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This question is about what a surgeon does.
How hard is it to become a surgeon?
It is extremely hard to become a surgeon. Becoming a surgeon takes over a decade, and the journey involves multiple medical degrees, years of intense study, and very difficult medical exams.
A surgeon must first obtain a bachelor's degree and have stellar grades while doing so. After this, they must take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), which is notorious for being a very complex and difficult exam. It is a test that many people have to take two or three times to pass.
Once in medical school, you must obtain exceptional grades because later you have to enter surgical residency. Surgical residencies are very competitive, so the grades you make in medical school matter.
But before you apply for residency, there is another difficult step; if you want to practice medicine in the U.S., you need to pass a licensing exam first.
Medical graduates with an M.D. take the United States Medical Licensing Examination, and those with a DO take the Comprehensive Osteopathic Medical Licensing Examination. All states require a surgeon to have a license.
After obtaining either license, you can apply for a surgical residency. This consists of three to seven years of intensive hands-on training working in a hospital setting. After this, you may practice independently as a qualified surgeon.
The length of the educational and training track, the necessity for exceptional grades, and the extremely difficult examinations make becoming a surgeon extremely hard.
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