What makes a successful surgeon

The surgeon must be well informed about the anatomy, physiology, pathology, and pharmacology of surgical disease. Understanding the scientific basis for an operation separates the surgeon from the skilled technician. Morton JH. The Qualities of a Successful Surgeon. Arch Surg. Coronavirus Resource Center. Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to use our site, or clicking "Continue," you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy Continue.

Twitter Facebook. This Issue. Citations 2. Do surgeons get paid more than doctors? Do surgeons make millions? How long do surgeons go to school? What type of surgeon gets paid the most? What is the best major to become a surgeon? Can you be an MD without a PhD? Is MD harder than Phd? Does a PHD make you a doctor?

Next Article How did the printing press change the course of history? If you are a medical student reading these words, chances are you're not one of the students who hates being in the operating room. Medical students who love being in the operating room tend to be people who are comfortable with three-dimensional imagery; they often overlap with medical students who enjoyed learning anatomy.

Students who love being in the operating room find doing concrete physical work for their patients truly satisfying. Being comfortable as a surgeon also means being comfortable accepting the responsibility of the role as leader of a team.

Motivating the team and facilitating their best efforts are skills you can learn in your surgery training program, but at the core, surgeons must be able to accept responsibility.

The surgical culture is one of continuous improvement, for example, using the public forum of morbidity and mortality conferences to tell the stories of bad outcomes in hopes that they may be avoided in the future. Students who are uncomfortable making quick decisions, occupying positions of leadership, or discussing errors in a public forum may be uncomfortable in surgical roles.

I'm still not sure if surgery is right for me. I loved my surgical rotations, but I don't want to sacrifice my family or personal life. If that resonates for you and you find yourself having the time of your life on surgical rotations, a surgical career probably is right for you. Because all training programs have adopted mandatory work-hour limits such as an 80 hour per week average duty hours, limited work hours for interns and at least one day per week completely free from clinical responsibilities, surgical training should not be appreciably harder on families than training in a non-surgical discipline.

After residency, many options exist for limiting practice hours and playing an integral role in your family or community. Chances are the satisfaction you derive from your surgical career will be an energizing force that will not only carry you through the training process, but will also benefit those who are important in your personal life as well. Is there a reason for the surgical mystique?