How To Become a Surgeon

When you hear about surgery do you think of 'Greys Anatomy'? 'Holby City'? In reality surgery is not always so glamorous or so dramatic (but is definitely as exciting!) A surgeon will divide their time between several key functions:

Ward rounds

A daily visit to check on the state and progress of each of the patients in their care, liaising with nursing staff and junior doctors.

The operating theatre

Working on pre-booked elected operations and/or emergency cases as part of a team which will include other surgeons, anesthetists, technicians, nurses, administrators all working together to ensure the best possible outcome for the patient.

Out-patient clinics

Meeting the patient (and possibly their family) before the operation, to decide the best course of action for their condition, explain procedures and risks, take tests, arrange X-rays etc, and then meeting them again after the operation, to monitor their recovery.

Completing administrative work

As with every job, there’s paperwork to be done.

Surgical specialties

General Surgery – is wide ranging and incorporates many different sub-specialties such as , breast surgery, vascular surgery, laparoscopic and gastro-intestinal surgery.

Cardiothoracic Surgery – mainly involves working with adult heart disease and a range of lung problems.

Neurosurgery – You will work on all aspects of brain surgery, from pre-operative imaging to removal of tumours. This specialty also encompasses the central nervous system and the spinal cord.

Otorhinolaryngology -(ear, nose and throat surgery) the surgery ranges from major resections to microsurgery, and incorporates anything from sleep disorders to cancer.

Paediatric Surgery – working with children and their parents, this specialty is wide ranging, from minor surgery such as correction of congenital abnormalities, bowel resections and operations for cancer.

Plastic Surgery – this is one of the few specialties with no anatomically defined region. Plastic surgeons work with burns and trauma victims, it is much more than just cosmetic surgery.

Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery – Orthopaedic surgeons fix fractures, replace joints and manage degenerative disorders.

Urology – treating conditions in the genitourinary system, it encompasses incontinence, impotence and infertility and the management of diseases of the kidneys, bladder and prostate.

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery – the majority of operating time is spent rebuilding the faces and jaws of seve rely injured patients. It is unique in demanding basic qualifications in both dentistry and medicine.

Are you cut out for it?

When thinking about whether surgery is for you, ask yourself honestly: what am I good at?

Surgery requires a mix of:

• Specialist knowledge for accurate diagnosis of a patient's condition.
• Good communication skills – for speaking to your medical team, your patients and their families; for listening to and understanding the concerns of a wide range of people and earning their trust.
• Extensive experience of pre-operative and post-operative care.
• A bright, eager mind, manual dexterity and physical skills for performing an operation.

The learning never stops

As a surgeon, you will have a career where you can constantly increase and update your knowledge, improve your skills and learn - maybe even develop new techniques.

The rewards

Surgery is challenging, exciting, varied and hard work and very rewarding. Many surgeons say they enjoy the intellectual challenges of their job and its positive, active approach to the treatment of disease. They say that to perform an operation and to see a worthwhile result almost immediately, is so satisfying.

Finding work experience

It can be hard to find clinical work experience but it will be a useful addition to your UCAS application.

Ideally you should try and get work experience in an area of Medicine that you are interested in but if you can’t you can try other departments in hospitals or clinics.

How do I get work experience?

The first thing to do is find out where your nearest hospitals are and if they accept work experience students.

If you search the internet you will be able to find individual hospitals websites.

From there if you do not have a contact at the Trust to write to directly and you can’t find any information about existing schemes or a work placement coordinator, then the best people to write to are the medical staffing department (also known as human resources).

If there is a scheme or a coordinator write or email them and ask for more information.

You can also try and get work experience through your GP surgery or at a rehabilitation clinic or similar (sometimes this might be easier than approaching a hospital)

When should I do work experience?

The simple answer is whenever somewhere can take you!

You will need to be flexible – it is worth talking to your school and seeing if they mind you taking time off. A good time is after your AS Levels as you may have some free time during the week before the summer holidays start.