Career Description
Surgeons are doctors that are trained in highly specialized fields of medicine. They perform a variety of surgical procedures to fix deformities or problems caused by injuries and diseases. Surgery is a form of medical treatment that usually requires invasive methods, in which the doctors must cut into the body to repair, replace, or diagnose disease from the inside. Surgeons can also perform non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures some of which can last a couple minutes, or several hours.
A Specialist Surgeon is usually trained in a specific part or system of the human body. A specialist usually has many years of experience performing a certain type of surgery on a specific part of the body. These specialists often chose to focus their careers on that specific aspect of study.
A surgeon is a very high-risk job, because the human life is at stake. They must be fully competent and able to understand and perform complicated tasks. Surgeons must prepare themselves for emergency situations because the human body can be very unpredictable.
Surgeons are doctors that are trained in highly specialized fields of medicine. They perform a variety of surgical procedures to fix deformities or problems caused by injuries and diseases. Surgery is a form of medical treatment that usually requires invasive methods, in which the doctors must cut into the body to repair, replace, or diagnose disease from the inside. Surgeons can also perform non-invasive or minimally invasive procedures some of which can last a couple minutes, or several hours.
A Specialist Surgeon is usually trained in a specific part or system of the human body. A specialist usually has many years of experience performing a certain type of surgery on a specific part of the body. These specialists often chose to focus their careers on that specific aspect of study.
A surgeon is a very high-risk job, because the human life is at stake. They must be fully competent and able to understand and perform complicated tasks. Surgeons must prepare themselves for emergency situations because the human body can be very unpredictable.
|
|
|
EDUCATIONAL OPTIONS |
SOCIETAL IMPACT |
See what you can do to become a surgeon
|
See how surgeons make a difference everyday.
|
INTERVIEWING SURGEONS
What personal characteristics are required for someone to be successful in your job?
"People skills are essential to a successful plastic surgeon. You are in a profession where you help people and are dealing with people. Persuasiveness is key. You must be able to ease a person’s fears about the procedure as well as convince them to follow directions during the recovery process. Persistence is important. You must be convinced that becoming a plastic surgeon is what you want to do because there is a lot of training involved. Additionally, in surgery, you must persist until a procedure is done correctly." |
Are there many opportunities in your field? What should people do to get started?
"There are opportunities for those who want to enter this field. There is a great deal of training and education involved. You must obtain your undergraduate degree, attend medical school for 4 years, and then choose a surgical residency. The residency lasts 5 or more years. When I completed my undergraduate degree, it was common to have a science background. Today, medical schools are looking for diverse backgrounds because they see it as beneficial to the field of medicine. You simply need to take the prerequisite science courses in addition to your degree, whether it be in liberal arts, history, or another area" |
VIDEO
An interview with a Trauma Surgeon at MedStar Washington Hospital Center
(Click the image below to watch the video!)
(Click the image below to watch the video!)