MSH Specialty Review: General Surgery
Next up in the MSH Specialty Review Series is general surgery. I’m now going to begin each review with a summary that can be easily scanned for important information.
Summary Review
Residency Training Information
- 5 year residency
- 80+ hour work weeks
- Expect around q4 call
General Surgery Trends
- Overall interest declining
- Lifestyle cited as top reason
- Despite this, above-average board scores needed to secure spot
Post Residency Careers
- Job market looks good
- Demand for surgeons is up as fewer enter the marketplace
Salaries
- Salaries average at around $261,000 annually
Lifestyle
- Overall considered “poor”
- General surgeons reportedly worked an average of 60 hours per week
Rating
- 3.5/10
MSH Specialty Selection: Pediatrics
We’re going to kick of the MSH Specialty Selection Series with a look into Pediatrics. Since I haven’t really given you the lowdown on the specialty selection series, here’s a little introduction.
I want to look at specialties with regards to average salaries, hours worked weekly, overall lifestyle factors, physician satisfaction, and residency training requirements. I’ll be using survey information that can be freely found on the net as well as my personal experiences while rotating through these specialties and contact with my friends who are now residents. I personally know someone from most of the major specialties. If I have any questions, I’ll be sure to ask them so that I can give you guys a thorough review of the specialty. Unfortunately, some of the salary information is slightly dated, but it will still give you an idea of what to expect.
I’m going to cover all of the popular specialties, but probably won’t get too much into fellowships, as these are far down the road from where most of you guys are anyway. If you’d like to request a specialty review, please comment in this post and let me know.
Now, let’s get a closer look into Pediatrics.
Upcoming: MedSchoolHell Specialty Selection
In the very near future, I’m planning on outlining each medical specialty and why it’s a good or bad choice for the rest of your life’s work. In traditional MSH flare, I’ll focus mainly on lifestyle and monetization options. Although the reviews will be my opinion, they’ll be based on my experiences as a medical student as well as continued contact with my classmates as they progress through residency. Look for the first specialty review sometimes this week or weekend.
Edit: The pediatrics review is up.