Advanced Cardiac Surgery Fellowships

The Division of Cardiac Surgery at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Medicine Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute is offering an advanced 1- or 2-year fellowship in cardiac surgery with three distinct training pathways:

Heart Failure, Transplantation, and Mechanical Circulatory Support
Aortic Surgery and Endovascular Procedures
Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery

This advanced fellowship is designed for surgeons seeking high-level subspecialty training in a leading academic cardiac surgery program. Fellows will gain exposure to a broad and high-volume surgical practice, with opportunities for clinical research strongly encouraged.

The Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute at Northwestern Memorial Hospital is ranked among the top 10 cardiovascular centers in the United States and performs over 2,000 cardiac surgeries annually with over 500 valvular and aortic surgeries. Each year, we perform over 200 aortic root procedures (valve-sparing or Bentall root replacements, Ross procedures), 200 ascending/arch/thoraco-abdominal aneurysms, 300 complex/multi-valve repairs/replacements, 100 endovascular aortic procedures, along with 300 transcatheter valve interventions. Additionally, there are over 150 heart transplantations/VAD implantations and 200 ECMO/temporary MCS cases.

The program offers extensive clinical experience across the full spectrum of complex cardiac surgery, including minimally invasive, robotic, aortic, transcatheter, transplant, and mechanical support procedures.

Fellowship Training Paths:

1. Heart Failure, Transplantation, and Mechanical Circulatory Support

This track focuses primarily on:

Conventional surgery for heart failure
Cardiac transplantation
Temporary and durable mechanical circulatory support
Additional exposure may include:
- Complex valve and minimally invasive repair/replacement
- Aortic procedures
- Transcatheter valve interventions
- Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy

Fellows in this track will gain broad experience in advanced heart failure therapies, including ventricular assist devices, extracorporeal and temporary mechanical support, and complex and high-risk cardiac surgery.

2. Aoritc Surgery and Endovascular Procedures

This track focuses primarily on:

Aortic and aortic root procedures
Complex aortic reconstruction
Endovascular procedures
Additional exposure may include:
- Complex valvular repair and replacement
- Minimally invasive valve surgery
- Transcatheter valve interventions
- Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy

The program provides extensive experience in aortic root replacement, valve-sparing procedures, Bentall root replacements, Ross procedures, ascending/arch/thoracoabdominal aneurysms, and endovascular aortic procedures.

3. Minimally Invasive and Robotic Surgery

This track focuses primarily on:

Minimally invasive and robotically assisted coronary revascularization
Minimally invasive and robotic valvular surgery
Transcatheter interventions
Additional exposure may include:
- Aortic surgery
- Heart failure surgery

The program has significant experience in minimally invasive and robotic cardiac procedures, including robotic-assisted mitral valve surgery and revascularization, minimally invasive aortic/mitral/multi-valve procedures, and a broad transcatheter valve practice.

Educational Environment

Across all three tracks, fellows will train in a high-volume, high-acuity academic environment with access to:

Complex operative experience
Multidisciplinary cardiovascular care
Robust clinical research opportunities
Exposure to advanced technologies and contemporary cardiac surgical techniques
Clinical research opportunities are available and strongly encouraged

Open Positions

Each year, open positions are posted on CTS Net. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis as they are received - with a holistic review. Only applications that are received in full are reviewed. If selected to interview, the coordinator will reach out for virtual availability.

Clinical research opportunities are also available and strongly encouraged.

Requirements & Eligibility

Applicants must have:

Successfully completed an ACGME-accredited Thoracic Surgery program or equivalent
Eligibility for medical licensure in the State of Illinois

This is a 12-month experience on the adult cardiac surgery service at Feinberg's clinical affiliate, Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

Application Process

Required Application Materials

Please submit the following:

CV
USMLE results
ABTS certification, proof of eligibility, or equivalent
3 letters of recommendation

How to Apply

Please send all application materials in one single PDF file to CTSURGED@NM.ORG.

The title of the email should be as follows:

ADVANCED FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION_LAST NAME_PREFERRED TRACK (Robotics/Heart Failure/Aortic)

Why Northwestern?

Millennium Park in Chicago Housestaff training through McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University provides diverse and challenging clinical experiences and world-class education located in the heart of the beautiful city of Chicago.

