Surgeon

Surgeons operate on patients in order to treat injuries, diseases and degenerative conditions.

They talk to patients, take case histories and examine them to diagnose problems. If surgery is necessary they operate on patients and monitor their progress after surgery.

Surgeons work in one of nine surgical specialties:

• cardiothoracic (heart and chest) surgery
• general surgery
• neurosurgery
• oral and maxillofacial (upper jawbone and face) surgery
• otolaryngology (head, neck and ear, nose and throat surgery)
• paediatric surgery
• plastic surgery
• trauma and orthopaedic surgery
• urology.

There are options for further specialisation within these specialties.

As well as performing operations, surgeons also undertake ward rounds, outpatient clinics and emergency duties. They have administrative work - keeping patient records up to date, writing reports and letters and attending meetings. They may also teach.

Surgeons work closely with other health professionals including nurses, therapists, other surgeons, anaesthetists, radiologists, pathologists, GPs and administration staff.

Most surgeons work long hours, which may include nights and weekends. They spend most of their time in hospitals - in consulting rooms, wards and operating theatres. Operating can involve standing and bending, sometimes for long periods of time.

Surgeons in specialty training earn between £29,411 and £46,246 a year. This may be increased by "banding supplements". Salaries for surgical consultants start at £74,504. The most senior consultants can earn over £176,000 a year.

A surgeon should:

• have excellent manual and technical skills
• be interested in the care and well-being of patients
• have excellent communication skills
• be able to make clinical decisions quickly and accurately
• be able to put people at ease and inspire trust and confidence
• have the ability to work well in, and lead, a team.

Most surgeons work in the National Health Service (NHS). Some combine their NHS duties with work in private hospitals.

To become a surgeon, it is first necessary to study for a degree in medicine and qualify as a doctor. Medical degrees normally take five years, although there are some four-year and six-year courses. For more general information about becoming a doctor, see Doctor.

When doctors have completed their medical degree they undertake a two-year foundation programme of general training. Towards the end of the foundation programme doctors decide whether to train in surgery or another specialty.

Specialty surgery training takes around six years and leads to entry to the General Medical Council specialist register. Surgeons are then able to apply for a senior post as a consultant. Surgeons continue learning new skills throughout their career.

Surgeons may have to relocate to take up a consultant post. There are opportunities to work abroad, for example with voluntary organisations in developing countries.

Further information

The Royal College of Surgeons of England, 35-43 Lincoln's Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE. 020 7405 3474. Website: www.rcseng.ac.uk

January 2010