So you want to be a surgeon.
You love working with your hands and enjoy complexity, challenge and nuance.
To become a surgeon, you must complete four years of medical school followed by 5 years
of general surgery residency.
For those wanting to specialize further, there are numerous one- to three-year fellowship
programs including colorectal surgery, cardiothoracic surgery, and oncologic surgery, to name a
few.
Some surgical subspecialties, such as plastics, neurosurgery, and orthopedic surgery have
integrated residency programs where you complete 5 to 7 years of specialized surgery training
after medical school.
Surgical specialties tend to be at the higher end of compensation with neurosurgery, plastics,
and orthopedic surgery consistently in the top 3 highest paid doctor specialties.
There are few specialties outside of surgery where you can have as profound and immediate
of an impact on your patients.
That being said, the training to become a surgeon is longer than most specialties with
a minimum of 5 years of training after medical school and upwards of 8 years depending on
the subspecialty.
The lifestyle of surgeons also tends to be much more challenging and demanding than most
other specialties.
But if you’re willing to endure the long hours and difficult schedule, there is nothing
quite like the operating room.