Career as a Surgeon

Will you be able to thrive in stressful situations and enjoy crisis management? Can you concentrate for long stretches of time? Do you want to improve your manual dexterity?

This blog offers a thorough overview of a career as a Surgeon, including what they do, different career paths you can choose from, and various job opportunities.

What do Surgeons do? 

The nature of work in the surgeon’s profession is demanding and frenetic because they have to deal with difficult situations on a regular basis and stand on their feet for lengthy periods of time while doing operations, giving each case their all.

• On a daily basis, your surgical practice will entail spending a significant amount of time in hospitals preparing for surgeries.
• You could spend several hours per week consulting with patients about their cases and what they can expect from the surgery. 
• You could talk about potential outcomes, success rates, and practical issues like how much to eat or not eat before surgery.
• You may need to spend a significant amount of time consulting with other doctors who have worked on the patients to obtain background information relevant to surgical care.
•  You may also need to consult with other surgeons or research various surgical techniques that may be applicable to upcoming operations.
• You need to know about contemporary technologies used in surgery. 

Job Roles 

• Neurosurgery: A branch of neurosurgery used to treat or ameliorate serious mental disease by altering the brain’s function and, as a result, a person’s psychological characteristics.

• Orthopaedic surgery: The area of surgery that deals with musculoskeletal problems such as joints, bones, ligaments, tendons, muscles, and nerves are known as orthopaedic surgery or orthopaedics.

• Pediatric surgery: A subspecialty of surgery known as pediatric surgery deals with performing operations on fetuses, newborns, children, adolescents, and young adults. 

• General surgery: The goal of general surgery is to treat problems with the gastrointestinal tract, including the oesophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix, bile ducts, and frequently the thyroid gland.

• Vascular surgery: Medical therapy, minimally invasive catheter techniques, and surgical reconstruction are used to treat illnesses of the vascular system, which includes the arteries, veins, and lymphatic circulation. Vascular surgery is a surgical specialism.

• Obstetrics and Gynecology: Infertility, abnormal uterine bleeding, leiomyomata, pelvic masses, pelvic organ prolapse, abnormal Pap smears, pelvic pain, endometriosis, breast problems, and urinary incontinence should all be carefully evaluated. 

• Urology: Medical disorders affecting the male and female urinary tract systems are the main focus of the medical speciality of urology. A physician with expertise in the urinary system is a urologist. In ancient times, doctors used to examine the urine of a patient for clues about their illness.

• Cardiothorac surgery: The surgical treatment of organs located within the thoracic cavity falls under the category of cardiothoracic surgery. Typically, diseases involving the heart, lungs, and other pleural or mediastinal tissues are treated in this way.

Career path for becoming a Surgeon

Path 1

• Complete your 12th-grade science coursework with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology).
• If you want to be admitted to a medical college, take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams.
• After completing the five-year MBBS curriculum.
• To guarantee a position in a medical college where you can study post-graduate education, give NEET-PG or AIIMS exam.
• Decide on MS General Surgery.

Path 2

• Complete your 12th-grade science coursework with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology).
• If you want to be admitted to a medical college, take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams.
• After completing the five-year MBBS curriculum.
• To guarantee a position in a medical college where you can study post-graduate education, give NEET-PG or AIIMS exam.
• Decide on MS General Surgery.
• Pursue an M.Ch degree which is a super specialization. 

Path 3

• Complete your 12th-grade science coursework with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology).
• If you want to be admitted to a medical college, take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams.
• After completing the five-year MBBS curriculum.
• To guarantee a position in a medical college where you can study post-graduate education, give NEET-PG or AIIMS exam.
• Choose MS General Surgery.
• Undergo one to three years of Fellowship focusing on a subspecialty. 

Path 4 

• Complete 12th grade from science stream with PCB (Physics, Chemistry & Biology)
• Take the NEET-UG or AIIMs exams to be admitted to a medical college.
• After the five-year MBBS program is completed.
• Apply to NEET-PG or AIIMS to ensure that you get a spot in a medical college where you can pursue post-graduate studies.
• Choose DNB in General Surgery.
• You then can pursue MCh, DM, or undergo a fellowship focusing on subspeciality. 

Salary of Surgeons in different stages of career 

Profile	Salary
Gynaecologist	₹11 L
Orthopaedic Surgeon	₹12 L
General Surgeon	₹12 L
Neurosurgeon	₹31 L
Cardiothoracic Surgeon	₹26 L

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Skills required to be a Surgeon

• Communication: All surgeons, regardless of their specialization or level of experience, must be excellent communicators since doing so is essential to explaining complex medical procedures to non-medical patients.

• Problem Solving: It enables surgeons to make quick decisions under duress. Strong problem-solvers like surgeons may prepare for unforeseen scenarios at work and develop practical plans and solutions.

• Critical Thinking: Aids in deciding on a course of treatment using all available data. By carefully evaluating their patients’ health, they can decide on the best course of therapy for them and the required follow-up sessions to ensure they are healthy.

• Dexterity: Assists in carrying out difficult treatments on intricate body systems and parts. They might carry out complex procedures if under pressure. The nature of their employment necessitates both mental and physical endurance. Additionally, they must have exceptional manual dexterity, especially when performing difficult surgical procedures.

• Confidence: Surgeons need to be confident in order to reassure, treat, and comfort their patients. Moreover, it can aid surgeons in developing a reputation as a trustworthy professional who actually cares for their patients, allowing them to better support their patients.

Is Surgery a Good Career Option? 

Yes, For medical practitioners, surgery provides a wide range of job choices. It is an evergreen branch that yields profits. Despite the fact that working in surgery can be demanding, the remuneration is good. The need for surgeons is enormous. Because it offered plenty of room to practice a variety of surgeries and gave the practitioner a great deal of satisfaction with the surgical practice.

Places where Surgeons can work

• Medical Colleges
• Hospitals
• Research Institute
• Armed Forces 
• Pharmaceutical Companies

Top Recruiters for Surgeons

1. John Hopkins Hospital
2. Mayo Clinic
3. AIIMS
4. Cleveland Clinic
5. Mount Sinai Hospital
6. Fortis Memorial Research Institute
7. Northwestern Memorial Hospital
8. Artemis Hospital
9. NYU Langone Hospital
10. Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital
11. Stanford Hospital
12. Bombay Hospital and Medical Research Centre
13. Medanta
14. Massachusetts General Hospital
15. KIMS Hospital

Qualification to become a Surgeon 

Undergraduate in India 

To become a doctor, you must complete the MBBS degree’s four years of coursework and one year of internship.

Postgraduate in India 

The above-mentioned degree takes two-three years to complete.

• MS in General Surgery
• DNB in General Surgery
• Master of Chirurgiae 
• Diploma in Surgery 
• DM in Surgery 

Degrees Abroad 

Enrol in the MBBS program, a four-year course of study. You will be needed to enrol in a 6- to 8-year residency program after finishing a one-year internship. You must have a license or be board certified in order to work as a respectable doctor in the state.

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I want to know More!

Books 

• When Breath Becomes Air
• Do No Harm
• Complications
• Better
• How Death Becomes Life
• You What?!

Famous Personalities 

• DENTON COOLEY
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• ROBERT F. SPETZLER
• IOANNIS PALLIKARIS
• MARIA SIEMIONOW
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• ERIC M. GENDEN
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The surgeon is in charge of the patient’s preoperative diagnosis, the actual surgery, and the patient’s postoperative surgical care and treatment. The surgeon is regarded as the captain of the surgical crew. Best wishes on your journey to becoming a surgeon.

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