ALT-1 How to become a Surgeon
So you want to cut people open for a living, eh? Surgeons have one of the hardest and most intense jobs on Earth. And the training and education it takes to become one of them is equally as challenging. To become a surgeon, you will have to dedicate years of your life to studying - putting aside sleep, sanity and a social life. In the end, you will be one of the few who are given the tremendous responsibility of helping the sick and injured in a way that few other jobs allow.
The path to becoming a surgeon is neither short nor easy. Doctors spend years of their lives studying, working, and struggling to get that "MD" added to the end of their name. There are entire weeks that are not fun. There are many times when a doctor in training questions his or her ability. There will be many days when they question their sanity. But in the end, if it's truly what you want to do, it's all worth it.
The path to becoming a surgeon starts in High School, and even sooner in some cases. It is vital to learn good study habits. This doesn't mean that a person has to study all the time. Discipline and being efficient with the time you have is the most important thing. Becoming a doctor is a marathon, not a sprint. A proper balance of learning from books and learning about life is essential. It is important to take time off as needed, but when it's time to memorize the Kreb's Cycle or the major genetic lysosomal storage disorders, well, hop on it!
It is essential to get good grades. To become a surgeon and be allowed to operate on people, you absolutely must get good grades. No one is going to trust a person to operate on them if they have failed too many classes. Period. Now, this doesn't mean that it is necessary to get an "A" in every course taken during your academic career, but on average, scoring solid grades is essential.
In High School, the focus should be on a broad education. Do NOT just concetrate on science classes. Doctors of all types need to be well rounded. Surgeons take care of a wide range of people over their careers, and it never hurts to be able to relate to all types of people and backgrounds. Learning to write well is highly important. Writing well is more important for a doctor or surgeon than most people realize.
To become a surgeon, it is necessary to get a degree from a 4 year University or College. Either a BA or BS is required to get in to Medical School. Aim to get in to the best college possible, but remember that it is not necessary to go to an Ivy League school to be a surgeon. Surgeons come from all ranges of Universities.
When picking a major in college, focus on what you enjoy and excel at. Contrary to much popular wisdom, it is not necessary to be a science major to get in to medical school! There is no such thing as a specific "pre-med" major. Any major can be "pre-med". Chemistry and biology are the most common "pre-med" majors, and they certainly work well for getting in to medical school. But it is totally possible to be an English Major (or History, or Classics, or Music etc.) is that is what you are interested in. Contrary to a lot of advice given to pre-med students, the choice of major makes very little difference to Medical School admission committees. In fact, some Medical Schools look favorably on students who have a different and unique educational path. Once Medical School gets started, the focus will be on science all the time. The undergrad years are the best time to broaden your educational horizons.
Of course, completing a basic set of science classes in college, no matter what major you choose, is required. In general, this means that a minimum of a year of biology, chemistry, physics, and organic chemistry must be taken. Most Medical Schools also require at least some math. Each Medical School publishes a list of the specific requirements they have for admission. These requirements are compiled in to a book called the MSAR (Medical School Admissions Requirements). This book is available at any University Bookstore or at Amazon.com. Get it your freshman year in college and use it as a reference guide for picking the right classes in college. You don't want to graduate and find out that you are missing several basic requirements to apply to Medical School. This book will guide you. Buy it. Read it. Love it.
The MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) is generally taken in the 3rd or 4th year of college. This assumes you are going to apply to start Medical School immediately after graduating with your Bachelors degree. Most students DO NOT do this. Most medical school applicants take a few years to go out and work, live a little and learn a bit about the world outside of University life. But at some point the MCAT must be taken.
The MCAT should really be named the MViciousRabidTiger. It will be a humbling experience for most students. For me it was the first time I was not able to score well on something on the basis of just being a generally bright guy. If you don't respect this exam by devoting the proper amount of time to preparing, it will chew you up and spit you out. It is a comprehensive exam covering all the basic science requirements to apply to medical school and it's not an easy test. The MCAT alone is responsible for many "pre-med" students suddenly having a change of heart and picking a new career path.
Once Medical School starts, everyone will take the same classes. In the 4th year of Medical School, there are some choices students can make regarding the specialties they work in. For medical students wanting to be a surgeon, this would be a good time to take a few electives in various surgical specialties.
During Medical School, there are a series of three licensing exams named the United States Medical Licensing Exam (USMLE). Step 1 of this exam is taken after two years of Medical School. Step 2 comes in two parts and is taken near graduation. If the MCAT is a hard test, these exams make that test look like a cute cuddly kitten. The USMLE is considered by some (usually those taking it) to be the hardest standardized exam ANYWHERE. Good luck... you're going to need it.
At the end of Medical School, there is a process by which graduates apply for their first job as a doctor. The process is known as "The Match" and how it works is one of the Great Mysteries of the Universe. In The Match, future surgeons will apply to Surgery residency programs. It is your post Medical School residency training where you become a surgeon - all Medical School graduates are the same. There are no "majors" in Medical School.
Once accepted to a surgical residency training program and graduating from Medical School, the end of training is near! Of course, by this time, a surgeon-in-training has been studying and in school for over eight years after High School, but hey, all good things come to an end eventually, right?
Expect the surgery residency to take between six and eight years. Yes, you read that right. At this point you are a working doctor, albeit a young and inexperienced one. The workload doubles from Medical School and for the next six to eight years the new surgeons will work grueling hours. Consider it the sprint at the end of the marathon - only a few more years and your journey to become a surgeon is over!
After six to eight years in residency, during which you will be flogged by senior doctors, barfed on by sick patients, and have streams of blood hose you down daily in an reddish salute to your hard work and dedication, you will finally be let loose on the world and be free to venture forth to cure the world from appendicitis, gallstones and swallowed marbles.
Congratulations!
