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Who is a Surgeon?
It is the surgeon's duty to tranquilise the temper, to beget cheerfulness, and to impart confidence of recovery ~ Astley Cooper
A general surgeon is a medical professional who focuses on diagnosing and treating disorders that may call for surgery or other physical improvements to the patient's body. In a career as a surgeon, individuals who perform emergency surgery have to be intuitive and quick as he or she has to save a life. If an organ needs to be removed, a general surgeon is required, if an artery needs to be cleared, a surgeon is required, if a nerve needs to be worked upon and fixed, a neurosurgeon is required.
To be a great surgeon, you must be great at working with your hands, you must know how to adapt to a new environment, you should inherit patience and strength, and most importantly, you should enjoy the work you are doing. Students can pursue Vascular Surgery, Oral Surgery to become surgeons. However, it is important to know that it takes no less than thirteen years to become a general surgeon.
Here, we have discussed life as a surgeon such as how to become a surgeon in India after 12th, general surgeon salary, surgeon career path, how many years to become a surgeon in India, and courses to become a surgeon.
Surgeon in a Nutshell
Individuals who opt for a career as a surgeon perform elective surgery that involves a non-life-threatening situation and is usually done by appointment depending on the surgeon’s availability. The general surgeon's job performing semi-elective surgery involves avoiding permanent disability or death but can be put off for a short time. Exploratory surgeries are performed to help in confirming a diagnosis. Students can pursue Paediatric Surgery, Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery to become surgeons.
Quick Facts for Surgeon
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Industry
Healthcare
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Average Salary in India
₹83500
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Suitable for
Male, Female, Others
The career as a surgeon is not gender-specific. Men, women, and others can choose a career as surgeons. A good surgeon must be good with people and must know how to do their work. With these qualities, anyone can choose to become a surgeon.
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Any special needs
No
As a surgeon, you need to be detail-oriented and considerate because operating on a person’s body is a matter of extreme patience and seriousness. Hence, people who are physically well can only perform the general surgeon job. People with physical disabilities are not appropriate for a career as surgeons. The career as surgeon is not well suited to everyone, particularly those with special needs.
Table of Contents for Surgeon
What is the role of Surgeon?
In this section, we will be discussing the general surgeon job description. A surgeon is responsible for performing a variety of tasks that include operating on patients in the event of illness, injury, or disease, performing different surgical operations on the human body, carrying out specific procedures, and many more. The general surgeon's jobs are to supervise surgical technicians and ensure all standards of care and safety are being followed in the operation theatre.
A surgeon is in charge of all aspects of the surgical process. A general surgeon operates on a human living body and hence their life is at high risk. In order to avoid accidents during surgery, a general surgeon must be alert, prepared for all types of emergency situations, and able to perform life-saving initiatives at any time during the surgery. You need to be detailed oriented for working as a general surgeon.
Management
Working as a general surgeon, there are many jobs a surgeon is required to perform. A surgeon is responsible for managing various things such as ensuring that surgery-related services are provided within the hospital at all times. A surgeon is also responsible for the smooth, efficient, and cost-effective running of the surgical equipment. The general surgeon's job is to maximize flexibility, teamwork, and innovative working practices. A general surgeon's duty is that he or she must ensure that efficient use of perfusion resources is applied.
Supervision
The job of a general surgeon is to ensure that the needs of the patient are placed at the centre of care delivery. He or she is also required to make sure that there are systems in place that imply the provision of care takes place in a suitable and safe environment. Additionally, the general surgeon's job is to ensure the proper working of the equipment to be used in cardiovascular and cardiopulmonary operations.
Team management
As a general surgeon, he or she is responsible for working in partnership with the support staff to ensure that care, treatment, and service needs are met. He or she is also required to ensure that the operating team comes up with the most effective and standard approach to the delivery of excellent service.
Leader
It is a general surgeon's job to provide and demonstrate sound clinical leadership and develop support mechanisms for sharing good practice, encouraging and directing innovation in ongoing perfusion development.
Maintenance work
A surgeon acts as a clinical expert within the hospital, which includes the dissemination of specialist skills and knowledge to all disciplines within the hospital. A general surgeon is also required to deal with carers and direct patient contact, in difficult and stressful situations. A general surgeon's job is to maintain and promote effective communication among all the members of the multidisciplinary team and all hospital departments.
