What surgeons work the most hours?

Surgeons in specialties like Neurosurgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery (Cardiac Surgery), and Vascular Surgery often work the most hours due to complex, unpredictable, and life-or-death cases, frequently requiring long shifts and being on call. General Surgery also ranks high for long hours, with a large percentage of specialists working over 50 hours weekly, driven by emergency needs. These demanding schedules stem from the need for immediate intervention in critical situations, unlike more elective surgical fields.

Which surgeons work the most hours?

What is the average number of hours worked per week by specialty including full time and part time doctors?

• Surgery, Neurological: 62 hours a week.
• Surgery, Plastic and Reconstructive: 47 hours a week.
• Surgery, Trauma: 58 hours a week.
• Surgery, Vascular: 59 hours a week.
• Urology: 51 hours a week.

Which surgeons have the best work-life balance?

The surgical specialties with the best lifestyle are ophthalmologists, plastic surgeons, thoracic surgeons, and general surgeons. However, you must pick a niche you're interested in and a practice that will allow you the desired work-life balance.

What's the longest shift a surgeon can work?

A surgeon's shift may be anywhere from 12 to 28 hours long. In emergency situations or public health crises, their shifts may be longer. To make up for their long shifts, surgeons often work less than six days a week, with an average weekly schedule of four days.

What is the most overworked doctor?

1 | Emergency Medicine

There are many reasons why so many EM doctors report burnout. EM doctors work on the front line, which means consistent high intensity, stress, and unpredictability. It's also an unfortunate reality that a large number of patients abuse the emergency department.

Best Doctor Lifestyle Specialties

Do surgeons make 1 million a year?

Yes, many surgeons, especially in high-demand fields like neurosurgery and orthopedics, can earn over $1 million annually, though it's not the norm for all surgeons, with averages varying greatly by specialty, experience, and practice setting; while top earners often exceed this, many surgeons earn in the $500k-$700k range, with some hitting the million-dollar mark through high patient volume, subspecialization, or owning successful practices. 

Which surgeon had a 300% mortality rate?

The surgeon associated with the infamous 300% mortality rate is Dr. Robert Liston, a renowned 19th-century Scottish surgeon known for his incredible speed before anesthesia, though a particular leg amputation resulted in three deaths: the patient (gangrene), his assistant (infection from a sliced finger), and a bystander (shock). This unique event, where more people died than were directly operated on (3 out of 1), cemented his legacy as both a medical pioneer and a cautionary tale from the pre-anesthesia era.
 

Which surgeon has the hardest job?

Cardiothoracic Surgery: High Stakes and Demanding Training. Cardiothoracic surgery is known for its high-stakes environment and tough training. These surgeons are among the most skilled, handling complex heart, lung, and thoracic organ issues.

Who is the highest paid surgeon?

The highest-paid surgical specialty is consistently Neurosurgery, with average salaries often exceeding $700,000 to $800,000 annually, followed by Thoracic Surgery and Orthopedic Surgery, reflecting the intense training, high risk, and complex skills required for brain, spine, heart, and lung procedures. While specific individual surgeons can earn much more, these figures represent top-tier specialties based on 2024/2025 reports. 

Who is the lowest paid doctor?

The lowest-paid doctor is often in a pediatric subspecialty, with Pediatric Endocrinology frequently cited as the lowest-paying overall, followed closely by Pediatric Rheumatology, Infectious Disease, and general Pediatrics, according to recent 2024-2025 reports from Doximity and Financial Residency. Public Health & Preventive Medicine and Medical Genetics also rank among the lowest-compensated fields, often due to shorter training and better work-life balance.
 

What jobs in the US pay $300,000 a year?

What jobs pay $300,000 a year non-medical?

• Investment Banker. ...
• Hedge Fund Manager or Portfolio Manager. ...
• Corporate Lawyer (Partner Track) ...
• Software Engineering Director / VP of Engineering. ...
• Tech Entrepreneur / Startup Founder. ...
• Real Estate Developer. ...
• Management Consultant (Partner or Director Level) ...
• Private Equity Executive.

