Careers in Medicine: Specialty Information

General Surgery

Nature of the work

A surgeon manages a broad spectrum of surgical conditions affecting almost any area of the body. The surgeon establishes the diagnosis and provides the preoperative, operative, and postoperative care to surgical patients and is usually responsible for the comprehensive management of the trauma victim and the critically ill surgical patient.

Surgeons can receive training in the following subspecialties:

• Hand Surgery - expertise in the investigation, preservation, and restoration by medical, surgical and rehabilitative means, of all structures of the hand and wrist.
• Pediatric Surgery - expertise in surgical conditions in premature and newborn infant, children and adolescents.
• Surgical Critical Care - expertise in the critically ill and postoperative patient, particularly the trauma victim and those with multiple organ dysfunction.
• Vascular Surgery - expertise in surgical disorders of the blood vessels, excluding the intercranial vessels or the heart.

Training/residency information

The residency for general surgery is five years. Surgeons are trained to use a variety of diagnostic techniques for observing internal structures and to use specialized instruments during operative procedures. Up to 2 years of additional training is required to practice in one of the subspecialty areas.

Workforce and salary information

According to the American College of Surgeons, each year there are more surgical residency positions offered than there are students waiting to apply. The annual salary for general surgeons ranges from $249,700 to $336,000.

For more information

• American Board of Surgery
• American College of Surgeons
• American Society of General Surgeons

Source: The American Board of Medical Specialties, the American College of Surgeons, and the "2006 Physician Compensation Survey," Modern Healthcare. July 17, 2006. (Based on surveys conducted by American Medical Group Association; Cejka Search; Daniel Stern & Associates; Delta Physician Placement; Hay Group; Hospital & Healthcare Compensation Service; Jackson & Coker; Martin, Fletcher & Associates; MD Network; Medical Group Management Association; Medicus Partners; Merritt, Hawkins & Associates; Pcific Cos.; Pinnacle Helaht Group; and Sullivan, Cotter & Associates.)

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