Research work
In certain situations, when required, a general surgeon's job is to undertake a local audit and research, ensuring the findings are disseminated appropriately and recommendations are implemented. A surgeon also supports departmental research as required and utilizes the information to ensure the clinical practice is research-based. It is a general surgeon's job to plan and obtain ethical approval whenever necessary.
Surgery
This is the main responsibility of a surgeon. He or she is responsible for operating the human body and conducting other such surgeries that require an operation to manage the patient’s physiological status. A general surgeon's job is to conduct the extracorporeal circulation along with ensuring the management of physiologic functions by monitoring the necessary variables.
Types of a Surgeon
Here, we have described different types of a Surgeon.
Cardiothoracic Surgeon: Cardiothoracic surgery is a specialisation in surgery that focuses on issues of the heart, lungs, oesophagus and chest. The cardiothoracic surgeon job description includes performing a variety of surgical procedures for issues such as coronary artery disease, blockages of the arteries in the heart, blockages in the heart valves, leaking heart valves, abnormal enlargement or aneurysms of the large arteries in the chest, heart failure, and atrial fibrillation. The cardiothoracic surgeon job description also includes monitoring patients in intensive care. However, complications can sometimes occur, including heart-beat irregularity, stroke, post-operative bleeding, fluid around the lungs, infection, or thrombosis.
Pediatric Surgeon: Pediatric surgery is a specialisation in surgery that focuses on children who need surgical intervention for medical conditions and illnesses. These types of surgeons diagnose preoperative, operative, and postoperative management for fetuses, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.
Obstetrics and Gynaecology: Obstetrics and gynaecology is a very broad and diverse specialisation in surgery. Obstetrics and gynaecology include surgery, management and care of pregnant women, delivering babies, gynecologic care, oncology, and primary health care for women. These types of surgeons are further divided into four subcategories namely gynecologic oncology, reproductive endocrinology and infertility, maternal-fetal medicine, and female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery.
Colorectal Surgeon: Colorectal surgery is a specialisation of surgery that focuses on treating diseases of the colon, anal canal, rectum, perianal area, as well as the entire gastric tract through medical and surgical means. Colorectal surgeons are highly trained professionals who perform surgery on other organs and tissues such as the liver, urinary, and female reproductive systems involved with primary intestinal disease.
Urology Surgeon: Urology is a specialisation in surgery that focuses on dealing with the urogenital system, specifically organs such as the kidney, prostate, bladder, urethra, testes, penis, and associated glands. A urologist is highly trained surgical specialist who treats patients for problems and diseases of the urinary tract, adrenal gland, and male reproductive system which includes diseases and conditions such as kidney stones, urinary tract stones, infection, blood in urine, cancer prostate, bladder, testicle and kidney, incontinence, pelvic floor problems, erectile dysfunction, and traumatic injury to the urinary tract. These types of surgeons are also required to perform vasectomies and kidney transplants.
Orthopaedic Surgeon: Orthopaedic surgery is a specialisation in surgery that specifically focuses on the musculoskeletal system. An orthopaedic surgeon is responsible for taking care of bones, joints, ligaments, arteries, muscles, tendons, and nerves, and also works with fractures and other injuries. An orthopaedic surgeon is responsible to treat a wide variety of problems, such as congenital deformities, trauma, infections, tumours, degenerative conditions, cerebral palsy, paraplegia, and metabolic disturbances that fall into the category of musculoskeletal abnormalities.
What is the workplace/work environment of Surgeon like?
Individuals who opt for a career as a surgeon spend their most important time in the operating room, where he or she is required to prepare different sets of machines and other operational equipment necessary for the particular operation along with verifying its functionality. Once the patient is connected to the machine, along with performing the surgery, the surgeon specialist is responsible for continuously monitoring the patient’s status to control the rate of blood circulation, hemodynamics, temperature, blood composition, and other technical, critical, and operational devices.
Does Surgeon require travelling?
Not Likely
Individuals who opt for a career as a surgeon require little to no travelling. Since a surgeon doctor is required to work in one healthcare area and generally spend 90 per cent of his or her time in the OR suite for cardiac cases, in other cases, surgeon specialist finds their responsibilities extending to areas such as the surgical intensive care unit and surgical laboratory.
Employment Shifts
Full Time
Usually, surgeon specialists work schedule is eight hours per day starting from 9 AM to 6 PM. However, depending on the requirements and the surgery schedules, the surgeon might be required to work certain shifts.
Employment Nature
Permanent
Individuals who opt for a career as a surgeon are hired by employers on a permanent basis. Hence, the nature of his/her work is permanent. Medical centres or third-party perfusion companies employ surgeons for permanent posts.
