Surgery is a branch of medicine in which diseases are treated with operative procedures. The ever growing complexity of medical practice has led to increasing doctor specialization and this is particularly evident for surgeons. There are currently nine officially recognized surgical specialties and a myriad of subspecialties. Surgery is very ‘hands on’ and surgeons feel the technical challenge to be one of the more rewarding aspects of their career.
Many surgical procedures have immediate and dramatic impacts on patient’s health and quality of life. Removing a grumbling appendix or meningioma successfully will save a patient’s life and the results are more immediately apparent than administering a vaccine which may just as essential. Those considering a surgical career need to be dedicated and driven given life as a surgeon, particularly during surgical training, can exert both a physical and mental strain. High workloads and increasing concerns over medical litigation may be stressful for surgeons and their families. Nonetheless, the clear majority of surgeons are happy with their career choice and would choose it again.

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Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics e-dition: Text with Continually Updated Online Reference, 18e
by By Robert M. Kliegman, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI; Richard E. Behrman, MD, Executive Chair, Pediatric Education Steering Committee, Federation of Pediatric Organizations, Menlo Park, CA; Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Stanford University and the University of California, San Francisco, CA; George Washington University, Washington, DC; Hal B. Jenson, MD, Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Director, Center for Pediatric Research, and Senior Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Eastern Virginia Medical School and Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, Norfolk, VA; and Bonita F. Stanton, MD, Schotanus Professor and Chair, Department of Pediatrics, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, USA
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