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Surgeon. How to Get the Education of the Profession in Demand?

February 03, 2023 · 3 min read

A surgeon is a medical professional who performs surgical operations to treat injuries, diseases, and deformities. Surgeons may specialize in specific areas of surgery, such as cardiology, orthopedics, or neurosurgery, and use a variety of surgical tools and techniques to perform procedures. The goal of surgery is to correct or alleviate medical conditions, improve function and quality of life, and save lives.

Becoming a surgeon is a long and rigorous process that typically takes at least 14 years of education and training after high school. The path to becoming a surgeon includes:

  1. Undergraduate education: 4 years. A bachelor's degree is not a requirement to apply for medical school, but most applicants have completed a 4-year undergraduate degree with a focus on pre-med or science courses.
  2. Medical school: 4 years. After completing an undergraduate degree, individuals must attend a 4-year medical school program, where they will learn about the basic sciences and receive hands-on training in a clinical setting.
  3. Residency: 3-7 years. After completing medical school, individuals must complete a surgical residency program. This is a period of intensive training during which they will work under the supervision of experienced surgeons, gaining hands-on experience and learning the skills needed to perform surgery. The length of a surgical residency can vary depending on the specialty and can take between 3-7 years.
  4. Fellowship: 1-2 years. Some surgeons may choose to do a fellowship in a sub-specialty, which can take between 1-2 years.

 

Detailed routine on the way to becoming a Surgeon

Obviously, that becoming a surgeon is a challenging and demanding process, requiring a great deal of dedication, hard work, and perseverance. It's essential that individuals who are considering a career as a surgeon are passionate about medicine, have strong problem-solving skills, and are able to work well under pressure. 

To become a surgeon, one typically needs to have a Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree. After completing an undergraduate degree, one has to go through a four-year medical school program, which includes both classroom instruction and clinical experience. Once the medical school is completed, one needs to do a surgical residency program which usually lasts for 5-7 years. This provides hands-on training in the operating room and other clinical settings, under the supervision of experienced surgeons.

After completing their surgical residency, doctors may choose to complete a fellowship, which is an additional one to two years of training in a specific surgical subspecialty, such as pediatric surgery, transplant surgery, or surgical oncology.

Once the education and training requirements are completed, the next step is to become licensed and certified by the appropriate medical boards in their jurisdiction. They must also stay current with continuing education requirements to maintain their license and certification.

Apart from education and training, surgeries also require strong skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication, as well as the ability to work well under pressure. It's also important for surgeons to be able to handle the physical and emotional demands of the job, as well as the ethical and legal responsibilities that come with it.

by Olena Kukhtyk

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