CTCTS Fellow

Minimally invasive and robotic surgery fellowships

46 fellowships in 19 countries whose title or focus names minimally invasive, robotic or VATS surgery. At the latest check, 13 are open or rolling.

Fellowships
46
Countries
19
Institutions
42
Open or rolling
13
Upcoming
0
Formats
39 clinical · 5 travelling · 2 observership

About this area of training

Minimally invasive and robotic surgery fellowships teach VATS, robotic-assisted and other small-incision techniques. Most are thoracic, covering lung and oesophageal surgery, but a growing number are cardiac, covering minimally invasive valve and coronary approaches.

This page collects every listed fellowship that names minimally invasive, robotic or VATS surgery in its title or focus line. Console time, case volume and the number of fellows differ widely between programmes.

Listed fellowships

Open and upcoming calls come first. Select a fellowship for eligibility, application route and its official source.

Adult Cardiac Open

Advanced Cardiac Surgery Fellowship

McMaster University, Division of Cardiac Surgery (Hamilton Health Sciences)

Hamilton, Canada · 1-2 years

Advanced post-residency clinical fellowship

Deadline: November 1 of the year prior to the anticipated July 1 start date
Adult Cardiac Rolling

Advanced Cardiac Surgery Fellowship

Northwestern Medicine

Chicago, United States · 1–2 years

Advanced Subspecialty Fellowship

Deadline: Applications reviewed on a rolling basis
Adult Cardiac Rolling

Fellowship in Cardiac Surgery (Chirurgie cardiaque)

Montreal Heart Institute (Institut de Cardiologie de Montréal), Department of Surgery — Université de Montréal

Montreal, Canada · 12–24 months

Clinical Fellowship

Deadline: Not publicly listed (apply more than 18 months in advance)
Adult Cardiac Rolling

International Heart Surgery Center Greece Clinical Fellowship (MICS / Mitral)

International Heart Surgery Center Greece / HYGEIA

Athens (Marousi), Greece · Not publicly listed — contact the centre (workshops and clinical observation pathways described)

International Clinical Training

Deadline: Not publicly listed — enquire via heartsurgerycentre@hygeia.gr
General Thoracic Rolling

International Thoracic Surgery Fellowship

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)

Clinical Fellowship

Deadline: Rolling; no fixed deadline (apply 6–12 months before intended start)
Adult Cardiac Rolling

MICS Surgeon Observation Training Program

University of Calgary, Libin Cardiovascular Institute — Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery team, Foothills Medical Centre

Calgary, Canada · One or two days (two to four cases)

Subspecialty observership

Deadline: Not publicly listed — confirm directly with the host.
Thoracic Oncology Rolling

Thoracic Surgery Oncology Fellowship

Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center

Buffalo, United States · 1 year

Advanced Subspecialty Fellowship

Deadline: Confirm current dates with programme
Adult Cardiac Date not announced

Advanced Cardiovascular Surgery Training

Far Eastern Memorial Hospital

New Taipei City, Taiwan · 1–3 months

International Clinical Training

Deadline: Confirm current details with the programme
General Thoracic Date not announced

Advanced Robotic Thoracic Surgery Fellowship

Cedars-Sinai Medical Center

Los Angeles, United States · Not publicly listed

Advanced Subspecialty Fellowship

Deadline: Confirm current dates with programme
General Thoracic Date not announced

Advanced Thoracic Surgery Fellowship

Hackensack Meridian Health — JFK University Medical Center

Edison, United States · 1 year

Advanced Subspecialty Fellowship

Deadline: Confirm current dates with programme
General Thoracic Date not announced

Barts Post CCT Robotic Thoracic Fellowship

Barts Thorax Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital (Barts Health NHS Trust)

London, United Kingdom · 6 months, extendable to 1 year

Post-CCT Clinical Fellowship (RCSEd-accredited)

Deadline: Not publicly listed
General Thoracic Date not announced

General Thoracic Surgery Fellowship (Arizona)

Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education

Phoenix/Scottsdale, United States · 1 year

Advanced Subspecialty Fellowship

Deadline: 31 January of the same appointment year
General Thoracic Date not announced