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Duc Thinh Pham, MD

Program Director

Faculty Profile

Contact Program

ctsurged( at )nm.org

Current Fellows

Aaron Clark, MD

Thoracic Surgery Integrated Residency: Northwestern University
Medical School: Indiana University

Robert Fleck, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship: Mater Misericordiae University Hospital
Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency: St. James's Hospital
Medical School: Trinity College of Dublin

Hallie (Lucy) Jefferson, MD

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of Calgary
Medical School: University of Calgary

Kevin Lim, MD

Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship: Hospital Authority: New Territories East Cluster
Cardiothoracic Surgery Residency: Hospital Authority: New Territories East Cluster
Medical School: Chinese University of Hong Kong

Taras Lysyy, MD

Advanced Cardiac Surgery Fellowship: Barnes Jewish Hospital
Advanced Cardiac Surgery Fellowship: Amasov National Institute
Cardiovascular Surgery Residency: Amasov National Institute
Medical School: Ternopil State Medical University

Abigail White, MD

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of Alberta
Medical School: Dalhousie University

Jinling Wu, MD

Thoracic Surgery Fellowship: Montefiore Medical Center
General Surgery Residency: Riverside Methodist Hospitals
Medical School: University of Toledo

Graduated Fellows

Andrew O'Connell, MD

Current Position: Attending Surgeon

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of Toronto
Medical School: Memorial University of Newfoundland

Completed Fellowship: 2025

Olivier Vaillancourt, MD

Current Position: Clinical Fellow

Cardiac Surgery Residency: McGill University
Medical School: University of Sherbrooke

Completed Fellowship: 2025

Miia Lehtinen, MD

Current Position: Clinical Fellow - University of Toronto

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Helsinki University of Finland
Medical School: University of Helsinki

Completed Fellowship: 2025

Rashmi Nedadur, MD

Current Position: Assistant Professor of Surgery and Consultant Cardiac Surgeon - Western University London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC)

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of Toronto
Medical School: Western University

Completed Fellowship: 2025

Hellmuth Muller Moran, MD

Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon at St. Boniface Hospital - Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of Manitoba
Medical School: University of Manitoba

Completed Fellowship: 2024

Andre Y. Son, MD MS

Current Position: University of Texas Medical Branch Health Physician

Thoracic Surgery - Integrated Residency: Northwestern University
Medical School: New York University

Completed Fellowship: 2024

Shohei Yoshida, MD PhD

Current Position: Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Osaka University
Medical School: Osaka University

Completed Fellowship: 2024

Ricardo Boix Garibo, MD

Current Position: Clinical Assistant Professor, Northwestern Medical Group

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Royal College of Surgeons
Medical School: University of Valencia

Completed Fellowship: 2023

Ho Jin Kim, MD

Current Position: Associate Professor, Department of Thoracic and CV Surgery - Asan Medical Center

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Asan Medical Center
Medical School: Catholic University of Korea

Completed Fellowship: 2022

Andrew Fagan, MD

Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon and Intensivist, Assistant Professor - University of Manitoba

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Ross University
Medical School: Dalhousie University

Completed Fellowship: 2022

Andres Jose Tobar, MD

Current Position: CT Surgeon - Charleston Area Medical Center

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Catholic University - Chile
Medical School: University of Santiago

Completed Fellowship: 2021

David Drullinsky, MD

Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon - London Health Sciences Centre

Cardiac Surgery Residency: McGill University
Medical School: Universidad de Chile

Completed Fellowship: 2021

Jonathan Hong, MD

Current Position: Assistant Professor, Cardiac Surgery - University of Manitoba

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of British Columbia
Medical School: University of Toronto

Completed Fellowship: 2020

Janet Ngu, MD

Current Position: Cardiac Surgery Faculty - University of British Columbia

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of Ottawa
Medical School: University of Calgary

Completed Fellowship: 2020

Yuji Kaku, MD

Current Position: CT Surgeon - Columbia University

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Tokyo Women's Medical University
Medical School: Tohoku University - Japan

Completed Fellowship: 2019

Panayotis Vardas, MD

Current Position: Assistant Professor/Associate Program Director - CT Surgery Residency - University of Alabama Birmingham

