March 3, 2022
Calgary's cardiac surgery residency program attracts top candidates
With eight trainees learning under the guidance of 12 surgeons, the Libin Cardiovascular Institute鈥檚 Cardiac Surgery Residency Training Program (CSRTP) is one of the largest surgical training programs in the country.
According to surgeon Dr. Daniel Holloway, MD, program director of the CSRTP, it is also one of the best.
鈥淥ur surgical program is widely respected, so we attract some of the nation鈥檚 top candidates,鈥 says Holloway.
About half of those candidates are women, which is good news for the program, according to Holloway.
鈥淲e are seeing more women in the field, and the four female residents in our program are excellent,鈥 says Holloway. 鈥淭hey are a testament to the fact that we are able to select only the best for our program.鈥
These young female residents are fortunate to receive mentorship from surgeon Dr. Teresa Kieser, MD, PhD, who, as a woman, is a pioneer in her field. In fact, when she began her practice in 1988, she was only the third female cardiac surgeon in Canada.
Kieser received her medical degree from the University of Ottawa in 1976. She finished her surgical training in 1987 and completed residencies at several institutions including the University of Toronto, the University of Ottawa and Washington University, USA. She completed her PhD at Erasmus University in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, in 2015.
When Kieser was training, there were very few female surgeons in any specialty for her to look up to.
鈥淭here were no women training alongside me in cardiac surgery,鈥 says Kieser, noting during her years of residency she remembers just one other female surgical resident 鈥 a woman who was training to become an orthopedic surgeon.
As she began her practice, Kieser had no female role models, although she counts two men, Dr. Gerald M. FitzGibbon and Dr. Wilbert J. Keon, as wonderful mentors. Being a woman made the already challenging career path more difficult, but today Kieser is a highly lauded surgeon-scientist specializing in coronary artery bypass graft surgery.
She is also a role model for young female residents in Calgary鈥檚 renowned surgical program.
Dr. Holly Smith, MD, completed her cardiac residency training in Calgary in the summer of 2021 as chief resident. As the first physician in her family, she is also a trailblazer.
Smith is pleased with the growing diversity in the field of cardiac surgery, although she notes it is still male dominated.
鈥淔orty per cent of the applicants for our cardiac surgery program are female, and in medical schools more than half of the students are female, so I think it is definitely changing,鈥 says Smith. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a good thing for female residents to see other women working in the field.鈥
Surgical resident Dr. Amy Brown, MD, who earned a master鈥檚 degree in biology with a focus in molecular genetics and a medical degree from Dalhousie University before coming to Calgary, was motivated to pursue cardiac surgery because it is technically demanding, requires an in-depth understanding of cardiac physiology and offers opportunities to help others.
鈥淚 truly appreciate the opportunity to fix an often life-threatening and debilitating problem and make a positive impact in patients鈥 lives,鈥 says Brown. 鈥淐ardiac surgery is an incredibly demanding yet rewarding career, and I can鈥檛 imagine doing anything else.鈥
Calgary鈥檚 program was of special interest to Brown because its leadership focuses on supporting mental and physical wellness for its residents while providing them with the best learning environment possible.
All three agree cardiac surgery is a good fit for those with a passion for life-long learning and helping others.
Dr. Kieser recalls advice from a surgeon about another鈥檚 comment regarding the reticence of referrals to women surgeons because of gender.
鈥淗is wonderful advice was to, 鈥楧o what you want to do, because that is what you will be best at,鈥欌 she says. 鈥淭o succeed in life, it is vital to have the courage to do what is right for the world and right for you.鈥
About 1,800 open-heart surgeries are performed in Calgary each year, one of the highest volumes in the country. The Libin鈥檚 surgical program is well-known across the country and internationally, has cutting edge initiatives such as the growing minimally invasive surgical program and is respected for its innovative research programs.
Dr. Dan Holloway, MD, is a cardiac surgeon and assistant professor in the departments of Surgery and Cardiac Sciences at the Cumming School of Medicine at the 草莓污视频导航. He is a member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute.
Dr. Teresa Kieser, MD, is a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and professor emerita in the departments of Surgery and Cardiac Sciences at the 草莓污视频导航鈥檚 Cumming School of Medicine (CSM). She is also a member of the Libin Cardiovascular Institute.
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