Surgeon
Perform surgery and work with fellow doctors to diagnose and treat patients.
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Job opportunities
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Jobs in Jobstreet right now
Salary
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Typical monthly salary
Job growth
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In the last year
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What's it like to be a Surgeon?
A Surgeon is a medical specialist. After years of medical education and practice, they can choose to be either a General Surgeon, who performs common surgeries like appendectomies and hernia repairs, or a Specialist Surgeon, who has mastered the practice for neurosurgery (brain surgery) or cardiothoracic surgery (heart and lung surgery) among others. Surgeons typically follow a set schedule while accommodating emergency surgeries that need their assistance.
Tasks and duties
- Performing surgical procedures to improve or save a patient’s life.
- Diagnosing patients and recommending surgical procedures.
- Informing patients of their rights and the potential risks involved with surgery.
- Upholding the ethical principles that doctors must live by.
- Abiding by hospital or Malaysian Medical Council policies and procedures.
- Answering emergency calls to perform life-saving surgical procedures.
- Prescribing preoperative and postoperative treatment for optimum patient care.
- Leading a team of Nurses, Anaesthesiologists, Medical Technicians, and Surgeons in the operating room.
- Researching on the latest surgical innovations that can improve patient treatment and care.
All Surgeons must have strong manual dexterity, good hand-eye coordination, and the ability to work under pressure. Surgeons must also be excellent decision-makers, emotionally resilient, and strong leaders.
How to become a Surgeon
It takes a total of 10 years to become a Surgeon, and an additional seven years to become a specialised Surgeon. Above all else, a Surgeon must begin their career at medical school.
- 1.Complete the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) or O-Levels.
- 2.Complete a pre-university or Foundation program in any science-related course. This can take one to two years.
- 3.Pursue a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree (MBBS). This can take four to six years.
- 4.Complete a two-year internship for your housemanship. After ten years of studying, you will officially become a Medical Officer under the Malaysian Medical Council.
- 5.Start your first job as a general Surgeon at a hospital’s surgical department.
- 6.If you want to find a specialisation, complete postgraduate studies in the specialty of your choice. This will take four to five years.
- 7.Complete two years of supervised training in your specialty. After a total of six years of specialisation training, you can be registered as a “Specialist” under the Malaysian Medical Council.
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