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Career as Surgeon

A surgeon is a specialised physician who operates on patients to repair injuries, abnormalities and conduct rehabilitation procedures for such patients. They specialise in fields such as orthopaedic, cardiothoracic or neurological and also perform advisory roles in the same. Nowadays, surgeons have minimised their efforts on cutting and have started using new technologies such as scopes and lasers. Their work is also getting transformed with 3D printed implants with layers of living cells and robots conducting microsurgeries. There has been a significant advancement of technology in this field which is towards reducing errors in judgement. With technology making its way in this field, surgery is becoming an area with sophisticated technology. A good surgeon should be well adept with contemporary practices and should also know how to work with modern technology. With new specialisation such as Reconstructive Surgery, surgeons have to be on their toes to deliver without any errors.

Job Profile

As a surgeon, you can either join a private or a government hospital and do your medical practice. You can choose your department according to your speciality or serve as a general surgeon who caters to all kinds of patients. Government hospitals are situated all over the country, especially in areas for which you need to have a brief knowledge of the local language. Mostly doctors belonging to the home-state are usually hired for such hospitals or clinics. Working as a government doctor gives them the position of a Gazetted Officer. The government recruits the cream of the batch for its top government hospitals across the country.

Surgeons can also serve in the military if they meet the requirement. This poses as a role with more risks but more thrill as you will be living in conditions with the entire regiment. Military surgeons are also sent out for special calamity related cases. They are also sent to other countries serving under the UN flag for serving special backward areas.

Apart from this, surgeons serve in the private sector in hospitals, or they open their clinic. While working in private hospitals, they will be involved in the same manner as a government doctor. They can be the head of their specialised departments. Working privately also gives them the liberty to visit private clinics as a visiting surgeon. Surgeons also make their way into the field by working on the recommendations during their internship days. Surgeons can be recruited by hospitals such as Apollo and Fortis as department heads.

Salary of a surgeon at a government hospital varies from Rs 50,000 to Rs 7,00,000 per month. These salaries for a variety of specialisations such as General Surgeon, Cardiothoracic Surgeon, Neurosurgeon, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Paediatric Surgeon, Plastic Surgeon and others. The same for a private hospital varied from Rs 70,000 to Rs 5,00,000 per month.

Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata and other Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities which house large multispeciality hospitals in the form of Private or Public ownerships rope in such specialists to cater to various kinds of patients with varied diseases.

Future Growth Prospects

Surgeons earn good based on their goodwill in the market. They should upgrade themselves in their respective specialisation to earn more as competition increases when one moves up the ladder, especially in the urban and semi-urban areas. Surgeons should be well adept with the recent technology which is fast advancing into this field.

Pros and Cons of Being a Surgeon

Pros

A surgeon gets to serve the people, which is the most satisfying part of the job profile. It is a boon for someone who wants to serve and support people.
Surgeon's learning process never stops, and they are always keen on updating themselves. They are always on their toes to apply new technology and to prescribe new medicine to patients. With the rise in new kinds of diseases, it is good to serve humanity with vast knowledge and practical experience.
You have various career-paths from being a general surgeon to a specialised surgeon.
Surgeons earn respect anywhere they go and are the goto person for anyone in distress over any medical condition. Some people also consider them their God as they help them through tough times.
Being a surgeon improves you as a person as you get to work on your people skills and those required in your domain.

Cons

The cost of becoming a doctor is expensive as schooling for this particular fees is very high of you fail to get into a Government College. Still, pursuing this course doesn't guarantee you a job until you procure a license to practise your skills.
This is a high risk wherein every day you have to deal with patients as well as their kins. You have to sacrifice a lot by spending long hours in the operation theatre.
Surgeons mostly end up studying for at least 15 years which is accompanied by long working hours.
Government hospitals in some of the rural parts of India are some of the worst places to work where the upkeep of the facilities is not done regularly.
A surgeon has to deal with various kinds of people with varied mentalities which can sometimes be an arduous task to deal with.

How do I get there?

The first step towards becoming a surgeon is to opt for Physics, Chemistry and Biology as major subjects in your Higher Secondary School. After completing your schooling, you have to appear for NEET, which is the national entrance exam for a medical aspirant. You should get into Medical Colleges and get an MBBS or a BDS Degree. Further, you have to complete the MS course to become a Surgeon. You can also do an MD Course to become a physician.

How much does it cost?

Fees for pursuing MBBS from a Government College varies from Rs 6000 to Rs 20,000, whereas doing the same can cost you an average of around Rs 50,00,000 from a private college. Further, pursuing an MS from a government college will cost you around Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 and around Rs 80,00,000 if done from a private college. In some colleges, the fees for MS can vary according to the specialisation that you will choose.

What are the Top Colleges where one should study to become a surgeon?

India is a hub for MBBS courses, and there are many colleges for this course. It has a mix of good government and private colleges. Here is a list of such colleges for you to choose from if you are an aspirant.

Rank	College Name	Course and Fees
1)	AIIMS, New Delhi	MBBS- Rs 1,628 for 1 year
2)	Christian Medical College, Vellore	MBBS- Rs 48,530 for 1 year
3)	Chandigarh University, Chandigarh	MBBS- Rs 1,06,000 for 1 year
4)	Armed forces Medical College, Pune	MBBS- Rs 31,870 for 1 year
5)	Kasturba Medical College, Mangalore	MBBS- Rs 14,40,000 for 1 year
6)	Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi	MBBS- Rs 240 for 1 year
7)	JIPMER, Puducherry	MBBS- Rs 4,970 for 1 year
8)	Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi	MBBS- Rs 1,400 for 1 year
9)	Institute of Medical Science, Varanasi	MBBS- Rs 29,748 for 1 year
10)	Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore	MBBS- Rs 75,480 for 1 year

Books and other Study Material

Some books which can be very helpful in enhancing one's knowledge in the field of surgery can be:

Sabiston textbook of Surgery by R.Daniel Beauchamp, B. Mark Evers, Kenneth L.Mattox.
Clinical Scenarios in Surgery by Justin B. Dimick, Gilbert R. Upchurch Jr., Christopher J. Sonnenday and Lillian S. Kao.
The General Surgery Intern Handbook by Angela A. Guzzetta.
General Surgery: Correlations and Clinical Scenarios by Niket Sonpal
Farquharson's Textbook of Operative General Surgery by Farquharson Margaret.

What if this career does not work out for me?

Being a surgeon is a tough decision, and the challenges in this field are more compared to many other fields. You have to be in the right mind while pursuing this, but things sometimes go awry. Having pursued this, you can always choose a different specialisation and pursue your career. You can also get a management degree and work at some of the renowned pharmaceutical companies around the world. A surgeon will be very much welcome in the field of research, and your insights will be very much valuable in this field. If you are creatively inclined, you can also pursue a course of medical illustrator and work in the creatively lucrative field.

Where to study?

Benaras Hindu University
CMC Vellore
Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Chandigarh

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Content on this page is by Career Expert
Mrs. Kum Kum Tandon
MA (Psychology), M.Ed, Diploma in Educational Psychology, Vocational Guidance & Counseling (NCERT, Delhi) | View Complete Profile

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