Work Place
hospitals
Individuals who opt for a career as a surgeon are required to work in operating rooms in hospitals and surgical centres during different surgery, and they also work in ICUs. As a surgeon and a part of the surgical team, he or she is expected to be up to date with the patient’s medical history and current health status. Before beginning the surgery, the surgeon and the team determine which operational equipment and techniques are to be used. This section contains in-depth details about the work environment of the surgeon. General surgeon's working conditions are safe and clean as they work mainly in operating rooms.
Presence in Geographical Area
Semi-urban, Urban
Tier-1 cities such as New Delhi, Gurgaon, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Pune are big hubs for world-class healthcare treatments making them a big hub for opportunities for healthcare workers working in several sectors. Surgeons in Chennai, Tamil Nadu earn an average of 10.6 per cent more than the national average. Individuals who opt for a career as a surgeon are also found higher than average salaries in Bangalore, Karnataka (4.4 per cent more). The lowest salaries can be found in Mumbai, Maharashtra (11.5 per cent less).
Time Pressure
Likely
Time is one of the most important assets in a surgeon’s life. Once the patient is connected to the machine, along with performing the surgery, the general surgeon is responsible for continuously monitoring the patient’s status to control the rate of blood circulation, hemodynamics, temperature, blood composition, and other technical, critical, and operational devices. In conclusion, they work under a lot of time pressure.
Overtime Details
Working overtime is quite common in a surgeon’s life. Usually, a surgeon specialist is scheduled to work eight hours per day starting from 9 AM to 6 PM. However, depending on the requirements and the surgery schedules, the surgeon might be required to work overtime. Emergencies are quite common in the medical sector.
Weekly Hours of Work
Min 50 Hours
Typically, a surgeon is required to work a regular 50 hours per week, but he or she also might be required to be present on call on some nights, weekends, and holidays. Depending on the operation, call responsibilities can get rigorous. During emergency cases, general surgeons are known to work for more than 12 hours a day as well.
How to become a Surgeon?
Steps to become a Surgeon
Becoming a surgeon in India requires dedication, hard work, and a significant amount of education and training. If you are someone interested in diagnosing and treating disorders that are required surgery or other physical improvements to the patient's body then a career as Surgeon is the best career option for you. We have mentioned below some of the steps for how to become a Surgeon in India.
What are the skills and qualities required to become a/an Surgeon?
In this section, we will provide you with the skills required to be a surgeon. Here, in this section, we will be discussing how to become a surgeon.
Patience: Individuals who opt for a career as a surgeon face critical situations where he or she is required to stay calm and make decisions that might be an important factor in a patient’s future. A surgeon is one of the most essential members of the surgery team. The work he or she does helps in keeping critically ill and medically unstable people alive. Situations like these required them to stay calm and level-headed.
Physical Strength: In order to have superior stamina and mental focus, a surgeon is required to stay fit and keep themselves healthy. The profession of a surgeon requires him or her to stay alert during operations that could last as long as 6-8 hours or more which isn’t possible without mental stamina and irresistible focus.
Communication Skills: The ability to communicate effectively is one of the most necessary skills required by a surgeon in order to perform their job duties. The team working for an operation must be closely knitted which can be achieved through strong communication, communicating effectively becomes important in a high-stake team environment.
Attention to Detail: Individuals who opt for a career as a surgeon are required to make important decisions during the operations. Hence, he or she is required to pay meticulous attention to detail to produce highly accurate work even when under pressure. Paying attention to small details is essential during the operation
Critical Thinking: Management of surgical operations requires sharp critical thinking skills which involve using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems. Individuals in the surgeon career path are required to exhibit strong critical thinking and analytical skills which can be used in tough situations.
Learning Skills: Learning skills required to be a surgeon are also important skills which involve learning tasks like conducting tests and inspections of equipment, services, or processes to evaluate quality or performance, adjusting actions in relation to other's actions, determining the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job, controlling operations of equipment or systems, and selecting and using training or instructional methods and procedures appropriate for the situation when learning or teaching new things.
Popular Online Medicine Courses and Certifications
Which certifications and internships can be helpful in becoming Surgeon?
