difference and is likely a consequence of so much research dollars and focus on the heart over the last 50 years.

[bloh]

2013 will be an interesting match to follow. I expect to see **** hit the fan unless the spots get increased drastically.

[Med0123]

Originally Posted by bloh

2013 will be an interesting match to follow. I expect to see **** hit the fan unless the spots get increased drastically.

yea, we'll see... the pendulum was on our sides with MD cohorts size increase, but now it's on theirs.

[cardiomegaly]

I'm going to throw one out there and say the 2013 match will be slightly less competitive for some of the surgical residencies (excluding Ophtho) and much more competitive for things like Radiology, Anaesthesia, Emerg and Internal (ie. don't need an OR)

If you hear enough stories about unemployed surgical fellows, you'll think twice.