Who are the most overpaid doctors?

The highest-paid doctors in the U.S. are neurosurgeons, thoracic surgeons, and orthopedic surgeons. These surgical specialists earn average annual salaries between $650,000 and $760,000, making them the top earners among physicians.

Which surgeons work the least?

Plastic surgeons are typically thought of as the surgeons with the lowest stress levels and lowest burnout in surgery as a whole, though they scored one percentage point higher than orthopedics.

Who is the youngest surgeon ever?

The title of "youngest surgeon" often goes to Indian prodigy Akrit Pran Jaswal, who performed his first surgery (removing a tumor from a burn victim) at age 7 in 2000, gaining global fame and appearing on Oprah. While Jaswal is noted for his early surgical feats, others like Balamurali Ambati hold records for youngest doctor to graduate medical school (age 17) and complete residency, and Dr. Duke Prabhjot Jaspal is recognized for youngest to perform many laparoscopic surgeries.
 

What is the burnout rate for surgeons?

Burnout is characterized by emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and a lack of sense of personal accomplishment. According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, burnout rates among surgeons can be as high as 40%.

What is the rarest surgeon?

For example, oral and maxillofacial surgery and plastic surgery are both considered among the rarest specialties in medicine. In the case of oral and maxillofacial surgery, professionals are trained in both dentistry and surgery, which makes it an even rarer specialty.

What are the top 3 riskiest surgeries?

Which Surgical Procedures Are the Most Dangerous?

• Brain surgery. One of the most dangerous procedures is any type of surgery on the brain or skull. ...
• Heart surgery. ...
• Cancer surgery. ...
• Transplants. ...
• Spinal cord surgery. ...
• What if my doctor made a mistake during my surgery?

Which is harder, a doctor or a surgeon?

Most surgical career paths have longer, more demanding hours. But there are some exceptions like certain types of plastic surgery, ENT, and urology, which tend to have a more laidback lifestyle with fewer emergencies. However, during residency, which lasts at least 5 years, all surgical specialties have terrible hours.

What surgery is called the mother of all surgeries?

The surgery nicknamed the "Mother of All Surgeries" (MOAS) is Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) combined with Heated Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC), a very aggressive and lengthy procedure to treat cancers that have spread within the abdominal cavity, like certain ovarian, colorectal, and appendix cancers. It involves removing all visible tumors and affected organs, followed by bathing the abdomen in hot chemotherapy to kill remaining cancer cells, making it incredibly complex and demanding.
 

What's the hardest surgeon to be?

The hardest surgeon to become is generally considered Neurosurgery, due to its exceptionally long and demanding residency (7+ years), intense mental and physical rigor, steep learning curve operating on the brain/spine, high stress, and extreme competitiveness, though Plastic Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Cardiothoracic Surgery, and Dermatology are also consistently ranked among the toughest to match into and complete due to technical skill, vast knowledge, and high standards. 

Who was the fastest surgeon to become?

Robert Liston (1794-1847) held a (well-earned) reputation as the fastest surgeon of his time.

Do doctors work 7 days on 7 days off?

Even though most hospitalists work 84 hours a week doing 12-hour shifts for seven days straight, they have the next seven days off. It's grueling, but many insist it's worth it. If you want periods of extended free time but are more interested in fields that average long hours, you might consider locum tenens.

What is the lowest paid doctor?

The lowest-paid doctor specialties consistently include pediatrics and its subspecialties (like endocrinology, infectious disease, rheumatology) and medical genetics/genomics, alongside fields like public health/preventive medicine, often earning around $230k to $270k annually, with pediatric endocrinology frequently listed at the very bottom in recent reports from sources like Doximity and Medscape/Advisory Board. 

What is the easiest surgery to perform?

There's no single "easiest" surgery, as it depends on the surgeon's skill and patient factors, but routine, minimally invasive procedures like cataract surgery, carpal tunnel release, or lipoma/mole removal are often cited as less complex, quick, and performed with lower risk under local/light sedation, sometimes even in office settings, unlike major heart or brain surgeries.