15 May 2013
Cardiothoracic Surgeon Research Paper Cardiothoracic Surgery is one of the most interesting and rewarding careers in the medical field. It was stated in Saving the Heart by Stephen Klaidman, “In the 1950s surgeons found ways to do quick repairs of congenital heart defects and faulty valves, and then the first heart-lung machine was invented, which made longer operations possible.” Since then, Cardiothoracic surgery has been constantly evolving to incorporate the new technological innovations. This job is described as engaging, challenging, interesting, and life changing. Day by day, the surgeries are getting easier to perform and the recovery time for patients is improving. With 50% of the current cardiothoracic surgeons operating in the U.S. expected to retire within the next decade, there will be a huge demand for cardiothoracic surgeons. The work cardiothoracic surgeons do isn’t easy. They mainly focus on curing heart diseases and they can, with additional training, also operate on the lungs and the chest area. Cardiothoracic surgery has many perks. Cardiothoracic surgeons have an outstanding salary and great benefits. According to salary.com cardiothoracic surgeons make from $277,469 a year to as much as $655,075+ per year with a median salary of $446,033. This also comes with great benefits. According to salary.com the average benefits for a cardiothoracic surgeon per year are (percentages represent the percentage of the total compensation): Social Security - $13,517(2.5%), Bonuses - $3,126(0.6%), Base Salary - $410,480(80.1%), 401K/403B - $9,500(1.7), Disability - $3,122(0.6%), Healthcare - $6,507(1.2%), Pension - $16,000(2.9%), and Time off - $54,896(10%). This amounts to a total compensation of $549,576 per year. This being said, many cardiothoracic surgeons believe that one of the best parts of their job is saving lives, and knowing that they are helping people. In Sherwin B. Newland’s book The Art of Aging it says, “…the inner