General Thoracic Surgery Fellowship (Minnesota)

Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education

Rochester, United States · 1 or 2 years

Advanced Subspecialty Fellowship

Deadline: 1 November of the year before the July start (standing annual rule; next intake availability unconfirmed)
Adult Cardiac Date not announced

Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Fellowship

Baylor College of Medicine (Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center)

Houston, United States · 1 year

Texas Medical Board-approved Clinical Fellowship

Deadline: Not publicly listed
General Thoracic Date not announced

Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgery Fellowship

University of Pittsburgh Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery / UPMC

Pittsburgh, United States · 1 clinical year

Non-ACGME Advanced Fellowship

Deadline: Not publicly listed
Thoracic Oncology Date not announced

Minimally Invasive Thoracic Surgical Oncology Fellowship

Fox Chase Cancer Center / Temple Health

Philadelphia, United States · 1 year

Fellowship Council-accredited Clinical Fellowship

Deadline: Per Fellowship Council cycle (not stated on page)
General Thoracic Date not announced

Thoracic Surgery Fellow Position

Hôpital Saint Joseph Marseille

Marseille, France · 6 months or 1 year

Clinical Fellowship

Deadline: No current deadline published; contact the department
General Thoracic Needs confirmation

Severance International Fellowship (SIF) — Thoracic Surgery (Lung Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, Lung Transplantation)

Severance Hospital, Yonsei University Health System

Seoul, South Korea · 3 months, 6 months or 1 year

International Clinical Fellowship

Deadline: 1-year track (March 1 start): October 1–31 of the previous year; 6-month track (September 1 start): April 1–30; 3-month track (March 1 start): November window — closing date needs confirmation (source lists November 31)
General Thoracic Needs confirmation

Thoracic Surgical Robotics Fellowship

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

Skills Training Fellowship

Deadline: Conflicting official dates: 1 December 2026 at23:59Eastern vs2December2026
Adult Cardiac Closed

Advanced Robotic Cardiac Surgery Fellowship

The Thoracic Surgery Foundation (The Society of Thoracic Surgeons)

Fellow's home institution with STS mentor-sponsor programme visit, International · Programme of training plus first 15 cases within 6 months

Advanced Skills Fellowship

Deadline: 15 September 2026
Adult Cardiac Closed

Advanced Robotic Cardiac Surgery Fellowship

Emory University School of Medicine / Emory Healthcare (Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital)

Atlanta, United States · Not publicly listed

Advanced Subspecialty Fellowship (non-ACGME)

Deadline: 2026–2027 applications closed; next call not announced
General Thoracic Closed

ESTS Observership/Fellowship (host option: Gemelli, Rome)

European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) — host option: Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS

Rome, Italy · 12 months

Subspecialty observership

Deadline: 2022 round closed on 1 March 2022; new rounds will be advertised on the ESTS page when available
General Thoracic Closed

ESTS Robotic School Fellowship (Robotic Academy Fellowship)

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)

Advanced Skills Fellowship

Deadline: 17 November 2024 (last published cycle)
General Thoracic Closed

Fellowship em Cirurgia Torácica Minimamente Invasiva e Robótica (SP)

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

Clinical Fellowship (Complementação Especializada – Fellowship)

Deadline: 2026 cycle closed (applications 24 Oct 2025 – 6 Jan 2026); next edital not yet published
Adult Cardiac Closed

International Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery Fellowship

Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust — St Thomas’ Hospital

London, United Kingdom · 8 months (7 months St Thomas’ and 1 month European observership)

Clinical Fellowship

Deadline: 14 October 2026, 23:59
Adult Cardiac Closed

Matthew Gerdisch Fellowship in Arrhythmia Surgery

AATS Foundation (host: Medical University of Vienna, Department of Cardiac Surgery)

University Hospital Vienna, Austria · 6 months

Clinical Fellowship

Deadline: 2 July 2026 (page also states 'Deadline ends at 11:59pm Eastern on 7/1/2026')
Adult Cardiac Closed