Here, we will be discussing the certificates that are required to become a Surgeon.
| Introduction to Translational Research: Connecting Scientists and Medical Doctors | Essentials of Genomics and Biomedical Informatics |
Internship Availability
Internships are a great way to learn and develop technical expertise in the industry and have a comprehensive understanding of all the factors responsible for cardiac surgery. However, internships in surgeon career paths are rare since perfusion technology is a role of responsibility. But there are many healthcare organizations that offer assistantships in various sections of the medical industry. In order to get these internships, students are required to follow the eligibility criteria specified by each health organization. Students with excellent medical records and practical understanding are the first choice of healthcare organizations. Also, students in their final year of the study programme are eligible for the internship.
Career Path Progression for Surgeon
Junior Surgeon: A Junior Surgeon is a professional who is a diagnosis and analysis a patient’s medical condition and history and prescribes tests and medication. A Junior Surgeon usually works under the supervision and guidance of senior surgeons or senior professionals.
Senior Surgeon: A Senior Surgeon is an experienced professional who is responsible for reviewing and analysing the test results and providing treatment and performing surgeries. A Senior Surgeon provides postoperative surgical care and treatment and discusses surgery results with patients and medical staff.
Surgeon Jobs and Salaries
Junior Surgeon
- Average Salary 70000
Job Description
The Junior Surgeon job description includes assessing and examining the patients and managing the preoperative and postoperative treatments and procedures. Junior Surgeons also help the senior surgeon during critical surgeries.
Salary Description
An entry-level Surgeon salary in India ranges between Rs 1.1 Lakhs to Rs 26.3 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 10.8 Lakhs per annum. Junior Surgeon salary in India may vary depending on the various job factors like skills and experience of the candidates, job location, and others.
Senior Surgeon
- Average Salary 97000
Job Description
The Surgeon job description includes diagnoses, treating disorders by performing surgeries or performing different surgical operations to cure the illness or injury. A Senior Surgeon takes care of supervises surgical technicians and ensures all standards of care and safety are being followed in the operation theatre
Salary Description
The estimated Surgeon salary in India ranges from Rs 1.4 Lakhs to Rs 25.0 Lakhs with an average annual salary of Rs 13.0 Lakhs per annum. Senior Surgeon salary may vary depending on the various job factors.
What is the job outlook for Surgeon?
A career as a surgeon demands a commitment to a lengthy and rigorous educational track, multiple levels of examinations and licensing, an arduous residency, and career-long learning and dedication. Due to these factors, the professionals in the surgeon career path are in shortage and the demand for surgeons is always at stake. This also becomes one of the most important reasons for the high pay packages of a surgeon. The government of India is committed to making improvements to health coverage with the announcement of Ayushman Bharat.
For some large healthcare organisations situated in urban areas, the general surgeon jobs become head of surgery departments after gaining a considerable amount of experience as a surgeon. With additional education and research training, surgeons might move into teaching. Surgeon occupational outlook is expected to grow faster than the average for all occupations due to obvious factors such as the lack of highly trained professionals in the healthcare industry, long commitment to the constant learning part of the profession, and many more. One of the major reasons for the growth of employment in the surgery department will be the growing and ageing population.
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Frequently Asked Questions for Surgeon
Que. What do surgeons do?
Ans.A general surgeon's job responsibilities include operating on patients in the event of illness, injury, or disease, performing different surgical operations on the human body, carrying out specific procedures, and many more. The general surgeon's job is to supervise surgical technicians and ensure all standards of care and safety are followed in the operation theatre. A surgeon is in charge of all aspects of the surgical process.
Que. What is the general surgeon salary?
Ans.For an entry-level post of a surgeon with a specialisation, the average total compensation offered is somewhere around Rs.1 lakh per month. After gaining intermediate experience in the industry, a surgeon with a specialisation earns a monthly package of Rs. two lakh. The top-level salary of a surgeon with a specialisation is somewhere around Rs. eight lakh per month.
Que. What are the skills required to be a surgeon?
Ans.Surgeon has distinct personalities. A surgeon tends to be an investigative individual, which means he or she is intellectual, introspective, and inquisitive. A surgeon is curious, methodical, rational, analytical, and logical. A surgeon is also realistic, meaning he or she is independent, stable, persistent, genuine, practical, and thrifty.
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Questions related to Surgeon
I wish to become a Neurosurgeon and I also like to travel and explore. I want to go atleast one short tour in 2 or 3 months and atleast one abroad tour in 2 or 3 years. Can I achieve my goals as a Neurosurgeon in big cities like Mumbai, Chennai? Can I get such amount of Income to fulfil my dreams?
Greetings, Raja.
