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Surgery - General

General surgery is the basic discipline from which other surgical subspecialties have emerged. Surgery, by definition, deals with diseases or injuries that require operative procedures.

You found your specialty, now plan the rest of your path.

From specialty exploration to school discovery, interview preparation, and debt planning, all part of the SDN Schools Database.

Key Facts

Core Focus: Surgical care of abdominal organs, trauma, and emergencies

Number of Physicians: Large (~30,000)

Training Length: 5 years residency

Subspecialties: Trauma, surgical critical care, bariatric surgery

Job Progression: Lead surgeon, trauma center director, subspecialist

Gender Distribution: 25% female, 75% male

Job Outlook: Stable

Work Environment: Hospitals, ORs, trauma centers

Patient Relationship: Short-term, surgical episodes

Schedule: Long hours, on-call, emergency surgeries

Common Procedures: Appendectomy, bowel surgery, trauma surgery

Residency Length: 5 years

Fellowship Required: No

Average Annual Income: ~$434,000 - $483,000

Average Weekly Hours: 65 hours/week

Burnout Percentage: 58%

Match Competitiveness: High

Common Work Settings: Hospitals, operating rooms

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❤️ Values and Personality Comparison

Surgery - General Top Values

  • Achievement
  • Decision making
  • Independence
  • Taking care of people
  • Variety

Surgery - General Do Not Value

  • Feedback from others
  • Prestige
  • Security
  • Sufficient time off

🧠 Surgery - General Personality Traits

  • Be 'doers' rather than talkers
  • Deal with problems straightforwardly with direct action
  • Enjoy taking care of people
  • Need to see tangible results of their efforts quickly
  • Be achievers
  • Act decisively
  • Be perfectionistic
  • Have manual dexterity
  • Value independence highly
  • Identify with role models