Surgeon vs md

The differences between surgeons and mds can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a surgeon, becoming an md takes usually requires 6-12 months. Additionally, a surgeon has an average salary of $155,553, which is higher than the $75,011 average annual salary of an md.

The top three skills for a surgeon include patients, general surgery and healthcare. The most important skills for an md are patients, customer service, and surgical procedures.

Surgeon vs md overview

	Surgeon	MD
Yearly salary	$155,553	$75,011
Hourly rate	$74.79	$36.06
Growth rate	7%	16%
Number of jobs	37,918	58,569
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Average age	49	37
Years of experience	6	12

What does a surgeon do?

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.

What does an md do?

A Doctor of Medicine or MD is the designation of a person who completed medical education. Generally, MDs focus on the treatment of conditions in need of medication. These doctors do health assessments, prescribe medication, run diagnostic tests, treat patients, and offer health and wellness advice. Among their health specialties are in the areas of neurology, gynecology, and dermatology. They may also perform surgery when necessary. All these are made possible with their knowledge and skills in medicine.

Surgeon vs md salary

Surgeons and mds have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Surgeon	MD
Average salary	$155,553	$75,011
Salary range	Between $85,000 And $284,000	Between $25,000 And $224,000
Highest paying City	Lewiston, ME	Vancouver, WA
Highest paying state	Maine	Washington
Best paying company	MaineGeneral Health	Atrium Health Floyd
Best paying industry	Professional	-

Differences between surgeon and md education

There are a few differences between a surgeon and an md in terms of educational background:

	Surgeon	MD
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 40%	Bachelor's Degree, 39%
Most common major	Medicine	Nursing
Most common college	Duke University	-

Surgeon vs md demographics

Here are the differences between surgeons' and mds' demographics:

	Surgeon	MD
Average age	49	37
Gender ratio	Male, 51.2% Female, 48.8%	Male, 37.5% Female, 62.5%
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, 14.5% Unknown, 4.6% Hispanic or Latino, 23.4% Asian, 9.1% White, 47.7% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%
LGBT Percentage	12%	6%

Differences between surgeon and md duties and responsibilities

Surgeon example 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.

Md example responsibilities.

Manage the office regarding Clia and OSHA laws and regulations
Manage on call pager for after hours triage and urgent matters while staying in complete communication with the physician.
Manage patient files by making new charts, keying all encounters through ICD-9 coding procedures and posting in patient database.
Operate electrocardiograph (EKG), call to schedule test for patients and routine office visits.
Back office responsibilities include rooming patients, obtaining vitals, chief complaint and documenting into EMR system.
Assist physicians in exams rooms, administer intramuscular injections and perform venipuncture on adult and pediatric patients.

Surgeon vs md skills

Common surgeon skills

Patients, 26%
General Surgery, 12%
Healthcare, 12%
Patient Care, 7%
Mohs, 5%
Private Practice, 4%

Common md skills

Patients, 33%
Customer Service, 8%
Surgical Procedures, 6%
Surgery, 5%
Patient Care, 5%
Vital Signs, 4%

Surgeon vs. similar jobs

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Surgeon vs MD

Updated January 8, 2025

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