About TSDA

The Thoracic Surgery Directors Association (TSDA) was established in 1976, and incorporated in 1978, as a membership organization for cardiothoracic surgery residency program directors. TSDA provides resources and networking opportunities for program directors and program coordinators, and supplemental curriculum materials and resources for general surgery and cardiothoracic surgery residents.

Mission Statement

TSDA’s mission is to support thoracic surgery program directors and their teams with the tools, guidance, and community needed to navigate regulations, enhance education, and cultivate inclusive high-performing training programs.

Goals

TSDA’s goals are designed to support TSDA’s Mission Statement.

1.      Education: Provide a forum for the interchange of ideas and best practices, foster innovative and equitable strategies, and systematized approaches to address educational and administrative opportunities, and navigate educational and administrative challenges in thoracic surgery residencies, subspecialty tracks, and fellowship programs.

2.      Advocacy: Represent program directors and serve as the advocate for thoracic surgical education in the various professional agencies, boards, councils, and committees that influence the specialty of thoracic surgery.

3.      Administration: Develop, implement, and administer the annual TSDA In-Training Exam (TSDA-ITE or TSITE), and other educational and professional developmental adjuncts and assessments to provide programs with tools to measure trainee progress in knowledge of and performance in the competencies related to thoracic surgery.

4.      Service: Foster and advance a fair, equitable, diverse, transparent, and inclusive educational environment where people from all backgrounds are accepted, celebrated, and respected.

Vision

A thoracic surgery education environment that provides a collaborative, inclusive framework and education ecosystem that empowers educators, support staff, and trainees, strengthens regulatory alignment, and fosters innovation and fair, meritorious equity across all United States thoracic surgery training programs.