72 fellowships in 26 countries for surgeons who want advanced training in lung, mediastinal, airway and oesophageal surgery. At the latest check, 11 are open or rolling and 1 upcoming.
General thoracic surgery fellowships build on a thoracic or cardiothoracic residency with focused exposure to lung cancer surgery, minimally invasive and robotic resection, oesophageal and mediastinal disease, and airway and chest wall problems. Many are based in cancer centres or high-volume university units.
The listings include clinical fellowships, research fellowships and shorter travelling or observer posts. Check the type, duration and language of each programme, because the same title can mean very different levels of hands-on experience.
Examples from the directory. Compare format and prior training, then open the profile for participation, funding and application details. Confirm the current cycle with the official source.
| Programme | Format, duration & status | Required prior training |
|---|---|---|
| University Health Network / University of Toronto Thoracic Surgery Clinical Fellowship |
Clinical Fellowship6 months–2 years · Rolling | Not publicly listed — confirm with programmeOfficial programme source ↗ |
| Duke University Hospital Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Fellowship |
Advanced Subspecialty Fellowship1 year · Closed | Completed ACGME cardiothoracic training or international equivalent; ABTS board eligibility/certification or equivalentOfficial programme source ↗ |
| University Health Network / University of Toronto Thoracic Surgery Observership |
ObservershipConfirm with the sponsor · Needs confirmation | No programme-specific training threshold stated on the university’s observer instructions. Confirm eligibility with the sponsor.Official programme source ↗ |
Open and upcoming calls come first. Select a fellowship for eligibility, application route and its official source.
Chest Wall International Group (CWIG)
CWIG-selected host centres, International · Up to 4 weeks overall; individual host visits 1–2 weeks
The Thoracic Surgery Foundation (The Society of Thoracic Surgeons)
Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Medicina – Hospital Luis Calvo Mackenna
Santiago, Chile · 3 months
Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Medicina – Hospital Clínico San Borja Arriarán
Santiago, Chile · 3–6 months
Seoul National University Hospital
Seoul, South Korea · Individualized
Semmelweis University (Thoracic Surgery Clinic, with the National Institute of Oncology and National Korányi Institute of Pulmonology)
Budapest, Hungary · Flexible, typically 3 to 12 months (12-month general thoracic, 6-month minimally invasive, 3-month intensive RATS or VATS tracks)
University Hospital Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland · 4 months
University Health Network / University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada · 6 months–2 years
University Hospital Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland · Individually agreed; past fellows stayed up to 1 year
London Health Sciences Centre / Western University, Division of Thoracic Surgery
London, Canada · 12 months
University Hospital Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland · Dates and length agreed with the department
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Houston, United States · 30 days unless the programme director approves otherwise
Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School
Boston, United States · 12 months
National University Hospital
Singapore, Singapore · 12 months
University of British Columbia / Surrey Memorial Hospital
Surrey, Canada · 12 months
University of British Columbia / Vancouver General Hospital
Vancouver, Canada · 12 months
Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, United States · Not publicly listed
Hackensack Meridian Health — JFK University Medical Center
Edison, United States · 1 year
Royal Melbourne Hospital / Victorian Comprehensive Cancer Centre
Melbourne, Australia · 12 months
Swedish Medical Center / Swedish Cancer Institute (Providence)
Seattle, United States · 1 year
RSUP Persahabatan
Jakarta, Indonesia · Host-specific duration unpublished; LPDP domestic funding allows 6–24 months
RSUD Dr. Soetomo
Surabaya, Indonesia · Host-specific duration unpublished; LPDP domestic funding allows 6–24 months
Barts Thorax Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital (Barts Health NHS Trust)
London, United Kingdom · 6 months, extendable to 1 year
Hospital Privado Universitario de Córdoba – Departamento de Docencia e Investigación
Córdoba, Argentina · 1 year
UNAM Facultad de Medicina, División de Estudios de Posgrado — sede: Instituto Nacional de Pediatría (INP)
Mexico City, Mexico · 2 years
Universidad de Chile, Facultad de Medicina — Hospital Exequiel González Cortés
Santiago, Chile · 12 months
Tata Memorial Centre / Tata Memorial Hospital
Mumbai, India · 1 year
Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education
Phoenix/Scottsdale, United States · 1 year
Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education
Rochester, United States · 1 or 2 years
Shanghai Chest Hospital / Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine
