People who love medicine and excel in high-pressure situations might consider becoming surgeons. This role requires a love of helping others and a desire to lead in a crisis. Men and women working in this role must be able to make decisions quickly and accept responsibility.
Becoming a surgeon takes time, effort, and dedication. However, the rewards are high. Surgeons see financial, personal, and professional rewards. To do so, they must find the correct position for their needs, and researching jobs for a general surgeon can help them find this position.
What Do Surgeons Do?
Surgeons operate on individuals. They work long hours and often lack a conventional schedule. A person might act as a general surgeon or choose to specialize. They must work well within a team and solve problems.
Becoming a Surgeon
It takes 13 years to become a surgeon. An individual will spend four years obtaining a college degree before moving on to medical school. Attending medical school will consume another four years, and the doctor then serves as a surgical resident for at least five years before they can practice independently. Certain residencies extend beyond five years.
The process begins in high school. Individuals interested in becoming surgeons should take STEM courses like the hard sciences. Next, the student must pursue a bachelor’s degree in a pre-med track. Good grades are needed for admittance into medical school. Aspiring surgeons must take the MCAT during their junior or senior year of college. The desired medical school determines the target score needed on this exam.
Medical school typically takes four years to complete. Students start with coursework and labs before moving on to clinical rotations. These rotations allow students to explore different areas of medicine before settling on a specialty. Individuals wishing to enter general surgery will find the residency challenging. To help offset the cost of medical school, students may apply to an MD/Ph.D. dual degree program. Students participating in this program perform research as part of their schooling and receive a tuition stipend. However, these programs take longer to complete.
Upon completion of medical school, the student matches into a surgical residency. This process uses an algorithm that considers the student’s needs and the residency program. The selected specialty determines the length of the residency.
The student is referred to as an intern in the first year of the residency. They must treat patients while being supervised by an attending surgeon. As their knowledge increases, the student gains more autonomy. A student should also complete the United States Medical Licensing Exam during residency.
Salary and Job Outlook
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, surgeons and physicians earn a median wage of $239,200. Surgeons who specialize often find they make more. The job outlook remains good, however. Finding a job as a surgeon shouldn’t be challenging for those who complete the required steps.
Certifications and Professional Organizations
Surgeons may wish to obtain board certification in their selected specialty. They may also want to join professional organizations for surgeons, such as the American College of Surgeons, the American Surgical Association, or the Association for Academic Surgery. While joining organizations isn’t mandatory, many surgeons find that becoming a member benefits their careers.
Surgeons love what they do. They help patients improve their lives every day. Anyone considering a career in this field should learn more to see if they are the right fit.
