What's the Job Description of a General Surgeon?

General Surgeon Job Description

General surgeons perform operations involving the endocrine system, gastrointestinal tract, liver, colon, and other major parts of the human body. Surgeons usually work full-time and may frequently work long hours at irregular times. Even when they are not at their place of work, surgeons sometimes have to be on call, which means they can be asked to come into work at any point if they are needed. These professionals work in hospitals and other medical centers.

General Surgeon Responsibilities and Duties

General surgeons are in charge of the operating room, supervising other medical professionals to ensure everything is carried out effectively. Similar to other medical professionals, surgeons are responsible for examining patients, diagnosing, and recommending the best course of action. Some general surgeons are also responsible for conducting research in the field.

As a general surgeon, some of the procedures you'll perform include appendix or gallbladder removals, colonoscopies, thyroidectomies, and bariatric surgeries. Some of these surgeries are minimally invasive and are performed using laparoscopic methods. Others, such as organ removal or transplantation, can be very invasive.

Subspecialties

General surgeons also have the ability to branch out into different specialties, such as plastic surgery, pediatric surgery, or organ transplantation. One of the more recent specialties involves performing surgeries, such as LAP-BAND and bariatric surgeries, to help with obesity. Plastic surgeons can perform procedures that range from repairing injuries of the skin to augmenting breasts. Many general surgeons also work with cardiac specialists on procedures involving the heart, such as valve repair and heart transplant surgery.

Education and Requirements

There are several steps necessary to gain the qualifications to become a surgeon. Your first step is to complete a minimum of three years of undergraduate education with courses in biology, chemistry, physics, and humanities. However, most students who gain admission to medical school have at least a bachelor's degree. The application process for medical school includes submitting your scores from the Medical College Admission Test and, in many cases, attending a personal interview.

The next step is to attend a four-year medical school program. You'll spend your first two years taking courses in anatomy, genetics, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology, and neurology. In your third year, students are required to complete clinical rotations in a number of different medical specialties, such as surgery, internal medicine, pediatrics, and psychiatry. During the last year of medical school, one can take electives related to your career interests, which can include more surgical rotations.

Licensure

Graduating from medical school doesn't automatically make you a licensed doctor. You'll need to earn licensure by passing the United States Medical Licensing Examination or Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Exam, depending on whether you graduated with a Doctor of Medicine or Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine. These three-part exams evaluate your ability to apply medical and scientific knowledge to caring for patients and promoting health in a clinical capacity. You also need to check with your state medical licensing board for any state-specific requirements that you'll need to fulfill.

Residency

After graduating from medical school, you'll need to enter a five-year general surgery residency program. As a resident, you'll have opportunities to assist with a variety of surgical procedures, as well as to provide pre- and post-operative care to patients. You can complete different clinical rotations in areas such as cardiac surgery, thoracic surgery, pediatric surgery, critical care, and anesthesia. You may also be required or encouraged to participate in research.

General Surgeon Salary Info and Job Outlook

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, www.bls.gov), the mean annual salary earned by surgeons was $255,110 in May 2018. Those employed by general medical and surgical hospitals earned an annual mean wage of $225,700 in May 2018. The employment of physicians and surgeons is expected to grow by 13% between 2016 and 2026, per the BLS.