Shanghai, China · Long-term training; exact duration not publicly listed
The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZU)
Hangzhou, China · 3 months
University of Pittsburgh Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery / UPMC
Pittsburgh, United States · 1 clinical year
Moffitt Cancer Center
Tampa, United States · 12 months
Toronto Addis Ababa Academic Collaboration — Addis Ababa University / University of Toronto
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Toronto, Canada · Individualised bilateral training; Toronto observership component: 2–3 months
Dalhousie University, Division of Thoracic Surgery (Nova Scotia Health)
Halifax, Canada · One to two years
Hôpital Saint Joseph Marseille
Marseille, France · 6 months or 1 year
The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZU)
Hangzhou, China · 3 months
Waikato Cardiothoracic Unit, Waikato Hospital (Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora)
Hamilton, New Zealand · 1 year in the published 2022 call
West China Hospital, Sichuan University
Chengdu, China · 6 or 12 months
National Cancer Center Hospital East
Kashiwa, Japan · 2 years
National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS, SingHealth)
Singapore, Singapore · Overall overseas programme describes 3–12 months; confirm this track
Yashoda Hospitals, Secunderabad
Secunderabad, India · Current duration not published; confirm with the coordinator
Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital, Tongji University
Shanghai, China · Individualised; six-month placement documented in 2025
Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System
Seoul, South Korea · 3 months, 6 months or 1 year
National Institute of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases (NITRD)
New Delhi, India · 3 months (2023–24 annual report)
University Health Network / University of Toronto
Toronto, Canada · Confirm with the sponsor
AATS Foundation (with Intuitive Surgical)
Intuitive Surgical training facility, United States · Fall 2026 – Spring 2027 programme including a one-day in-person Clinical Skills Course
Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS) / Seoul National University Bundang Hospital
Seongnam, South Korea · 12 months
University Hospital Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland · 3–6 months
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
New York, United States · 1 year
Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (Ensino Einstein)
São Paulo, Brazil · 1 year (March to February)
St Vincent's Melbourne
Melbourne, Australia · 2026 calendar year
University Hospital Zurich
Zurich, Switzerland · 3 months
European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) — host option: Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS
Rome, Italy · 12 months
European Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Rouen, France and European training centres · 1 year (e-learning, 2-day bootcamp, training in Rouen, 2 × 2 days at a European centre, 6-month fellowship)
European Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Copenhagen, Denmark; Milan, Italy; Zurich, Switzerland; São Paulo, Brazil · November 2026–June 2027; scheduled short clinical immersions
UZ Leuven
Leuven, Belgium · 12 months
Fundación Favaloro
Buenos Aires, Argentina · 1 year
Rajiv Gandhi Cancer Institute & Research Centre
New Delhi, India · Not stated in the 2026 prospectus; confirm with Academics
Instituto D'Or de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR) / Rede D'Or – Regional Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil · 1 year (2,200 hours, 44 h/week)
Instituto D'Or de Pesquisa e Ensino (IDOR) / Rede D'Or – Regional São Paulo
São Paulo, Brazil · 1 year (1,560 hours, 30 h/week) per official edital
Duke University Hospital
Durham, United States · 1 year
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) / UFRGS
Porto Alegre, Brazil · 1 year
InCor — Instituto do Coração, HCFMUSP (Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo)
São Paulo, Brazil · 1 year (optional 2nd year)
InCor — Instituto do Coração, HCFMUSP (Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo)
São Paulo, Brazil · 1 year
EACTS Francis Fontan Fund
Paris, Calabria or London, Europe · 6 weeks (two 3-week placements)
Società Italiana di Chirurgia Toracica (SICT)
Cerro Maggiore and Italian reference centres, Italy · Staged May 2025–February 2026 curriculum
EACTS Francis Fontan Fund
Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai, China · 6–12 months
Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) / UFRGS
Porto Alegre, Brazil · 12 months; 2,880 hours
EACTS Francis Fontan Fund — Odense University Hospital
Odense, Denmark · 3 months (1 June – 1 September 2027)
WABIP / Avenue Hospital Nairobi
Nairobi, Kenya · 3 months
WABIP / LIV Hospital Istanbul
Istanbul, Türkiye · 3 months
Most programmes expect completion of general surgery, thoracic or cardiothoracic training. Cancer-centre and robotic fellowships often favour candidates who already perform resections independently. Language and licensing requirements decide whether a post is clinical or observational, so check them before applying.
