The Road of Becoming a

Cardiovascular Surgeon

Cheng, WillisCollege Success 40

Spring Semester, 2006

Career

Cardiovascular Surgeon

M.D.

Passion

Save lives Inspired by the movie

“Patch Adams” Contribute to mankind

Kinds of Degrees

Doctor of Medicine M.D.Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine D.O.

• Allopathic physicians-Special emphasis on• the body musculoskeletal system• preventive medicine• holistic patient care

• More likely than M.D.s to be primary care specialists• About half of D.O.s practice

• general or family medicine• general internal medicine• general pediatrics

Kinds of Specialization

Orthopedic Surgeons• Specialists in treating the musculoskeletal system

Neurological Surgeons• Specialists in treating the brain and nervous system

Cardiovascular Surgeons• Specialists in treating the cardiovascular system

Otolaryngology Surgeons• Specialists in treating the ear, nose, and throat

Plastic or Reconstructive Surgeons• Specialists in treating the reconstruction of body parts

Education / Training

Step 1: 4 years of undergraduate school Pre-Med courses

• Physics Mathematic• Biology English• Inorganic Chemistry Organic Chemistry• Humanities Social Sciences

o Volunteer at local hospitals or clinics to gain practical experience in the health professions

•

MCAT

Medical College Administration Test 4 Sections:

• Verbal Reasoning Physical Science• Biological Science Writing

Scoring:• Verbal, Physical Science, and Biology Science sections of

the test are out of 15 maximum points• Good Score: 30• Top Score: 36• Maximum Score: 45• Writing is scored from J to T (T being the highest)

Education / Training

Step 2: 4 years of medical school o First two years … laboratories and classrooms

• Anatomy Physiology• Biochemistry Pharmacology• Psychology Microbiology• Pathology Medical Ethics• Medical Histories Medical Laws• Examining patients• Diagonsing illnesses

Education / Training

o Next two years … hospitals• Work with patients under the supervision of

experienced physicians in hospitals and clinics, learning acute, chronic, preventive, and rehabilitative care

Step 3: 3 – 8 years of internship or residency

• Graduate medical education in a specialty that takes the form of paid on-the-job training (usually in a hospital)

Education / Training

Alternatives:• Some medical schools

offer combined undergraduate and medical school

• programs that last 6 or 7 years rather than the customary 8 years

• University of Pacific: 6 years

• Pitzer College: 7 years

Education / Training

Final Examination• Given after the residency or 1 or 2 years of practice• by a member of the American Board of Medical

Specialists (ABMS) • The ABMS represents 24 specialty boards, ranging

from allergy and immunology to urology. • A certification in a subspecialty requires another 1 to

2 years of residency

Earning

Salary Earning

Less then two years in specialty

Over one year in specialty

Anesthesiology $259,948 $321,686

Surgery: General $228,893 $282,504

Obsetrics: General $203.270 $247,348

Psychiatric: General $173,922 $180,000

Internal Medicine: General

$141,912 $166,420

Pediatrics: General $132,953 $161,331

Family Practice $137,119 $156,010

Working Conditions

• Well-lighted, sterile environments

• Work long, irregular hours

• Over 1/3 of full-time surgeons worked 60 or more hours in a week (statistic based on 2004)

• Only 8% of all surgeons worked part-time, compared with 16% for all occupations

Typical Day at Work

• Stand for long periods while performing surgery

• Work in hospital or surgical outpatient centers

• On call surgeons must deal with patients’ concerns over the phone

• Travel frequently between office and hospital for patients care

• Make emergency visits to hospitals or nursing homes

Employment Growth

• Surgeons held about 567,000 jobs (statistic in 2004)• Employment growth of surgeons is growing faster than

average• Growth rate will continue through the year 2014 • The growing and aging population will drive overall growth

in the demand for physician services• Consumers continue to demand high levels of care using

the latest technologies, diagnostic tests, and therapies• job openings will result from physicians and surgeons who

retire over the 2004-14 period.

Employment Distribution

1: Primary Care 2: Specialty

Percent Distribution of Physicians by Specialty (2003)

1

2

Employment Distribution

1: Family Medicine/General Practice 2: Internal Practice

3: Obstetrics & Gynecology 4:Pediatrics

5: Anesthesiology 6: Psychiatry

7:Surgerical Specialties 8: All other Specialties

2

Percent Distribution of Physicians by Specialty (2003)

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Specialty

% o

f D

istr

ibu

tio

n

Series2

Employment Patterns

New England / Middle Atlantic States• The highest ratio of surgeons to population

South Central & Mountain States• The lowest ratio of surgeons to population

Patterns• D.O.s are more likely than M.D.s to practice in small

cities and towns in rural areas• M.D.s tend to locate in urban areas, close to hospital

and education centers

Demand for Career

• Demand for surgeons is extremely high• New technologies will increase surgical productivity• Increasing use of

• electronic medical records• test and prescription orders• billing, and scheduling will also improve surgical

productivity

• Job openings will result from the need to replace physicians and surgeons who retire over the 2004-2014 period

Opportunity

• Reports of shortages in some specialties or geographic areas should attract new entrants

• Opportunities are particularly good in rural and low-income areas because some surgeons find these areas unattractive due to less control over work hours and isolation from other colleagues

Benefits of Career

SAVE LIVES