Robotic Cardiac Surgery Fellowship 2026/27

EACTS Francis Fontan Fund

High-volume European host centre, Europe · 4–6 weeks

Travelling Fellowship

Deadline: 2026 application window closed
General Thoracic Closed

Robotic Thoracic Surgery Fellowship

EACTS Francis Fontan Fund

Paris, Calabria or London, Europe · 6 weeks (two 3-week placements)

Travelling Fellowship

Deadline: Applications ran 1 Jul–1 Sep 2026 (now closed); check the EACTS page for the next call
General Thoracic Closed

Thoracic & Minimally Invasive Surgery Fellowship

EACTS Francis Fontan Fund

Shanghai Chest Hospital, Shanghai, China · 6–12 months

Travelling Fellowship

Deadline: 1 September 2026 (window 1 July – 1 September 2026)
General Thoracic Closed

VATS Fellowship in General Thoracic Surgery 2026/27

EACTS Francis Fontan Fund — Odense University Hospital

Odense, Denmark · 3 months (1 June – 1 September 2027)

Travelling Fellowship

Deadline: 1 September 2026 (window 1 July – 1 September 2026)

What training typically covers

  • VATS lobectomy, segmentectomy and complex resection
  • Robotic-assisted lung, mediastinal and oesophageal surgery
  • Minimally invasive mitral and aortic valve surgery
  • Robotic cardiac procedures where offered
  • Perioperative pathways, patient selection and conversion strategy

Who it suits

Most robotic fellowships expect that you already operate independently and want to add a platform. Console time is limited, so ask how it is allocated. Clinical posts require local licensing; observership variants do not.

Where to train

Countries: United States (12), Canada (8), Brazil (4), France (3), United Kingdom (3), Europe (2), India (2), Italy (2), South Korea (2), Australia (1), Austria (1), Chile (1), China (1), Denmark (1), Greece (1), Hungary (1), International (1), New Zealand (1), Singapore (1), Taiwan (1)

Institutions: EACTS Francis Fontan Fund (4), Mayo Clinic School of Graduate Medical Education (2), AATS Foundation (host: Medical University of Vienna, Department of Cardiac Surgery) (1), AATS Foundation (with Intuitive Surgical) (1), Barts Thorax Centre, St Bartholomew's Hospital (Barts Health NHS Trust) (1), Baylor College of Medicine (Baylor St. Luke's Medical Center) (1), Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (1), Dalhousie University, Division of Thoracic Surgery (Nova Scotia Health) (1), Duke University Hospital (1), EACTS Francis Fontan Fund — Odense University Hospital (1), Emory University School of Medicine / Emory Healthcare (Emory Saint Joseph's Hospital) (1), European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (1) and 30 more.

Where these fellowships sit by subspecialty

Each fellowship has one primary subspecialty. Follow a link for the full list in that area.

How to choose a programme

  • Ask how many robotic cases you will perform at the console versus assist.
  • Check the case mix across lung, oesophageal and mediastinal surgery.
  • Confirm that the host uses the platform you plan to adopt at home.
  • Compare proctoring and post-fellowship support options.

Related guides

Frequently asked questions

Are minimally invasive fellowships cardiac or thoracic?

Both exist. The majority listed here are thoracic, covering VATS and robotic lung and oesophageal surgery, with a smaller group in minimally invasive cardiac surgery.

How much console time do fellows get?

It depends on the programme and is rarely published. Ask the host about how console time is shared between fellows and consultants.

Do I need robotic experience to apply?

Programmes differ. Some prefer candidates with prior minimally invasive experience; others offer structured training from the basics. Check the eligibility line and contact the host.

How many fellowships are listed here and how current is the information?

46 fellowships at 42 institutions are listed. Each programme page shows when it was last verified, and the most recent check among these programmes was 22 Oct 2026. Dates and requirements can change, so confirm them with the programme before applying.

Which countries host these fellowships?

The largest groups are United States (12), Canada (8), Brazil (4), United Kingdom (3), France (3). Multi-centre fellowships count under each host country, and a few are hosted at selected international centres.

Which of these fellowships are open for applications?

13 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.