General thoracic surgery in the year 2010.

Abstract

Education and clinical practice in general thoracic surgery will be considerably different in the year 2010. The individual surgeon will most likely see a decline in patient volume and net income. Teaching hospitals with declining profit margins will place monetary constraints on patient programs that do not generate income, and capital budgets will be curtailed. To remain competitive, the general thoracic surgeon will have to keep pace with technologic advances and maintain a current knowledge in the field of thoracic oncology. General thoracic surgical training will profit by a core curriculum with a defined general thoracic surgical faculty dedicated to education in this field.