Surgeon Careers Information
Everyone knows that surgeons are the doctors that cut people open, but there is much more to it than that. Surgeons perform operations to treat injury, disease, and deformity.
A surgeon performs operations that are meant to correct physical deformities, repair bone and tissue after injuries, or keep crippling diseases or disorders from spreading or killing the patient. Surgeons operate with a large number of instruments while the patients are under anesthesia.
Numerous surgeons specialize in a particular part of the body to operate on, such as:
Orthopedic Surgeons specialize in operating on the musculoskeletal system of the body.
Neurological Surgeons focus on the brain and nervous tissue, such as removing tumors from the brain.
Cardiovascular Surgeons operate on the cardiovascular system, such as the heart.
Otolaryngology Surgeons concentrate on the ear, nose and throat.
Reconstructive Surgeons work on restoring the form and function of the body, such as repairing burned flesh.
However, many surgeons perform general surgery instead of having a single area of expertise.
Surgeons also perform duties similar to other physicians, such as examining patients, performing/interpreting diagnostic tests and advise patients on preventive healthcare.
Surgeons must work long hours, especially when they are just beginning. The job can also be emotionally demanding because a procedure can be the difference between the life and death of a patient.
Surgeon Careers Path
Study, study, study! A surgeon, much like any other physician, typically spends 8 years of education after high school, and then another 3 to 8 additional years of internship and residency. (Some medical schools offer a combined undergraduate and medical school program that lasts 6 or 7 years instead of the typical 8.) In order to be accepted to medical school, an applicant must at least have 3 years of college. However, most accepted applicants have at least a Bachelor’s degree, especially with the rising competition in today’s economy.
However, it’s not even as easy as it sounds. Competition for entry into medical school is fierce; a medical school looks at a student’s character, personality, letters of recommendation, and many other criteria in addition to his or her Medical College Admission Test (MCAT). This intense screening/competition is due to the heavy responsibility that a surgeon/physician carries in the field.
Once in medical school, an aspiring surgeon must go through the same type of education as other practitioners. Students must take such classes as anatomy, medical ethics, physiology, and laws governing medicine. Med students also learn to deal with patients and identify diseases/injuries. For the last two years of med school, a surgeon goes through rotations in various hospitals and other care centers under the supervision of qualified surgeons.
Upon completion of medical school, surgeons must then go through a residency in hospitals, which is more training in real world situations and can last between 2 and 6 years.
Compatible Personality Traits
A want to help people, attention to detail, focused, a lack of fear of blood and operating on people, self-motivated, emotionally stable, quick-thinking, a people-person, and able to endure the pressures and extreme work load that goes with medical school and beyond. Anyone going through medical school must also be willing to pay the financial price for the education.
Surgeon Interview
To find out about surgeon job opportunities, read more from a Surgeon…
Surgeon Careers: Salary Expectations
After all the hard work that goes into being a surgeon, the compensation pays off: surgeons, along with other physicians, are among the highest paid occupations in the country.
The mean annual wage of surgeons is $219,770, with more experienced and self-employed physicians earning even more, according to the Department of Labor. This only applies to surgeons who are more experienced because medical students who are still training several years after graduation typically do not earn nearly as much.
Surgeon Careers: Job Outlook
The field of surgery is only expanding: The Department of Labor projects an increase of 22% employment between 2008 and 2018, which is much faster than most other careers. This growth is due to the rising demand for healthcare-related industries due to the growing and aging population.
Surgery Associations and Resources
American College of Surgeons
American Association of Neurological Surgeons
Slightly Off the Footpath
Source: bls.gov/oco/ocos074.htm
