There's no single "most" stressful surgical job, as stress varies, but Trauma Surgery, Neurosurgery, Transplant Surgery, and Surgical Oncology consistently rank high due to long, complex procedures, high stakes, critical patient conditions, and significant emotional toll, with specialties like ENT also showing high burnout rates, all leading to burnout, compassion fatigue, and imposter syndrome.
Long hours, night shifts, and being on call can harm a surgeon's personal life. Some specialties, like trauma or cardiothoracic surgery, are even harder. They require quick decisions and are high-stakes, making work-life balance even more challenging.
Prevalence of burnout per surgical specialty
The highest prevalence of burnout can be seen in the ENT surgical specialty, with a prevalence of 77%, followed by General surgery with 69%. The lowest burnout rates were seen in pediatric surgery and anesthesiology with values of 15% and 17.5% respectively.
Neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, plastic surgery, dermatology, and ENT are among the most difficult specialties because of their technical demands, competitiveness, and long training.
The physician specialties with the most job stress are: Emergency medicine: 51.1%. Obstetrics and gynecology: 50.7%. Family medicine: 48.8%.
Plastic surgeons are typically thought of as the surgeons with the lowest stress levels and lowest burnout in surgery as a whole, though they scored one percentage point higher than orthopedics.
Emergency medicine physicians experience the most intense burnout, with the highest emotional fatigue (68%) and depersonalization (55%). Therapists reported the next-highest rate of emotional fatigue at 61%, along with the highest mental fatigue (77%).
1. Neurosurgery. Neurosurgeons earn an average of $763,908 per year, which is 219% higher than the national median salary of physicians in the U.S. They perform complex surgeries on the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Training includes at least a seven-year residency, making it one of the most demanding specialties.
For example, oral and maxillofacial surgery and plastic surgery are both considered among the rarest specialties in medicine. In the case of oral and maxillofacial surgery, professionals are trained in both dentistry and surgery, which makes it an even rarer specialty.
Robert Liston is known as the one-time fastest surgeon in London, the first to use anaesthetic, and for conducting a surgery that had a 300% mortality rate.
They were:
Orthopedic surgeries, such as *knee replacement, hip replacement, and spinal fusion*, are widely considered among the *most painful surgeries*. These procedures involve the manipulation, repair, or replacement of bones and joints.
The most difficult surgical procedures are often characterized by their complexity and high-risk nature. Surgeries such as thoracic aortic dissection repair are considered highly challenging. The technical expertise required for these surgeries is exceptionally high.
Neurosurgery
Neurosurgeons top the list of highest-paying surgical specialties, with Physicians Thrive's “2024 Physician Compensation Report” estimating a median annual salary of $788,000 for these specialists.
Medical Specialities with Lowest Reported Salaries
1. Dermatology. Dermatology is consistently one of the most competitive Medical Specialties in the Residency Match and is often at or near the top of “hardest to match” lists. Dermatology offers a relatively small number of residency spots compared with the volume of highly qualified applicants.
The medical name for the procedure is cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) or CRS/HIPEC.
Disc surgeries of the spine have a failure rate greater than 50%. 10% of patients experience a worsening of symptoms after surgical intervention.
In many aspects, minimally invasive surgery is safer than traditional open surgery.
42% – that's the percentage of time your body and brain need you to spend resting. It's about 10 hours out of every 24. By prioritising rest, we can improve our ability to cope with stress, reduce the risk of burnout, and enhance our overall well-being.
Emergency Medicine
Emergency medicine is the primary physician specialty with highest burnout. This field reports one of the highest stress levels due to its high-paced, high-acuity environment.
In online forums, hospitalists, nocturnists and intensivists boast having some of the most free time. Even though most hospitalists work 84 hours a week doing 12-hour shifts for seven days straight, they have the next seven days off.