What should I study to become a surgeon?

A common choice for premedical studies would be a science program such as biology or chemistry, but it is not mandatory. Pre-medical is just a term used to describe students who intend to go to medical school after receiving their bachelor's degree.

Medical school is a rigorous, four-year program that teaches students about the body, diseases, and how to treat them.

• The first two years are preclinical, which involves learning about the body and how diseases work.

• The third year is when students start their clinical rotations and begin to see patients. In addition to seeing patients, students also need to study when they are not on rotations in order to pass their Shelf exams. At the end of the third year, students complete the USMLE Step 2CK exam.

• The fourth year of medical school is often considered the most difficult, as students are expected to complete sub-internships (or audition rotations) and prepare their residency applications.

  This can be especially difficult for those pursuing a competitive subspecialty. The residency matching process, also known as "Match Day," takes place in March, and all graduating medical students must participate.

Residency is a period of supervised training that a doctor in training must complete after graduating from medical school. The length of residencies varies depending on the specialty, but typically for a surgery specialty, it lasts between five and seven years.

During a residency, doctors gain first-hand experience working with patients and learn from experienced doctors. Residency is an important part of their medical education and helps them develop the skills they need to be successful surgeons.

After completing all the education and training, successful students will be eligible to take the Medical Licensing Exam and become licensed to practice medicine.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) states that the employment of physicians and surgeons is expected to grow 3% from 2021 to 2031, which is slower than average, but despite that, there are projected to be about 23,800 openings per year.

Most of those openings are expected to be a result of workers changing occupations or retiring. The BLS also states that wages for physicians and surgeons are among the highest of all occupations, with a median wage equal to or greater than $208,000 per year.