The shortest surgical residencies, particularly in the US, are often considered to be Vascular Surgery (integrated programs) or specialties with combined training like Otolaryngology (ENT), typically involving 5-6 years post-medical school, but some non-surgical fields (like Family Medicine, Pediatrics) are 3 years; however, a standard General Surgery residency is 5 years, and subspecialties add more time, so while some specialties are quicker to board certification, true surgical training is substantial, with shorter options often being integrated or requiring prior general surgery training.
Vascular Surgery (integrated)
If choosing to complete a general surgery residency first, the independent training is then 2 years, making it the shortest residency of all integrated surgery specialties.
To become a surgeon, you must complete your medical degree and registration, undergo at least two years of internship and residency in a hospital and then complete at least five years of surgical training depending on specialty.
Becoming a surgeon takes least 13 years. Required steps include completing a four-year bachelor's degree, a four-year medical degree, and a minimum five-year residency requirement. Other steps, like AP or honors classes in high school, gap years, and fellowship experience, differ depending on the student.
Orthopedic surgery and certain areas of plastic surgery are frequently cited as relatively easier due to their straightforward nature, compared to more intricate specialties like neurosurgery, cardiovascular surgery or trauma surgery.
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.
The medical name for the procedure is cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with heated intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) or CRS/HIPEC.
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.
Surgeon salaries in Australia vary widely by specialty, experience, and location, but generally range from around $200,000 to over $400,000 annually for experienced professionals, with top earners (like neurosurgeons) potentially exceeding $600,000, while starting salaries might be lower, reflecting high demand and significant training. The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) data shows surgeons are among the highest earners, with averages often over $300,000, especially in public/private mix roles or high-demand fields like cardiology.
Yet it is widely agreed that most surgeons reach their peak of overall performance around the second half of the fifth decade (45–50 years of age).
Is residency harder than medical school? In some ways, yes. Medical school is academically demanding—think lectures, exams, USMLE Steps 1 & 2. But residency adds real-life pressure: critical decisions, physical exhaustion, patient emotions, and your own self-doubt.
$230,064 (AUD)/yr
An entry level surgical resident (1-3 years of experience) earns an average salary of $157,068. On the other end, a senior level surgical resident (8+ years of experience) earns an average salary of $295,381.
What are some of the Hardest Residency Specialties to Match?
The most common route to becoming a physician involves completing a bachelor's degree, followed by medical school, and then 3 years or more in a residency program for a medical specialty. At the very least, the entire process can take 11 years, putting the average age for a beginning doctor at 29 or 30.
Some surgeons work 24 hours straight. Others have shorter or longer shifts based on their field and hospital rules. For example, trauma surgeons often work longer and more often. This is because their work is more urgent.
Disc surgeries of the spine have a failure rate greater than 50%. 10% of patients experience a worsening of symptoms after surgical intervention.
Level 5 surgery involves highly complex and risky procedures. Examples include cardiothoracic surgeries and major organ transplants. Understanding surgical complexity is vital for risk assessment. Level 5 surgeries require highly skilled medical professionals.
Spinal fusion is often placed at the very top of the 10 most painful surgeries because it involves bone grafting, manipulation of vertebrae, and muscles being cut and reattached, which leads to long lasting pain and slow recovery.
Globally, Ischaemic Heart Disease (Coronary Artery Disease) remains the world's biggest killer, but regionally, Dementia (including Alzheimer's) has recently become the leading cause of death in countries like Australia, surpassing heart disease for females and overall, while heart disease leads for males. Other top causes globally include stroke, respiratory infections, lung cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Robert Liston (1794-1847) held a (well-earned) reputation as the fastest surgeon of his time.
HIPEC surgery is a complex procedure. It usually requires eight to 10 hours in the operating room.
During HIPEC, chemotherapy medicine is warmed to around 106 to 109 degrees Fahrenheit (41 to 43 degrees Celsius). This is why HIPEC is often referred to as a "chemo wash" or "hot chemo bath." Heating chemotherapy medicine can help it penetrate into tissues and enhance the medicine's effectiveness.
Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) is surgery done through small incisions using miniaturized surgical tools and cameras or telescopes. MIS usually results in less scarring and a quicker recovery time compared to open procedures.