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The differences between medical doctors and surgeons can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 2-4 years to become a medical doctor, becoming a surgeon takes usually requires 4-6 years. Additionally, a medical doctor has an average salary of $181,967, which is higher than the $155,553 average annual salary of a surgeon.
The top three skills for a medical doctor include patients, patient care and internal medicine. The most important skills for a surgeon are patients, general surgery, and healthcare.
| Medical Doctor | Surgeon | |
| Yearly salary | $181,967 | $155,553 |
| Hourly rate | $87.48 | $74.79 |
| Growth rate | 7% | 7% |
| Number of jobs | 60,642 | 37,918 |
| Job satisfaction | - | - |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Average age | 48 | 49 |
| Years of experience | 4 | 6 |
A Medical Doctor, also known as a physician, is a healthcare professional who diagnoses and treats patients from injuries and illnesses. As a Medical Doctor, your day-to-day duties will typically include assessing a patient's symptoms, prescribing and administering treatment to patients, and providing follow-up medical care to patients. You will be responsible for interpreting patients' laboratory results and referring them to other providers when needed. Also, you will need to work closely with other healthcare professionals and promote health education.
A surgeon is a medical professional who conducts surgical procedures on the human body to treat injuries and diseases such as broken bones and cancerous tumors. Surgeons are required to review test results to identify abnormal findings and recommend a plan of treatment to patients. They must manage surgical technicians during the surgery process to ensure all standards of care and safety are followed in the operating room. Surgeons must also address concerns that the patients have about their health and well-being.
Medical doctors and surgeons have different pay scales, as shown below.
| Medical Doctor | Surgeon | |
| Average salary | $181,967 | $155,553 |
| Salary range | Between $95,000 And $347,000 | Between $85,000 And $284,000 |
| Highest paying City | Brownsville, TX | Lewiston, ME |
| Highest paying state | New Jersey | Maine |
| Best paying company | Pacific Medical Centers | MaineGeneral Health |
| Best paying industry | Transportation | Professional |
There are a few differences between a medical doctor and a surgeon in terms of educational background:
| Medical Doctor | Surgeon | |
| Most common degree | Doctoral Degree, 56% | Bachelor's Degree, 40% |
| Most common major | Medicine | Medicine |
| Most common college | Duke University | Duke University |
Here are the differences between medical doctors' and surgeons' demographics:
| Medical Doctor | Surgeon | |
| Average age | 48 | 49 |
| Gender ratio | Male, 46.9% Female, 53.1% | Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8% |
| Race ratio | Black or African American, 5.3% Unknown, 4.5% Hispanic or Latino, 9.9% Asian, 19.0% White, 61.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2% | 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% |
| LGBT Percentage | 13% | 12% |