The resident should acquire basic knowledge of pulmonary physiology, understand the technique and be able to interpret pulmonary function studies and blood gases.

The resident should be familiar with the principles of hemodynamics, normal and pathological cardiac function. He should be able to understand the technique and interpret the results of different cardiac functions and diagnostic tests such as heart catheterization, angio cardiography and coronary cineangiography, nuclear and echo cardiac stress tests, etc.

The resident should be able to interpret different imaging modalities of the chest such as conventional X-ray and PET-scan.

The resident should be able to competently perform and interpret endoscopic interventions such as diagnostic and interventional bronchoscopy, esophagoscopy, and thoracoscopy. He should be an independent operator in different surgical procedures involving the lung (biopsies, wedge resections, lobectomies and pneumonectomies, drainage of pulmonary abscesses, decortication), and pleura. He should also develop into an independent operator involving all esophageal and other mediastinal interventions. He should be able to handle all types of thoracic trauma, blunt and penetrating and address surgical lesions of the diaphragm.

At the completion of his training, the resident should be an independent operator in all aspects of cardiothoracic and cardiovascular surgery such as acquired heart disease, trauma, valve incompetence and stenosis, occlusive coronary heart disease, ventricular aneurysms, etc. He should also be able to operate effectively simpler forms of congenital heart disease on larger children such as ventricular and atrial septal defect, patent ductus arteriosus, coarctation of the aorta. We do not expect the resident at the completion of his 2-year training to be an independent operator on neonates and in complex congenital heart disease such as transposition, hypoplastic left ventricle, etc. For this, we recommend a minimum of 1-year additional training in neonatal surgery.

Upon completion of the training, the resident should also be able to operate effectively and safely on anomalies of major intrathoracic vessels such as the aortic arch, innominate and subclavian arteries. The resident should also be competent in managing surgical problems of the peripheral arterial system, which may arise in the course of practice of cardiothoracic surgery and be familiar with the technique of cardiopulmonary perfusion, and understand the function of the heart-lung machine.

Besides learning the elements of high-level cardiothoracic and cardiovascular technique and technology, we expect the resident to carry his work out with professional responsibilities, adhering to principles of medical ethics as it has been laid down by Hippocrates and modified during the passage of time. They should adhere the principles of the ethical code of modern American medicine and should carry out their work with sensitivity toward a diverse patient population. The resident should maintain a compassionate and appropriate stance toward the patient and at the same time be able to choose the most effective treatment for his health problems. He should be able to not only know, but also demonstrate the knowledge of biomedical, clinical and cognitive sciences and should be able to apply effectively the treatment to that particular patient's needs. He should be able to put the patient's interest always ahead of his own and should be varying at the same time of societies' needs to provide care to everybody who needs it in a cost effective way. He should be able to investigate and evaluate the patient care as it is practiced both inside and outside of his community and be able to appraise and assimilate scientific evidence on how to use it in his own daily patient care.

The resident is expected to communicate his needs and by the end of the training possess a skill of communication with good result and in effective information exchange of results and views with his peers as well as with his patients and their family. He should be able to insert and demonstrate awareness and responsiveness to the system of healthcare and should contribute to the development of a more effective, more sensitive medical system of the 21st century.