Pick your Speciality
Thorax Surgery
Q&A Professional Association
What are the key points of specialist training?
6 years, including 1 year of non-specialist subjects with basic examination, 6 months of intensive care medicine, 4.5 years of specialist training with OP catalogue
How expensive is this specialist training?
Fee for specialist training is 4000 CHF.
What further training options and specializations are there?
Nothing directly subject-specific.
How can a stay abroad in this area be implemented or is it even necessary? (e.g. necessity of the USMLE)
Direct application or contacts among the clinics. USMLE only necessary for clinical work in the USA.
How well can this specialty be combined with research (clinical research or basic research)?
Well compatible with clinics with regular research activities (short routes).
How important is it to do research (e.g. to do an MD-PhD)?
On a scale from 1-10: 4.
How important is it for your starting job to gain an insight into this subject area during the elective year?
Ideally, but not necessarily.
Q&A Physicians
Chief physician, M, 61 years old
How old are you?
61 y/o
Where did you study and when did you graduate?
Basel, 1994.
Do you have a doctorate?
Yes
When did you become a specialist?
2001 and 2005.
How long did your specialist training take?
6 years and an additional 4 years.
What is your current position (and background)?
Chief Physician
How does your working week look like?
Monday to Friday 07:30 to 18:30, on-call duty every 3rd day/every 3rd weekday
Patient contact on 2 weekdays during consultation hours, daily ward rounds for inpatients, surgical activity on 3 weekdays.
When and why did you choose this specialization?
During the rotation period in various surgical specialities.
How would you describe your time as a resident?
Long working days, usually very instructive with lots of autodidactics
Is part-time work possible already during residency?
Yes.
What working modalities does your specialist title offer?
Hospital, research.
How competitive is it to complete this specialist title in Switzerland?
Talented and committed people (who are good at what they do and like to do it) will always make their way.
How would you rate your work-life balance on a scale of 1-10? Would your colleagues with the same specialist title confirm this?
8
How easy is it to implement family planning in this field?
Increasingly easier.
What do you wish you had known before your specialist training?
Regret nothing.
Why should someone choose this specialty?
Because you enjoy doing it and are fascinated by it.
What challenges await someone in this field?
Good communication skills (confidence building), manual dexterity, interest in anatomy, resilience, abroad yes, but not mandatory, surgical catalogue possible in 6 years under the best conditions.
Is it necessary to write the master’s/doctoral thesis in this subject area?
No.
Is it possible to find an assistant doctor position in this specialty directly after the federal examination?
Yes.
What advice would you give to young medical students?
Rough triage: what comes into question? Then rotate as a intern and as a resident and have many conversations with advanced residents.