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Indiana University
Medical School: University of Rome " La Sapienza"

Completed Fellowship: 2019

Ryo Suzuki, MD

Current Position: CT Surgeon - Stanford University

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Keio University School of Medicine - Japan
Medical School: Keio University School of Medicine - Japan

Completed Fellowship: 2019

Daniel Holloway, MD

Current Position: Clinical Assistant Professor/Cardiac Surgeon/Program Director - Cardiac Surgery Training Program - University of Calgary

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of Calgary
Medical School: Queen's University

Completed Fellowship: 2018

Russell McElveen, DO

Current Position: CVT Surgeon - Southern Illinois Healthcare

Thoracic Surgery Fellowship: University of Mississippi
Medical School: Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine

Completed Fellowship: 2018

Erik Orozco - Hernandez, MD

Current Position: Attending Surgeon/Instructor of Surgery - University of Alabama Birmingham

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social
Medical School: Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara

Completed Fellowship: 2017

Jota Nakano, MD

Current Position: Surgical Director of TAVI and HF Programs - Kurashiki Central Hospital - Japan

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Kokura Memorial Hospital - Japan
Medical School: Kyoto University

Completed Fellowship: 2016

Jennifer Higgins, MD

Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon - St. Mary's Hospital - Kitchner, Canada

Cardiac Surgery Residency:
Medical School: KSchulich School of Medicine and Dentistry

Completed Fellowship: 2016

Stephane Leung, MD

Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - Spectrum Health

Cardiac Surgery Residency: McGill University
Medical School: McGill University

Completed Fellowship: 2015

Michael Yamashita, MD

Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon/Assistant Professor/Director of Complex Thoracic Aorti Surgery - University of Manitoba

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of British Columbia
Medical School: McGill University

Completed Fellowship: 2015

Karen Thompson, DO

Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - University of Florida Health - Leesburg

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University Hospital of Mississippi
Medical School: Midwestern University

Completed Fellowship: 2014

Hirohisa Ikegami, MD

Current Position: Assistant Professor/Surgical Director of the Adv. Heart Failure and Transplant Program - Robert Wood Johnson Medical School - Rutgers University

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Shiga University of Medical Sciences
Medical School: Shiga University of Medical Sciences

Completed Fellowship: 2013

Emmanuel Amulraj, MD

Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - OSF Healthcare (Peoria, IL)

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Loyola University
Medical School: St. John's Medical College (Bangalore, IN)

Completed Fellowship: 2013

Larry Cohler, MD

Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - Carle BroMenn Medical Center

Cardiac Surgery Residency: University of California - San Francisco
Medical School: University of Iowa

Completed Fellowship: 2011

Kevin Richardson, MD

Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - New Mexico Heart Institute

Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship: Ohio State University
Medical School: Meharry Medical College

Completed Fellowship: 2011

Rony Atoui, MD

Current Position: Associate Professor / Cardiac Surgeon - Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Cardiac Surgery Residency: McGill University
Medical School: McGill University

Completed Fellowship: 2010

Truc Ly, MD

Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - Baptist Medical Center, San Antonio TX

Cardiac Surgery Residency: St. Joseph Mercy Health System
Medical School: St. George's School of Medicine - Grenada, West Indies

Completed Fellowship: 2010

Diyar Saeed, MD

Current Position: Vice Chair & Director of the MCS & Heart Transplant Program - Leipzig Heart Center - Germany

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Bad Oeynhausen Heart Center
Medical School: Sulaimani Medical School

Completed Fellowship: 2009

Soren Schenk, MD

Current Position: Cardiac Surgeon, Sana Heart Center - Cottbus

Cardiac Surgery Residency: Ludwig Maximilians University
Medical School:

Completed Fellowship: 2009

Jacques Kpodonu, MD

Current Position: Instructor of Surgery, Harvard Medical School / Assistant Professor of Surgery - Beth Israel

Cardiac Surgery Residency:
Medical School: University of Ghana

Completed Fellowship: 2008

Alfredo Ramirez, MD

Current Position: Cardiothoracic Surgeon - Billings, Montana

Cardiothoracic Surgery Fellowship: Rush University
Medical School: University of Iowa

Completed Fellowship: 2007

Physician-Scientist Training & Resources

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