Hussein Nabil, Eid Maroua, Olsthoorn Jules, Nägele Felix, Loubani Mahmoud, Quintana Eduard, Borger Michael, van Brakel Thomas, Sádaba J Rafael, Clark Stephen, Myers Patrick
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, WC1N 3BH, United Kingdom.
Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital of Angers, Angers, France.
Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2025 Aug 2;67(8). doi: 10.1093/ejcts/ezaf230.
Cardiac surgery remains a high-stakes, technically complex specialty requiring rigorous, structured training. Across Europe, significant variation exists in training pathways, assessment standards, and certification, creating disparities in preparedness among newly qualified cardiac surgeons. To address this, the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery (EACTS) developed a unified Core Curriculum for the Cardiac/Cardiovascular Surgeon.
This curriculum was developed over 12 months by a taskforce comprising experienced surgeons/trainers, educational experts, and trainee surgeons. Data were gathered through 2 National Trainee Summits (2023 and 2024), with representation from 26 national programmes. Structured feedback from these events and additional stakeholder consultations shaped the framework, which incorporates entrustable professional activities (EPAs), Canadian Medical Education Directives for Specialists (CanMEDS) competencies, and European Board of Cardiothoracic Surgery (EBCTS) syllabus.
The curriculum defines clinical and non-clinical competencies across 3 training stages-introductory, intermediate, and advanced-aligned with EPA benchmarks. It outlines requirements for trainees, trainers, training institutions including operative volume, educational content, and assessment methodology. Institutions are encouraged to adopt competency-based progression, minimum case numbers, regular multi-source feedback, and final certification via standardized examinations such as the EBCTS. Emphasis is also placed on supporting struggling trainees, quality assurance mechanisms, and future workforce planning.
The EACTS Core Curriculum offers a harmonized, flexible, and competency-based framework for cardiac surgical training. Voluntary adoption of this curriculum across Europe is expected to enhance training quality, ensure patient safety, and facilitate surgeon mobility across borders. It aims to cultivate independent, reflective, and proficient cardiac surgeons equipped for evolving clinical demands.
心脏外科手术仍然是一个高风险、技术复杂的专业领域，需要严格、结构化的培训。在欧洲，培训途径、评估标准和认证存在显著差异，导致新获得资格的心脏外科医生在准备程度上存在差异。为了解决这一问题，欧洲心胸外科学会（EACTS）制定了心脏/心血管外科医生统一核心课程。
该课程由一个由经验丰富的外科医生/培训师、教育专家和实习外科医生组成的工作组历时12个月制定。数据通过2次全国实习生峰会（2023年和2024年）收集，有来自26个国家项目的代表。这些活动的结构化反馈以及与其他利益相关者的磋商形成了该框架，该框架纳入了可托付专业活动（EPA）、加拿大专科医学教育指令（CanMEDS）能力以及欧洲心胸外科学会（EBCTS）教学大纲。
该课程定义了3个培训阶段（入门、中级和高级）的临床和非临床能力，并与EPA基准保持一致。它概述了对实习生、培训师、培训机构的要求，包括手术量、教育内容和评估方法。鼓励各机构采用基于能力的晋升、最低病例数、定期多源反馈以及通过EBCTS等标准化考试进行最终认证。还强调支持有困难的实习生、质量保证机制和未来劳动力规划。
EACTS核心课程为心脏外科培训提供了一个统一、灵活且基于能力的框架。预计欧洲各地自愿采用该课程将提高培训质量、确保患者安全并促进外科医生跨境流动。其目的是培养能够适应不断变化的临床需求的独立、善于反思且熟练的心脏外科医生。
