Surgeons
Treat diseases and injuries through surgical procedures.
Quick Facts
Wages: |
Data not available
Read more about wages
|
Outlook: |
Data not available
|
Education: |
Graduate degree (any type)
is typically required.
|
On the Job: |
Typical Work Tasks
- Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery.
- Operate on patients to treat conditions.
- Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
- Diagnose medical conditions.
Read more about the job
|
Job Title Examples: |
Medical Doctor (MD)
Physician
General Surgeon
See more job title examples
|
View All Career Information
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Wages & Outlook
Typical Wages
Data not available
Employment
Where do Surgeons most often work?
Current Demand
No data available.
Future Demand
No data available.
On the Job
Surgeons are doctors who treat diseases, injuries, and deformities through surgical procedures. The procedures may be invasive, minimally-invasive, or non-invasive. This career does not include surgeons who operate on the face or jaw (see Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons).
Physical Demands
This career requires good eyesight and time standing, walking, or running.
Typical Work Tasks
People who work in this career often:
- Assist healthcare practitioners during surgery.
- Operate on patients to treat conditions.
- Refer patients to other healthcare practitioners or health resources.
- Diagnose medical conditions.
- Record patient medical histories.
- Analyze patient data to determine patient needs or treatment goals.
- Conduct research to increase knowledge about medical issues.
- Advise medical personnel regarding healthcare issues.
- Follow protocols or regulations for healthcare activities.
- Schedule patient procedures or appointments.
Typical Working Conditions
- The importance of being accurate or exact.
- Having face-to-face discussions.
- Close physical proximity with other people.
- Freedom to make decisions without supervision.
- Working with a group or team.
- Exposure to disease or infections.
- Responsibility for outcomes and results.
- Meeting strict deadlines.
- Using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls.
- High levels of competition.
- Wearing common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets.
- Being in situations in which conflicts arise.
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Education & Credentials
Educational Requirements
Graduate degree (any type)
Education level attained (national data)
Education Level Attained (national data)Education Level Attained | Percentage of workers in this occupation |
Less than high school diploma | 0.2 |
High school diploma or equivalent | 0.2 |
Some college, no degree | 0.1 |
Associate degree | 0 |
Bachelors degree | 1.7 |
Masters degree | 0.9 |
Doctoral (Ph.D) or professional degree | 96.8 |
Work Experience and Training Requirements
Nationally, this career typically requires:
- No related work experience for entry.
- Internship/residency to become competent.
Current Training Opportunities
Related Programs
Majors
Click on any of the Majors listed below to find out more about preparing for this
career.
Transfer Options
Enrolling in a community college can be a great place to start your four-year degree. While all 31 Minnesota State community colleges,
technical colleges and universities offer all or part of the Minnesota Transfer Curriculum
(a 40-credit package of general education courses accepted for transfer to other state colleges and universities, the University of Minnesota,
and some private colleges and universities), not all two-year colleges offer degrees intended to transfer to a four-year bachelor's degree.
If you plan to transfer to obtain a four-year bachelor's degree, it is important to know which degree path is right for you:
- Associate of Arts (AA) degrees offered at community colleges are designed to transfer into liberal arts four-year majors.
- Associate of Science (AS) and Associate of Fine Arts (AFA) degrees offered at community and technical colleges transfer into specific four-year majors and will likely require completing additional general education courses at a university.
- Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degrees offered at technical and community colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
- Diplomas and certificates offered at technical colleges are not designed to transfer. They lead to immediate entry into the workplace.
Talk to a transfer specialist as early as possible to determine the best associate degree for your goals. Be sure to review your Degree Audit Report (DARS) each semester to best prepare for transfer. Get more help understanding transfer using the tools below.
Licenses
Licenses are knowledge and skill credentials that are legally required in some careers.
This occupation requires a license.
Physician (Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (D.
Helpful High School Courses
Examples of helpful classes that help you prepare for this career:
- Anatomy
- Chemistry
- Community Health
- Computer Applications
- Human Development
- Medical Ethics
- Nutrition
- Research Methods
- Safety and First Aid/CPR
- Sociology
- Statistics
- World Languages
In Minnesota, your school may have developed a Program of Study in this career area.
A Program of Study is an academic and career plan developed by your high school to help move you towards a career
and college path. A Program of Study can help you:
- Select high school classes that prepare you for college and getting a job
- Understand how the classes you're taking in high school lead to a career
- Identify extra-curricular activities that are related to your career interest
- See what classes at your school offer early college credit that will save you time and money towards your college expenses
- Graduate from high school prepared for your next step toward the career you choose
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Skills & Knowledge
Most Important Skills for Surgeons
- Reading—Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
- Learning New Things—Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
- Listening—Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
- Making Decisions—Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
- Thinking Critically—Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
- Solving Complex Problems—Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
- Teaching—Teaching others how to do something.
- Being Aware of Others—Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
- Monitoring Performance—Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
- Writing—Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Most Important Knowledge Areas for Surgeons
- Medicine and Dentistry—Knowledge of the information and techniques needed to diagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities. This includes symptoms, treatment alternatives, drug properties and interactions, and preventive health-care measures.
- Customer and Personal Service—Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
- English Language—Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
- Education and Training—Knowledge of principles and methods for curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
- Biology—Knowledge of plant and animal organisms, their tissues, cells, functions, interdependencies, and interactions with each other and the environment.
- Psychology—Knowledge of human behavior and performance; individual differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; psychological research methods; and the assessment and treatment of behavioral and affective disorders.
- Therapy and Counseling—Knowledge of principles, methods, and procedures for diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and for career counseling and guidance.
- Personnel and Human Resources—Knowledge of principles and procedures for personnel recruitment, selection, training, compensation and benefits, labor relations and negotiation, and personnel information systems.
- Computers and Electronics—Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
- Sales and Marketing—Knowledge of principles and methods for showing, promoting, and selling products or services. This includes marketing strategy and tactics, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
Interests
Different careers may be a good fit for your personality or interests. This career is:
- Investigative—Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
- Realistic—Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Learn more about your interests. Take the MnCareers Interest Assessment.
Describe Your Skills
People who have worked in this career typically perform the following tasks.
These statements can help a prospective employer understand what you can do, on a resume or during an interview.
- Helping and caring for people.
- Making decisions or solving problems.
- Keeping up-to-date with new knowledge.
- Documenting or recording information.
- Analyzing data or information.
- Collecting information from different sources.
- Identifying information by categorizing, comparing, or detecting changes in circumstances or events.
- Creating and maintaining interpersonal relationships.
Careers that Use Similar Skills
The following careers use skills, knowledge, and abilities that are similar to those used for Surgeons.
View more careers in the Health Science cluster
View more careers in the Therapeutic Services pathway
This page includes information from the O*NET 24.2 Database by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA). Used under the CC BY 4.0 license. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Please visit CareerOneStop to search Tools & Technology.
Jobs
Real-time job data provided by Gartner TalentNeuron
Job Title Examples
Medical Doctor (MD),
Physician,
General Surgeon,
Hand Surgeon,
Orthopedic Surgeon,
Plastic Surgeon,
Vascular Surgeon,
Urologist
Where Do Surgeons Work?
Surgeons often work in the following industries.
Similar Careers
Below are careers that use skill sets that are similar to Surgeons.
Source: You can learn about our data sources in the About Us section.