Can a nurse become a surgeon?

No, a nurse cannot become a surgeon without additional schooling and certification. To become a surgeon, one must complete a bachelor's degree, four years of medical school, and at least five years of residency and fellowship.

Can anyone become a surgeon?

Yes, anyone can become a surgeon if they have the drive to do so. Becoming a surgeon is not an easy thing to do. It requires a high level of commitment, intelligence, and years of work to do so. To become a surgeon, you must complete a 4-year bachelor's degree followed by 4 years of medical school, and around 6 years completing residency and a fellowship in surgery.

What are the pros and cons of being a surgeon?

The pros of being a surgeon are being able to help others and save lives, but the cons are the expense of medical school, stress, and having people's lives in your hands, as well as the intense hours and work environment. This is a great career for someone who is good with their hands and not afraid of hard work.

What does a surgeon wear?

Surgeons wear medical scrubs with or without a white lab coat when outside of the surgery room. In the surgery room, surgeons will wear surgical gowns, masks, gloves, and caps. These garments allow for easy movement and can be easily laundered.

What is the surgeon hierarchy?

The surgeon hierarchy ranks surgeons according to their credentials and experience. At the top of the hierarchy is a neurosurgeon and at the bottom is a general surgeon. In the middle are specialist surgeons such as plastic surgery or orthopedic surgery.

How To Become A Surgeon: What It Is and Career Path

What is a surgeon and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

John Colclough

A surgeon is a medical expert tasked with performing surgeries on human patients for the purpose of curing or alleviating some or other symptom or disease.

Surgeons, amongst other things, are responsible for examining patients and diagnosing them, reviewing their medical history so as to better craft a healing plan for them, advise patients and explain medical procedures to them and their families, prescribe medication before the surgery and for post op care, and follow through with patients, in order to monitor and maintain their recovery. They may also conduct research in order to advance the medical science and various surgical procedures and they may choose to specialise in a certain type of surgeries through further education and work.

A surgeon should have a medical degree, certification, and a license to practice medicine. They also need to have years of residency training and have to pass the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination. They must be able to keep calm under pressure and have great hand-eye coordination. Interpersonal skills are important, too. A surgeon, on average, makes $314,000 a year.

What general advice would you give to a surgeon?

John Colclough

Professor, Marshall University

Be patient and stay informed. Many performers think their career is about the work in the rehearsal hall or in performance-not so, the real work is in the management of your business. Being an authority of WHO, WHAT and WHERE is key. WHO are the players in your market? The directors, actors, casting people, producing organizations, etc...these are who you need to know-your network. WHAT opportunities exist in your market? The theatres, video companies, universities (if you have an MFA you may be able to teach a class or two), Improvisation groups, any opportunity that allows you to grow your brand is worth your attention. And finally, WHERE are the opportunities-knowing your community and having a sense of how each company fits into the fabric of the community. Having a sense of where the company resides both geographically and virtually (web sites) and having a solid knowledge base of details of each company can inform your marketing tactics as well as provide you with specific details unique to each organization. Careers develop over time and keeping expectations realistic over the first year can be challenging. Be practical and methodical in your approach: save money (there's never enough), find a place to live (the best you can afford), find a side hustle (you're going to need money and routine), find out the lay of the land (WHO, WHAT, and WHERE), develop your skill set (take a class and meet colleagues), go to productions, screenings, workshops, document your growth (keep a journal or calendar to track your progress), celebrate your successes and be patient with your stumbles-Hard knocks are the best teachers!

ScoreSurgeonUS Average

Salary

9.1

Avg. Salary $155,553

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

10.0

Growth rate 7%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

1.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.14%

Asian 12.67%

Black or African American 1.81%

Hispanic or Latino 5.01%

Unknown 3.76%

White 76.60%

Gender

female 48.78%

male 51.22%

Age - 47

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 47

Stress level

10.0

Stress level is very high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

10.0

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.4

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

Key steps to become a surgeon

Explore surgeon education requirements

Most common surgeon degrees

Bachelor's

40.5 %

Doctorate

19.8 %

Associate

11.7 %

Start to develop specific surgeon skills

Skills	Percentages
Patients	26.40%
General Surgery	12.33%
Healthcare	11.51%
Patient Care	7.21%
Mohs	5.09%

Research surgeon duties and responsibilities

Manage insurance authorization and hospital bookings for surgery.
Assist senior staff in dental treatment of several complex procedures including dental treatment of medically compromise patients.
Coordinate with patients and medical staff at civilian and military treatment facilities to schedule medical appointments and retrieve medical documentation.
Observe fracture plating, skin grafting, wind cleaning, amputation, and other Orthopaedic surgeries.

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