Surgeons are a critical part of the medical community. They’re called in to treat conditions and injuries that cannot be addressed any other way. Advances in their field also explain why life expectancies have increased for everyone since once-fatal conditions are now treatable. However, there are many misconceptions about surgeons that need to be dispelled for the sake of future students who may have a different view of what to expect. Here are four things you didn’t know about becoming a surgeon.
However, there are many misconceptions about surgeons that need to be dispelled for the sake of future students who may have a different view of what to expect. Here are four things you didn’t know about becoming a surgeon.
Surgeons Require More Education than the Average Doctor
How much education surgeons need to get depends on local regulations and their particular area of expertise. However, they must first become a licensed medical doctor. Many schools require them to work as general physicians or specialists before they can apply for surgical training. Then they must begin their training as surgeons. Not everyone makes it since there is fierce competition for many surgical training departments. In the end, surgeons will have had at least a decade of education before they are working as surgeons.
Patients and Surgeons Influence Each Other
The doctor-patient relationship is a complex one. For one, many might not be aware of the amount of give-and-take between surgeons and their patients. For instance, busy surgeons are more likely to be influenced by their patients and give them what they want, as long as it isn’t against common medical advice. This means a patient who appears educated is more likely to receive the procedure and medication they think they need.
Conversely, patients are more likely to follow medical advice from a surgeon if they think the doctor respects them. The hard part for surgeons is building this trust since they’re often so busy that they will disregard a patient’s concerns and are eager to hand out a prescription or schedule surgery so they can move on to the next patient. As a surgeon, you’ll have to be able to acknowledge your patient’s opinions and be willing to accept when they might have valid concerns and input.
Surgeons Like All Other Medical Professionals Need Insurance
Doctors, nurses, dentists and other medical professionals are prone to being sued. The mistakes can arise from a failure to diagnose a condition in time, not referring someone for care as they think they should have been, making a mistake while delivering care, or being blamed for their disability or death. This means surgeons require indemnity insurance.
Medical indemnity for surgeons by Incision Indemnity goes several steps further than the minimum insurance coverage required for surgeons. For example, it can cover doctors when they’re training other surgeons and working as appraisers. It pays the legal fees related to the loss of documents, libel and slander suits, and breach of professional confidentiality. Incision Indemnity provides coverage if you’re used for personal injuries that occur on your premises and the lawsuits that may arise if you try to render first aid. They also offer legal protection if you’re facing disciplinary hearings or an NHS tribunal.
There Isn’t Always One Solution
Surgery is often more of an art than science. There isn’t necessarily one right solution for treating a patient, including when you’re performing surgery. This is due to the fact that you can’t really do clinical trials to compare surgery versus non-surgery to remove tumours or experiment with various methods. When studies do exist, there is room to interpret it how you want. On top of all of this, every case is unique. You have to make life-and-death and life-altering decisions on a regular basis with nothing but the charts in front of you, your expertise and the advice of your peers.
Surgeons have a difficult but rewarding job that includes many complicating facets you don’t see on TV. Understand all that is involved before you commit to becoming a surgeon.
