According to Chicago magazine, the process involves surveying hundreds of thousands of physicians, as well as academic medical centers, specialty hospitals, and regional and community hospitals across the nation. Nominations are submitted by all licensed physicians. Educational and professional experience is screened before final selection is made among those physicians most highly regarded by their peers.

The list of Top Doctors can be found on Chicago magazine's website.

Here are Cardiac Surgery Associate physicians on the 2020 Top Doctors list:

Rudolph Altergott, coronary artery surgery; heart valve surgery

Mamdouh Bakhos, Heart and lung transplant; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy; minimally invasive cardiac surgery; mitral heart valve surgery

Bryan Foy, Heart transplant; LVAD

John Grieco, Cardiac and heart valve surgery; coronary revascularization

Thomas Hinkamp, Aortic, cardiac, and heart valve surgery; thoracic aortic aneurysm

Edwin McGee, Heart failure and transplant; heart valve surgery; mechanical assist devices

Jeffrey Schwartz, Aortic aneurysm; cardiac surgery; heart and lung transplant