What kind of starting salary does a general surgeon get?

[naus]

Fell in love with surgery recently, wouldn't do it for the money alone. But my sister just found a radiology position in Wisconsin, with a mind-blowing starting salary of $350,000 (hours are good too) , so I am curious about what kind of salary a typical general surgeon can get fresh out of residency. I assume it's quite a bit lower. Is there a wide range of starting salaries? What is the trend in the coming decade? Will the compensation eventually catch up to radiology and even anesthesiology?

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[johnny_blaze]

Fell in love with surgery recently

awwww, how does it feel about you?

 

[naus]

awwww, how does it feel about you?

I'll find out soon. Right now it's feeling awfully one-sided. Sorry if I sound like I'm gold-digging, I just want to have clear expectations.

 

[TxMed]

http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary_surveys/physician-salaries.htm

 

[The_Sensei]

Check out this website for some FAT salaries......


www.gaswork.com

 

[Jonassen]

Considering that a 6-year (including undergrad) PharmD student can make $120,000/year at an Illinois Walgreen's straight out of Pharm school, the amount of money that a general surgeon (8 years of school plus 5 years of 80+hr/wk residency) makes isn't really that much.

Someone remind me, why do we need retail pharmacists again (besides it being the law)? Drug interaction checks? Couldn't a computer database be just as effective (if not today, then at some point in the near future)? Retail customer support? Most customers can read and comprehend basic directions. The "professional instructions" that your average retail pharmacist gives at the corner Walgreen's is usually just a read-out-loud of the medication label. Those that need additional or in-depth medication help can pay for it if they so choose, the rest of us just want out prescriptions filled according to the prescription. Sure, doctors may make mistakes, but pharmacists (and their techs) make their own kinds of mistakes that can be just as disastrous. When I go see my physician, I've already paid for that physician's expert advice (and have told them other medications I am on), I do not need to be double-billed for "health advice" by a pharmacist without my choice just to get the prescription that my physician wrote filled.

 

[zinjanthropus]

Considering that a 6-year (including undergrad) PharmD student can make $120,000/year at an Illinois Walgreen's straight out of Pharm school, the amount of money that a general surgeon (8 years of school plus 5 years of 80+hr/wk residency) makes isn't really that much.

Someone remind me, why do we need retail pharmacists again (besides it being the law)? Drug interaction checks? Couldn't a computer database be just as effective (if not today, then at some point in the near future)? Retail customer support? Most customers can read and comprehend basic directions. The "professional instructions" that your average retail pharmacist gives at the corner Walgreen's is usually just a read-out-loud of the medication label. Those that need additional or in-depth medication help can pay for it if they so choose, the rest of us just want out prescriptions filled according to the prescription. Sure, doctors may make mistakes, but pharmacists (and their techs) make their own kinds of mistakes that can be just as disastrous. When I go see my physician, I've already paid for that physician's expert advice (and have told them other medications I am on), I do not need to be double-billed for "health advice" by a pharmacist without my choice just to get the prescription that my physician wrote filled.

we had a PharmD resident on our medicine service last month. I would say that he offered advice that changed the course of tx for the better on about 75% of our patients. It was actually kind of mind-blowing how many suggestions he offered that the team didn't consider regarding patient meds, interactions and better drug choices. Now, I have no idea what PharmDs do exactly at Walgreens but I would venture to guess there is good reason why a PharmD needs to oversee the operations of a retail pharm dept. If nothing more having a well-educated and well trained supervisor of a business seems to make some sense.

 

[double elle]

Two days ago, I saw a VA hospital advertising a CRNA position for 133K!!!!

 

[Jonassen]

we had a PharmD resident on our medicine service last month. I would say that he offered advice that changed the course of tx for the better on about 75% of our patients. It was actually kind of mind-blowing how many suggestions he offered that the team didn't consider regarding patient meds, interactions and better drug choices. Now, I have no idea what PharmDs do exactly at Walgreens but I would venture to guess there is good reason why a PharmD needs to oversee the operations of a retail pharm dept. If nothing more having a well-educated and well trained supervisor of a business seems to make some sense.

Yeah I agree, a good pharmacist who has a passion for health care would certainly be a valuable asset. Just it seemed my buddies who go into pharmacy don't really care for working in the hospital, nor are they interested in the cerebral aspect of pharmacy, they just want to go directly into retail (Walgreen's, CVS). They like to brag that their six-figure job mostly consists of counting and double-checking pills, working the cash register and filling out insurance claims. This attitude I think really turned me off from the whole pharmacist profession, the retail side just seems like a parasitic bureaucratic legacy. It was also under my impression that Walgreens need pharmacists because it is the law and they also need people doing the insurance paperwork. I've had family members on several occassions get the wrong medication or dosage purely because of the incompetence of the pharmacist (or his/her techs).

