In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgey. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, either that of a human or another animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage. Surgeons may be physicians, dentists, or veterinarians.

Surgeons usually train for longer than other medical specialists.

On the job

Typical Work Tasks

People who work in this career often:

1. Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery.

2. Operate on patients to treat conditions.

3. Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.

4. Diagnose medical conditions.

5. Record patient medical histories.

6. Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.

7. Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.

8. Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.

9. Follow protocols or regulations for healthcare activities.

10. Schedule patient procedures or appointments.

Typical Working Conditions

1. The importance of being accurate or exact.

2. Having face-to-face discussions.

3. Close physical proximity with other people.

4. Freedom to make decisions without supervision.

5. Working with a group or team.

6. Exposure to disease or infections.

7. Responsibility for outcomes and results.

8. Meeting strict deadlines.

9. Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.

10. High levels of work pressure

11. Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.

12. Being in situations in which conflicts arise.

Education and crediatials

Typical Entry-Level Education

Doctoral or professional degree 

Work Experience and Training Requirements

Doctoral or professional degree for entry.

Internship to become competent.

Helpful High School Courses

Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:

Anatomy

Chemistry

Community Health

Computer Applications

Human Development

Medical Ethics

Nutrition

Research Methods

Safety and First Aid/CPR

Sociology

Statistics

World Languages

Skills & Knowledge

Most Important Skills for Surgeons

Reading—Reading work-related information.

Learning New Things—Figuring out how to use new ideas or things.

Listening—Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

Making Decisions—Thinking about the pros and cons of different options and picking the best one.

Thinking Critically—Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

Solving Complex Problems—Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

Teaching—Teaching people how to do something.

Being Aware of Others—Understanding people's reactions.

Monitoring Performance—Keeping track of how well people and/or groups are doing in order to make improvements.

Writing—Writing things for co-workers or customers.

Most Important Knowledge Areas for Surgeons

Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.

Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

Biology—Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.

Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.

Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.

Personnel and Human Resources—Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.

Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Sales and Marketing—Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.

Interests

Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:

Investigative—Investigative careers involve working with ideas. They require a lot of watching, learning, and problem-solving. People in investigative careers sometimes prefer to work alone. They are often good at math, science, or logical reasoning.

Realistic—Realistic careers involve working with practical, hands-on problems and solutions. People in these careers often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many realistic careers require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

Describe Your Skills

People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks. These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.

1. Helping and caring for people.

2. Making decisions or solving problems.

3. Keeping up-to-date with new knowledge.

4. Documenting or recording information.

5. Analyzing data or information.

6. Collecting information from different sources.

7. Identifying information by categorizing, comparing, or detecting changes in circumstances or events.

8. Creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships.