Surgeon Career Facts

By: Alan Ramirez

Contents
Surgeon:
-Description
-Preparation
-Pay
-Job outlook
Description
Surgeons diagnose and treat injuries or illnesses. Using a variety of
instruments, a surgeon corrects physical deformities, repairs bone and tissue
after injury. Their tasks usually include the following;
Take a patients medical history
Update charts and patient information
Order tests for nurses or other healthcare staff to preform
Review test results to identify any abnormal findings
Recommend and design a plan of treatment
Address concerns or answer questions that patients have
Operate on patients to treat any abnormal findings

Contents

Preparation
All surgeons must complete;
-4 years of undergraduate school
-4 years of medical school
-Depending on their specialty, 3 to 8 years in internship and residency programs
-Bachelor's degree - Doctoral degree
All students must complete undergraduate work in;
-Biology
-Chemistry
-Physics
-Mathematics
-English.
Students spend most of the first 2 years of medical school in laboratories and classrooms, taking courses such as anatomy, biochemistry,
pharmacology, psychology, medical ethics, and the laws governing medicine. They also gain practical skills, learning to take medical
histories, examine patients, and diagnose illnesses.
During their last 2 years, medical students work with patients under the supervision of experienced physicians in hospitals and clinics.
Through rotations in internal medicine, family practice, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, psychiatry, and surgery, they gain
experience in diagnosing and treating illnesses in a variety of areas.
Contents
Pay
In 2012, physicians practicing primary care received total median annual compensation of $220,942
and physicians practicing in medical specialties received total median annual compensation of
$396,233.
Median annual compensation for selected specialties in 2012, as reported by the Medical Group
Management Association, was as follows:
Anesthesiology $431,977
General surgery $367,885
Obstetrics/gynecology $301,737
Internal medicine $224,110
Psychiatry $220,252
Pediatrics/adolescent medicine $216,069
Family practice (without obstetrics) $207,117

Contents


Job Outlook
Employment of physicians and surgeons is projected to grow 18 percent from
2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations. Job growth will occur
because of the continued expansion of healthcare-related industries. Although
the demand for physicians and surgeons should continue, some factors will
likely reduce growth. New technologies will allow physicians to treat more
patients in the same amount of time, thereby reducing the number of
physicians who would be needed to complete the same tasks.




Contents