General Surgery Doctor

Nature of the work

A general surgeon has expertise in the diagnosis and care of patients with diseases and disorders affecting the abdomen, digestive tract, endocrine system, breast, skin, and blood vessels. A general surgeon is also trained in the care of pediatric and cancer patients and in the treatment of patients who are injured or critically ill. Common problems treated by general surgeons include hernias, breast tumors, gallstones, appendicitis, pancreatitis, bowel obstructions, colon inflammation, and colon cancer. General surgeons increasingly provide care through the use of minimally invasive and endoscopic techniques.¹

Surgeons can receive training in the following subspecialties:

hand surgery, which requires expertise in the investigation, preservation, and restoration by medical, surgical, and rehabilitative means, of all structures of the hand and wrist.

hospice and palliative medicine, which involves preventing and relieving the suffering experienced by patients with life-limiting illnesses.

pediatric surgery, which requires expertise in surgical conditions in premature and newborn infant, children, and adolescents.

surgical critical care, which requires expertise in the critically ill and postoperative patient, particularly the trauma victim and those with multiple organ dysfunction.

vascular surgery, which requires expertise in surgical disorders of the blood vessels, excluding the intercranial vessels of the heart.

Training/residency information

The residency for general surgery is five years. Up to two years of additional training is required to practice in one of the subspecialty areas.

References
1 The American Board of Medical Specialties. Guide to Physician Specialties. Evanston, IL: American Board of Medical Specialties; February 2008.
2 2010 Physician Compensation Survey [special feature]. Modern Healthcare . July 19, 2010: 20–26.