Surgeon
Who Is A Surgeon?
A surgeon is someone who performs operations to cure people. As a surgeon, you directly help patients heal through invasive medical treatment. You can specialize in a lot of fields such as cardiology, dentistry, neurology, pediatrics and many more. For example, as a cardiovascular surgeon, you will be performing surgical treatments of the lungs and heart such as bypass surgery or angioplasty.
Roles & Responsibilities
Analyzing the patient’s medical history, allergies, physical state of health before the operation in order to take the necessary care and precautions during the procedure.
Performing operations on patients depending on the specialty.
Ensuring all the pre-surgery procedures are in place.
Closing the wounds after the operation and throwing any tissues removed as a part of the procedure.
Performing proper post-operative care.
Interacting with the families of the patients.
Preparing case histories to keep a track record of the patient.
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What Skills Will I Need To Have To Do This Job Well?
As exciting as this sounds, there are some things you’ll need to learn to do the job right:
DEXTERITY
As a surgeon you need to have the manual dexterity to be able to hold minuscule and thin surgical instruments and perform operations using multiple surgical objects.
QUICK DECISION MAKING
Often, you will need to make quick decisions so you should be able to judge the situation and take logical and sensible decisions but may be in a split of a second, as the fate of a human life may lie in the balance..
ALERTNESS
You need to have complete focus on the job at hand as it is a matter of life and death. Full attention is a must under any circumstance for a surgeon.
CALM AND COMPOSURE
It is pertinent for you to maintain calm and composure at all times during the operation as any kind of panic can get the whole team jittery. Also, it could lead to error in judgment. The unexpected is inevitable at times so it is upon the surgeon to maintain their composure and conduct the procedure properly.
TEAM ORIENTED SPIRIT
You will be leading a team, and hence you need to be able to work in a group well and be able to coordinate between junior doctors, assistants, nurses and other helpers. A cohesive team makes a huge difference in the way the procedure is conducted.
ABILITY TO WORK UNDER PRESSURE
From day of incessant studies to training to finally being in the OT, surgeons are always under constant work pressure. Hence, it is important that you can deal with all kinds of pressures along with long working hours and emotional resilience.
GOOD HAND-EYE CO-ORDINATION
It involves using the eyes to focus on the task and then using the hands to accomplish it. As a surgeon, it is pertinent to have hand-eye coordination as you are dealing with many surgical instruments and performing an operation on a minute part of the body and that too in a swift and smooth manner.
What Will My Workplace Look Like?
Your work life varies a lot, depending on where you work, what role you have and the scale of your job.
In this role, you will be a part of a hospital, clinic or have your own work space and be a consultant at various hospitals. Depending on your specialization, you will be involved in longer working hours or untimely working hours. For example: a dental surgeon usually will not have any emergencies or unplanned operations but on the other hand, an obstetrician might have untimely and immediate calls in case a patient goes into labour pain.
What Is My Scope For Career Growth As A Surgeon?
If you master your skills, there is no stopping your career path. You begin your career graph as a trainee or associate in a hospital where you learn under a senior surgeon or head of department. After the training period is complete you assist senior surgeons in the OT (operation theater). Soon you start working on independent cases and climb the ladder to become head of the department of your specialization.
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How Much Will I Get Paid?
The exact number will depend on where you’re working, your education, skill set and internship experience. But we can give you a general idea.
At an entry level position you can expect Rs 1,190,000 annually in India and with experience and additional qualifications and certifications you can expect the salary to rise considerably.
Okay, I'm sold. This is amazing
STEP 1: Class XI – XII/Junior College
Choose Science stream with biology after Class 10 and get at least 60% in all the subjects.
STEP 2: Graduate Degree
Get a Bachelor’s Degree in biological sciences. You could do an MBBS, BDS or any equivalent degree course.
STEP 3: Post-Graduate
In order to specialize in a field such as anesthetics, orthopedics or any other field you will need to do a Medical Doctor (M.D.) course. It is a 3 year course and doctors with an M.B.B.S. degree are eligible for it. You could also do a M.S. (Master of Surgery), a 3 year program. You will be doing a residency on field in order to earn this degree.
STEP 4: Super Specialty Courses
After completing your post-graduate course, you could also enroll for DM, which is a super specialty program in medicine. It is a 2 to 3 year program and the eligibility for this course is MD (Doctor of Medicine). You could also do a MCh, a super specialty program in surgery and the eligibility for it is MS (Master of Surgery).
STEP 5: Land a Job
After completing your necessary degree courses, you can take up a job in a hospital or work with a senior surgeon and then continue with the further education to keep yourseld updated on the latest in your field.
Congratulations, you are now officially a Surgeon!
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