 

[MacGyver]

we had a PharmD resident on our medicine service last month. I would say that he offered advice that changed the course of tx for the better on about 75% of our patients.

75% seems damn high to me. Sounds to me your medical team had a poor fund of pharmacology knowledge.

We had a PharmD guy on our service too. His advice maybe changed treatment course on 10% of patients max.

BTW, lets remeber that PharmDs dont have the authority to change drugs/dosages unless they talk to the doctor and the doctor agrees with it. They are strictly consultants.

 

[toxic-megacolon]

Whenever I"d ask our PharmD a question, she'd go straight to her palm pilot. Still trying to figure out what we pay her for. I think it would be cheaper for them to give all the residents a subscription to Lexi-Drugs instead...

 

[Jonassen]

BTW, lets remeber that PharmDs dont have the authority to change drugs/dosages unless they talk to the doctor and the doctor agrees with it. They are strictly consultants.

But they or their technicians do sometimes misread or accidentally mis-dispense the prescription. Less disastrous but equally annoying: pharmacies that don't use automatic dispensers tend to miscount the number of pills. It's very sloppy.

A pharmacist may have had 4 years of doctorate schooling, but that doesn't make them any less error-prone on menial tasks than someone with less education. The lack of residency programs for retail pharmacists may have something to do with it too.

Whenever I"d ask our PharmD a question, she'd go straight to her palm pilot. Still trying to figure out what we pay her for. I think it would be cheaper for them to give all the residents a subscription to Lexi-Drugs instead...

Exactly. Existing technology could replace pharmacists. Sure, good pharmacists will always be needed, but not that many. Just like we still needed telephone operators even after the rotary dial and automatic exchanges, but not for every phone call. Strangely though, demand for pharmacists today is higher than ever.

 

[Skialta]

Counting pills....how FREAKING boring, I don't care how much you made. Working at CVS would make internal medicine rounds look appealing. I have worked with some great clinical pharmDs they know the MICs and a lot of other detail that you don't really have time to go and find. I think they are a great asset.

 

[njbmd]

Fell in love with surgery recently, wouldn't do it for the money alone. But my sister just found a radiology position in Wisconsin, with a mind-blowing starting salary of $350,000 (hours are good too) , so I am curious about what kind of salary a typical general surgeon can get fresh out of residency. I assume it's quite a bit lower. Is there a wide range of starting salaries? What is the trend in the coming decade? Will the compensation eventually catch up to radiology and even anesthesiology?

Just got offered a salary in a low market of $250K base plus generous signing bonus (will totally pay off my loans),plus more bonus for vascular work plus quarterly bonus, brand new hospital and vascular suite. It's not in a state that I would consider relocating to but good opportunity for someone right out of residency especially with high loans.

 

[zinjanthropus]

75% seems damn high to me. Sounds to me your medical team had a poor fund of pharmacology knowledge.

We had a PharmD guy on our service too. His advice maybe changed treatment course on 10% of patients max.

BTW, lets remeber that PharmDs dont have the authority to change drugs/dosages unless they talk to the doctor and the doctor agrees with it. They are strictly consultants.

for years you have poked around on this site looking for threads to antagonize...it baffles me. anyway, you are wrong. the team did not have a poor fund of pharmacology knowledge as you put it - i was with a very well respected IM attending who knows his stuff - PharmD just offered a different perspective. By the way, I didn't say that he changed the meds 75% of the time, I said that he changed the overall treatment course 75% of the time - he contributed to the teams' decision - even if that decision was in complete agreement with the attending -which it often was.

 

[Ginz20]

Just got offered a salary in a low market of $250K base plus generous signing bonus (will totally pay off my loans),plus more bonus for vascular work plus quarterly bonus, brand new hospital and vascular suite. It's not in a state that I would consider relocating to but good opportunity for someone right out of residency especially with high loans.

Out of curiosity, what state?

 

[kaos]

Just got offered a salary in a low market of $250K base plus generous signing bonus (will totally pay off my loans),plus more bonus for vascular work plus quarterly bonus, brand new hospital and vascular suite. It's not in a state that I would consider relocating to but good opportunity for someone right out of residency especially with high loans.

Dude, that sounds pretty sweet.

 

[Guile]

Just got offered a salary in a low market of $250K base plus generous signing bonus (will totally pay off my loans),plus more bonus for vascular work plus quarterly bonus, brand new hospital and vascular suite. It's not in a state that I would consider relocating to but good opportunity for someone right out of residency especially with high loans.

Can I take it from your avatar that you're doing gen surg at UVA? Or was that med school? Perhaps the reputation of your program has something to do with it. Great offer. How much call? What kind of partner track?

