Okay so general surgery defies the typical compensation to residency competition rule. Considering how relatively easy it is to get general surgery residency, its has pretty good compensation?
Why aren't more people taking this. The only thing I didn't like about it was the standing, but other than that it was low stress 😀
I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about. I don't think it's that easy to get a general surgery residency, at least at a decent program. Now, in the late 90's and early 2000's it was relatively easy, at least compared to it's past competitiveness, and this was thought to be a reflection of the crappy lifestyle and grueling hours, along with a very tough residency. Since the instillation of the 80-hour work week, interest in general surgery has gone up significantly.....independent, of course, of programs' abilities or desires to actually be compliant with the ACGME regulations.
Look at
Charting outcomes in the match for some more objective data.
The match rate was 60% overall, and 85% for US seniors. I wouldn't consider that "relatively easy" when you start crunching the numbers of the other major specialties.
Compensation is all relative. General surgeons work some of the longest hours of any doctors, their job is high stress, and their training is one of the most difficult. Compare with something like anesthesia where the compensation is similar but less hours, less stress, less difficult training, and you can see why there is the difference in competitiveness.
I dunno.....in my experience anesthesia is not nearly as competitive as general surgery. They have higher match rates, higher match % for DOs and IMGs, and slightly less impressive applicant profiles. Now, that doesn't mean that you can't have a nice lifestyle, big paycheck, and rewarding work in anesthesia....it actually means it's
easier for you to have it....
Surgery kinda sucks. Rather than getting up at 4:00 AM every morning and doing q2-4 call the rest of my life, I'd much rather put in 3 twelve hour shifts in the ER every week and make more money at the same time.
Pretty false statement there. Your earning potential as an ER doc working 3 shifts a week isn't even in the same ballpark as a busy general surgeon....still, your lifestyle would most likely be better.
eh, depends what you mean by fix. i reduced a rather crooked broken toe, helped someone urinate again (acute obstruction 2^ to blood clots) who was in extreme agony, correctly diagnosed a 3yo with asthma instead of a chronic cold so that they could actually get effective treatment, cured pyelonephritis, got someone admitted for a colon mass, treated 3 infections with effective symptomatic relief and avoided unnecessary antibiotics last night, and gave somewhat effective treatment for acute opiate withdrawal (guy restarted his suboxone after 3 wks off it and on fentanyl patches. one of the worst withdrawals i've seen). course, my usual night only has like 3 success stories..
I really respect what ER docs do, and I have a brother in the field, but I think you accidentally point out a big difference there, which I bolded. You "fixed" somebody by "getting them admitted" for a colon mass. The surgeon is more of an egomaniac, obsessed about being a "hero," and he needs to be the one to actually
cut that colon mass out and cure the patient of cancer.
Once again, happiness, money, and the ability to "help people" exist in most specialties. Surgery involves a tough residency and tough lifestyle in practice, and it's not for everybody. Still, it's not as bad as everyone thinks, and in practice, you can often control the # hours, scope of practice, etc. to some extent, so I wouldn't be scared off so easily. Remember that in med school, we experience a small percentage of possible surgical careers, usually rotating through academic centers with surgical residents everywhere and full-time salaried academic attending physicians......
