General surgeon vs foot and ankle surgeon

The differences between general surgeons and foot and ankle surgeons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a general surgeon, becoming a foot and ankle surgeon takes usually requires 2-4 years. Additionally, a foot and ankle surgeon has an average salary of $440,772, which is higher than the $223,321 average annual salary of a general surgeon.

The top three skills for a general surgeon include patients, EMR and medical education. The most important skills for a foot and ankle surgeon are private practice, patient care, and EMR.

General surgeon vs foot and ankle surgeon overview

	General Surgeon	Foot And Ankle Surgeon
Yearly salary	$223,321	$440,772
Hourly rate	$107.37	$211.91
Growth rate	7%	2%
Number of jobs	45,174	3,655
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Average age	49	47
Years of experience	6	4

General surgeon vs foot and ankle surgeon salary

General surgeons and foot and ankle surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.

	General Surgeon	Foot And Ankle Surgeon
Average salary	$223,321	$440,772
Salary range	Between $121,000 And $411,000	Between $218,000 And $889,000
Highest paying City	Watertown, NY	-
Highest paying state	Connecticut	-
Best paying company	Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County	-
Best paying industry	Health Care	-

Differences between general surgeon and foot and ankle surgeon education

There are a few differences between a general surgeon and a foot and ankle surgeon in terms of educational background:

	General Surgeon	Foot And Ankle Surgeon
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 30%	Bachelor's Degree, 36%
Most common major	Medicine	Podiatric Medicine
Most common college	Duke University	Kent State University

General surgeon vs foot and ankle surgeon demographics

Here are the differences between general surgeons' and foot and ankle surgeons' demographics:

	General Surgeon	Foot And Ankle Surgeon
Average age	49	47
Gender ratio	Male, 53.9% Female, 46.1%	Male, 55.2% Female, 44.8%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 1.8% Unknown, 3.8% Hispanic or Latino, 5.0% Asian, 12.7% White, 76.6% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1%	Black or African American, 1.8% Unknown, 4.3% Hispanic or Latino, 5.8% Asian, 13.2% White, 74.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0%
LGBT Percentage	12%	36%

Differences between general surgeon and foot and ankle surgeon duties and responsibilities

General surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Provide preoperative diagnosis of patients, perform the necessary emergency or elective surgery, and provide postoperative surgical care and treatment.
Provide patient ancillary testing such as EKG, NDX and NCV.
Wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.
Assist the physician during angioplasty and endovenous laser ablation procedures.
Clean operating room and wash and sterilize equipment, using germicides and sterilizers.

Foot and ankle surgeon example responsibilities.

Manage all incoming medical records requests (ensuring office is within HIPPA guidelines).
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Obtain referrals for all HMO patients.
Prepare fee slips with correct CPT and ICD-9 codes, and ready deposits for billing service.

General surgeon vs foot and ankle surgeon skills

Common general surgeon skills

Patients, 34%
EMR, 14%
Medical Education, 9%
Patient Care, 8%
Endoscopy, 6%
Private Practice, 3%

Common foot and ankle surgeon skills

Private Practice, 35%
Patient Care, 33%
EMR, 15%
Physical Therapy, 14%
Medical Diagnosis, 1%
Soft Tissue, 1%

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General Surgeon
General Surgeon vs Foot And Ankle Surgeon

Updated January 8, 2025

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