 

[Amy]

Just got offered a salary in a low market of $250K base plus generous signing bonus (will totally pay off my loans),plus more bonus for vascular work plus quarterly bonus, brand new hospital and vascular suite. It's not in a state that I would consider relocating to but good opportunity for someone right out of residency especially with high loans.

Yes, this does sound sweet. I'm wondering how you got this offer if you didn't even apply for the job? (I assume you didn't apply because you said it's a place you would not consider living). I'm hunting for a job now... I wish something like this would fall in my lap.

 

[JackADeli]

...I am curious about what kind of salary a typical general surgeon can get fresh out of residency...Is there a wide range of starting salaries? What is the trend in the coming decade? Will the compensation eventually catch up to radiology and even anesthesiology?

A large number of websites, etc... There are also published surveys, etc...

http://www.allied-physicians.com/salary_surveys/physician-salaries.htm
Surgery - General $226,000

http://swz.salary.com/salarywizard/layoutscripts/swzl_newsearch.asp

10th% 25th% 75th% 90th%

$204,573 $246,436 $360,286 $422,076

apologies the axis labels are not aligned correctly....but you should be able to figure it out.... 4 figures at the top, 4 figures at the bottom, and 4 vertical lines....

You just have to figure out your niche.
It all varies depending on location and what else you do.
As for how you get an offer without applying.... it's called head-hunters, the further along you go the more random offers you receive.

JAD

 

[PenguinHead]

This is a 3 year old thread, btw.

 

[JackADeli]

This is a 3 year old thread, btw.

That's OK. Amy's post is current... and folks are looking for jobs after graduation every year. But, thank you for reading the calendar

JAD

 

[FatPigeon]

In my opinion it doesn't matter what the absolute salaries currently are. The truth is that they're what they've always been, but surgeons are working twice as hard to make them since this country started trying its best to imitate Europe.

Why would anybody with other options do this, when you could work 25 hours less per week for the same or greater salary in ortho or urology. The liver and bowel are cool to work with and all, but not THAT cool. Steer clear if at all possible.

 

[JackADeli]

In my opinion it doesn't matter what the absolute salaries currently are.... Why would anybody with other options do this, when you could work 25 hours less per week for the same or greater salary in ortho or urology. The liver and bowel are cool to work with and all, but not THAT cool. Steer clear if at all possible.

There does come a point in the salary ladder where it all starts to become just so much gravy. Everyone knows or figures out what they enjoy. You as a medical student do not like general surgery... great. Go for Ortho if you want it and/or can get it. Ultimately, 250-400+ is a good salary especially if it is what you like. I grant you, if it is all about the dollar and you don't care what you do.... then do whatever it is that pays you the most.... thus get out of medicine while you still have a chance

 

[Sarcoidosis]

Hmmm money....!!!

Have to ask what does it feel like to have an account in the 6 figures? I have lived decently in a family of four with a combined avg income of <60K for many years... just seeing figures like 150K, 200K, 400K, 500K... is too abstract to appreciate at this point in time.

I mean if many families manage in this much then having 150K seems good... rest should simply go to charity! Why put it in a bank account and let the market play with it... why buy a mercedes when a ford or toyota will do... I know this is simplistic thinking, however really how does is feel to have soo much money!

 

[kstreet]

Hmmm money....!!!

Have to ask what does it feel like to have an account in the 6 figures? I have lived decently in a family of four with a combined avg income of <60K for many years... just seeing figures like 150K, 200K, 400K, 500K... is too abstract to appreciate at this point in time.

I mean if many families manage in this much then having 150K seems good... rest should simply go to charity! Why put it in a bank account and let the market play with it... why buy a mercedes when a ford or toyota will do... I know this is simplistic thinking, however really how does is feel to have soo much money!

Hehehehehe...

 

[GSresident]

Two days ago, I saw a VA hospital advertising a CRNA position for 133K!!!!

That is actually on the low end for CRNA salary unless the currency is pounds sterling. CRNA salaries around where I am practicing are in the $250,000 plus range.

 

[GSresident]

Hmmm money....!!!

Have to ask what does it feel like to have an account in the 6 figures? I have lived decently in a family of four with a combined avg income of <60K for many years... just seeing figures like 150K, 200K, 400K, 500K... is too abstract to appreciate at this point in time.

I mean if many families manage in this much then having 150K seems good... rest should simply go to charity! Why put it in a bank account and let the market play with it... why buy a mercedes when a ford or toyota will do... I know this is simplistic thinking, however really how does is feel to have soo much money!

By all means, go ahead and give all your money to charity and go ahead and drive a Ford instead of a Mercedes. Absolutely no one will stop you.