Doing good. Surgeons, as are all doctors, are required to take the Hippocratic oath to ensure that they provide the best medical care, to the fullest extent of their abilities, to all those in need. If you're the type of person who thoroughly enjoys helping others, this career path is chock full of the opportunity to provide service and support to others as well as saving lives.
Regular career development. For those who value constant mental stimulation, few careers have practical skills that are applied as regularly as that of the medical field. Surgeons continuously learn on the job as medicine and technology constantly update and evolve. Their minds are constantly on the move, learning and applying new medical science almost every day.
Various career paths. Aspiring surgeons can choose from more than a dozen areas, ranging from general surgery to more specialized fields like orthopedic surgery and plastic surgery.
Helping others. Not only do surgeons help their patients, they also help other aspiring clinicians. Many medical experts get the benefit of teaching students and patients about medicine and can help advance the field of medicine through research and collaboration with other medical experts.
Respected career. Many consider the medical field to be among the most revered occupations, and it carries with it a higher social status than most. Many surgeons make upward of $300,000 a year, with many orthopedic surgeons exceeding $500,000.
Negative
Expensive schooling. Although the salary for being a surgeon starts out pretty high and just keeps climbing throughout the rest of one's career, most medical students typically graduate with a large financial debt. It may take years to pay off the debt and begin to see a profitable life as a surgeon. Still, long hours aren't behind you just because you've graduated from medical school and completed your internship and residency. It's an arduous process of acquiring a medical license, and once you're on the staff at a hospital you'll pull many overnight and emergency shifts.
High stress. A medical career can be highly emotional and draining. While some incredible highs comes with saving lives, once you begin practicing, it can take a toll on your emotional well-being when you encounter patients whom you can't save. That—paired with the long hours, difficult procedures, stressful work environment, and overwhelming responsibility—often lead to depression or at the very least anxiety problems.
Time-consuming. Not only do surgeons undergo up to 15 years (or more) of schooling and training, they often must work long hours, too. This can interfere with one's personal life, limiting the amount of time the surgeon has to spend with family and friends.
Lawsuits. An unfortunate side of being a surgeon is a high potential to encounter medical malpractice suits. Mistakes happen in all careers, but for medical professionals, the repercussions of mistakes can be physically damaging and even deadly. According to the Risk Authority, $381 billion was awarded in medical malpractice cases in 2017.
Answers & Comments
Answer:
Benefits
Doing good. Surgeons, as are all doctors, are required to take the Hippocratic oath to ensure that they provide the best medical care, to the fullest extent of their abilities, to all those in need. If you're the type of person who thoroughly enjoys helping others, this career path is chock full of the opportunity to provide service and support to others as well as saving lives.
Regular career development. For those who value constant mental stimulation, few careers have practical skills that are applied as regularly as that of the medical field. Surgeons continuously learn on the job as medicine and technology constantly update and evolve. Their minds are constantly on the move, learning and applying new medical science almost every day.
Various career paths. Aspiring surgeons can choose from more than a dozen areas, ranging from general surgery to more specialized fields like orthopedic surgery and plastic surgery.
Helping others. Not only do surgeons help their patients, they also help other aspiring clinicians. Many medical experts get the benefit of teaching students and patients about medicine and can help advance the field of medicine through research and collaboration with other medical experts.
Respected career. Many consider the medical field to be among the most revered occupations, and it carries with it a higher social status than most. Many surgeons make upward of $300,000 a year, with many orthopedic surgeons exceeding $500,000.
Negative
Expensive schooling. Although the salary for being a surgeon starts out pretty high and just keeps climbing throughout the rest of one's career, most medical students typically graduate with a large financial debt. It may take years to pay off the debt and begin to see a profitable life as a surgeon. Still, long hours aren't behind you just because you've graduated from medical school and completed your internship and residency. It's an arduous process of acquiring a medical license, and once you're on the staff at a hospital you'll pull many overnight and emergency shifts.
High stress. A medical career can be highly emotional and draining. While some incredible highs comes with saving lives, once you begin practicing, it can take a toll on your emotional well-being when you encounter patients whom you can't save. That—paired with the long hours, difficult procedures, stressful work environment, and overwhelming responsibility—often lead to depression or at the very least anxiety problems.
Time-consuming. Not only do surgeons undergo up to 15 years (or more) of schooling and training, they often must work long hours, too. This can interfere with one's personal life, limiting the amount of time the surgeon has to spend with family and friends.
Lawsuits. An unfortunate side of being a surgeon is a high potential to encounter medical malpractice suits. Mistakes happen in all careers, but for medical professionals, the repercussions of mistakes can be physically damaging and even deadly. According to the Risk Authority, $381 billion was awarded in medical malpractice cases in 2017.