Countries: United States (13), Brazil (8), Canada (7), China (6), Switzerland (6), India (4), Italy (4), Argentina (3), Chile (3), France (3), South Korea (3), United Kingdom (3), Australia (2), Belgium (2), Denmark (2), Indonesia (2), Singapore (2), Türkiye (2), Ethiopia (1), Europe (1), Hungary (1), International (1), Japan (1), Kenya (1), Mexico (1), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (1)
Institutions: University Hospital Zurich (5), EACTS Francis Fontan Fund (2), European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (2), Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre (HCPA) / UFRGS (2), InCor — Instituto do Coração, HCFMUSP (Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo) (2), Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education (2), The First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZU) (2), University Health Network / University of Toronto (2), AATS Foundation (with Intuitive Surgical) (1), Asian Society for Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery (ASCVTS) / Seoul National University Bundang Hospital (1), Barts Thorax Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital (Barts Health NHS Trust) (1), Brigham and Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School (1) and 49 more.
Counted from programme titles and focus lines. A fellowship can belong to more than one group, and each group page lists every fellowship that names it.
Thoracic oncology is the cancer-focused part of general thoracic surgery. This page covers the broad subspecialty; the thoracic oncology page lists programmes whose main focus is cancer surgery.
Many do. Robotic and VATS training is a common focus, and the minimally invasive and robotic topic page lists the programmes that name it in their title or focus.
Eligibility varies by programme and country. Some accept applicants with general or cardiothoracic backgrounds; others require thoracic surgery training. Check the eligibility line and contact the host.
72 fellowships at 61 institutions are listed. Each programme page shows when it was last verified, and the most recent check among these programmes was 11 Nov 2026. Dates and requirements can change, so confirm them with the programme before applying.
The largest groups are United States (13), Brazil (8), Canada (7), Switzerland (6), China (6). Multi-centre fellowships count under each host country, and a few are hosted at selected international centres.
11 fellowships are marked open or rolling at the latest check. Use the status on each card as a pointer to the official source, not as a guarantee, because calls open and close.
CWIG-selected host centres, International · Up to 4 weeks overall; individual host visits 1–2 weeks
Santiago, Chile · 3 months
Seoul, South Korea · Individualized
Budapest, Hungary · Flexible, typically 3 to 12 months (12-month general thoracic, 6-month minimally invasive, 3-month intensive RATS or VATS tracks)
Zurich, Switzerland · 4 months
Toronto, Canada · 6 months–2 years
Singapore, Singapore · 12 months
Melbourne, Australia · 12 months
Jakarta, Indonesia · Host-specific duration unpublished; LPDP domestic funding allows 6–24 months
Mexico City, Mexico · 2 years
Mumbai, India · 1 year
Shanghai, China · Long-term training; exact duration not publicly listed
Marseille, France · 6 months or 1 year
Hamilton, New Zealand · 1 year in the published 2022 call
Kashiwa, Japan · 2 years
São Paulo, Brazil · 1 year (March to February)
Rome, Italy · 12 months
Nairobi, Kenya · 3 months