It is really great that you have thought of your future with some clarity. With regard to your query, you need to keep some things in mind:
- In order to become a Neurosurgeon you will need to work extremely hard for the next 7-9 years of your life, Neurosurgeons are some of the smartest people on the planet and that role requires a certain level of maturity as well as dedication. My point is that by the time you become a neurosurgeon you'd have learned to appreciate the art of reading regularly and researching to keep yourself updated all the time for the sake of your patients - you will not find much time for your self as a neurosurgeon worth his salt.
- Those neurosurgeons who have so much money are well accomplished medical experts and to nothing in life comes without any strings attached - you may have a lot of money after 10 years but to keep earning that money you will have to work harder than most normal people who have time to travel and enjoy life.
Now, on a serious note:
- If you do become a neurosurgeon you will have to practice privately (open your own hospital, etc.) because government surgeons have fixed salaries.
pros of being a Govt. surgeon;
- more work to improve yourself and to help society
- more research opportunities which will require you to travel abroad at least once a year (if you are an expert in a field) for lectures, seminars, neuro surgeon meetings and things like that with government funds - this will be your chance to travel and see the world after you are done with your work there.
- job satisfaction
pros of being a private surgeon:
- you are your own boss
- you can charge as much money as you want
- you can take as many vacations as you want and use your money to travel the world
Bottom line is- at the age of 40, when you have enough money and a good reputation to have some fun, your life will throw new responsibilities like family, kids, old parents, clients, commitments, etc. which will put breaks on your plans for your own life. so
- Learn time management as early as possible
- learn to have fun while studying new things
- aim to become an expert in a filed so that people invite you all over the world
- be a good doctor and earn respect
best of luck for your future, great day to you!
Answer laterCompared to Neurologists and Neurosurgeons, who will get more Holidays and leaves? Who will get more time to spend with family?
Hello Aspirant
See both Neurologists ans Neurosurgeons diagnose and treat patients which involve the nervous system. However, Neurologists do not perform any surgery in the brain but they perform treatments or therapies whereas neuro surgeons perform surgeries for the conditions required.
So it is difficult to say who can get more holidays, you should decide on your field of interest.
Have a good future ahead.
Good luck!!
What is the difference between Neurosurgeons and Neurologists? Who will have more time to spend with family? Who will have less working hours? Who will have less workload? Who will have a better working condition? Who will earn more, what are their respective earnings?
Hello,
Both diagnose and treat the patients with neurological disorders, illness or injuries
Difference is
NEUROSURGEON :
Perform surgeries
They Focus on surgical procedures for emergencies which are required for brain,spine or skull trauma, remove tumours, blood clots, perform radiation treatments and microsurgery.
NEUROLOGIST :
Don't perform surgeries
Make diagnosis by evaluating the patients and treat them with medications and other non surgical treatments
Both are of highly stressful environment jobs facing intense pressure
AVERAGE SALARY:
NEUROSURGEON- is around Rs 4,00,000
NEUROLOGIST- is around Rs 3,50,000
WORKING HOURS:
NEUROSURGEON- an average of 61 hrs / week
NEUROLOGIST- an average of 40-50 hrs / week
Hope it helps
Good luck!
Can Neurosurgeons spent their valuable times with their family, friends, etc?
Hello!
Neurosurgery is a really popular profession. It is as important as the cardiology department. Being a neurosurgeon is tough and also dangerous yet a really satisfactory profession to be in. But I admit that your social life and the time you get to spend with your family will be less once you choose this profession because you will have to deal with a lot of emergency cases but it's all worth it.
Afterall is there anything more happier than saving a life?!
Have a great day!
Which Surgeons will get more Holidays and leaves?
All of the MD and MS degrees are very hard, but some require more skill and hours that you have to put into work. Because of more demand, some specialties are more challenging:
1. Cardiac and thoracic surgery
2. Neurosurgery
3. General Surgery
4. Orthopedics
According to research, most doctors get 2-3 weeks of vacation in a year. This is true despite of the speciality you get in.
Dentists and cosmetic surgeons get more leisure time (not "free time") because emergency cases are not that much. On the other hand, we have their medical counterparts as dermatologists and psychologosts, the same reason. More time on your hand mainly depends on number of emergency cases you get, which can soar high any time.
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Did you know?
Fact 1
Surgeons are required to go through a lot of education before they begin.
Fact 2
There is a huge job outlook for surgeons within the next decade.
Fact 3
Busier surgeons are more likely to be influenced by their patients.
Fact 4
Anesthesia is one of the most important components of a surgery.
