Declining Operative Experience in Pulmonary Resection for Cancer Among Trainees at Veterans Affairs Hospitals: A Concerning Trend in Thoracic Surgical Education

Despite not being associated with increased patient morbidity or mortality, trainee involvement in surgery for early-stage lung cancer at VA hospitals has significantly decreased over the past decade. VA teaching hospitals may offer a suitable learning environment for surgical training programs interested in increasing trainee exposure to core thoracic procedures.