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Surgeon |
Career OverviewTen years ago, the United States National Center for Health Statistics reported that over 70 million surgical procedures were performed in the United States. The data reported 40.3 million inpatient surgeries and 31.5 million outpatient surgeries. The number was, as still is, rising.
The word, surgery, derives from the Greek term for hand work; invariably it is a delicate operation, requiring extensive training. Modern surgery has set a new standard for surgical practice, introducing sophisticated instruments and detailed protocols for various surgical procedures used to treat a vast range of diseases and injuries.
The most common conditions treated by surgeons in the United States include injuries resulting from trauma, anatomical abnormalities, disorders of functions in any bodily system, inflammation, metabolic disorders, neoplasia, and a range of abnormal tissues growths, including cysts, hyperplasia, and hypertrophy.
The most common surgical procedures in the United States are episiotomies, repairs of obstetric lacerations, cesarean sections, artificial ruptures of the amniotic membrane that surrounds a developing fetus, and circumcisions.
With the exception of most circumcisions, most of these surgical procedures are performed using anesthetics to reduce the patient's sensation of pain and the possibility of intense trauma. That the birth of modern surgical procedures came with the development of the anesthesia is no coincidence but even the use of anesthesia has taken many decades, even centuries to perfect.
Surgery is something of an art form. Evidence suggests that the Ancient Egyptians were able to perform surgeries as early as 2750BC; such minor surgeries as the training of an abscessed tooth that might otherwise have become septic and life threatening. More startling is the evidence of brain surgeries being successfully performed, extending the patient's life, by all accounts, for two years, after their pre-operative condition should have caused their death.
For hundreds and thousands of years, surgery has evolved and changed. It is now more intricate and advanced than ever and the career of a surgeon can be as diverse and rewarding as a career in any other practicing area of medicine.
Surgery, one of the most demanding areas of medicine, has much to recommend it as one of the most exciting and revolutionary fields. The on-going improvement and invention of new, more advanced machines and techniques for surgical practice are constantly improving patient outcomes from complex surgeries.
A career as a surgeon, in what every capacity, offers a very real opportunity to facilitate what could once only have been considered miraculous recoveries from life-threatening conditions or seriously debilitating ones.
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Career RequirementsA surgeon must fulfil the education and experience requirements established by federal and state government to practice medicine. For entry into any education program to become a specialist allergy and immunology, a doctor of medicine degree is required from an approved school of medicine. It is often mandatory that candidates complete at least four years of graduate medical education in surgery before practicing independently.
To work as a surgeon, an individual must complete four years of medical school, a one-year internship, and three years of residency. Opportunities for additional fellowship training exist in colon and rectal surgery, neurosurgery, otolaryngology, orthopaedic surgery, plastic surgery, thoracic surgery, and cardiothoracic surgery.
Due to the vastness and diversity of the practical knowledge required to perform as a surgeon, rotations in different areas of medical practice and internships in these areas are often considered vital to professional development.
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Job OutlookThe job outlook for trained medical professionals, including surgeons, is positive beyond 2010, with demand for specialist trained physicians expected to raise at a rate above average.
Having said this, the medical professional and health care system are both likely to change; if not dramatically during the next few years, at least within the next decade. The need to cut back on costs versus the demand for positive patient outcomes means that physicians and perhaps even nurses, functioning as general practitioners of medicine, will be considered expendable, in favor of specialist physicians, including surgeons, and nurses.
The job outlook for surgeons, particularly those who specialize in a particular kind of surgery, such as cardiac surgery, will be very secure in the job market for the foreseeable future.
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Career TrackSurgeons work as part of a team of medical professionals. Regardless of their specialization, surgeons work with other physicians, anesthesiologists, nurses, and assistants to facilitate the best possible patient outcome and patient care. They develop an invaluable ability to work with others, giving and taking directions as appropriate.
The experience gained practicing as a general or specialist surgeon are extremely valuable and it is transferable to a number of different areas within the medical profession.
As with any other specialization in the medical profession, there is a need for researchers, educators, consultants, and policy-makers within the field. These opportunities are available to surgeons with sufficient experience and demonstrated skills.
Several different branches of surgery exist and are options for specialization. They are:
- Colon and Rectal Surgery
- General Surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Otolaryngology
- Orthopaedic Surgery
- Plastic Surgery
- Thoracic Surgery
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CompensationThe average reported salary for a typical surgeon in the United States is approximately $250,000 per year. Depending upon their qualifications and experience, most surgeons in the United States earn between $225,000 and $300,000.
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