The COVID-19 pandemic's impacts are causing physician pay to increase generally, and general surgeons are no exception.
General surgeon salary increased to an average of $402K in 2021, up almost 8% from the $373K average recorded for 2020, according to Medscape's 2022 General Surgeon Compensation Report.
The survey also includes insights into the most satisfying and difficult elements of general surgeons' professions, as well as how they feel about their pay.
A General Surgeon in Nigeria is said to make around NGN 550,000 a month.
This figure is the median, or the middle of the ranges, from our unique Total Pay Estimate methodology, which is based on data about wages gathered from our users.
The values that fall between the 25th and 75th percentiles of all the payment information for this position are represented by the term "Most Likely Range."
Read Also: Top 20 General Surgery Residency Programs in Nigeria 2022
Who is a Surgeon
A surgeon is a medical professional who focuses on diagnosing and treating illnesses that may call for surgery or other physical alterations to the human body.
Surgery may be used to identify a condition or treat an injury. Surgeons oversee a group of other medical professionals and nurses in the operating room to make sure that an operation proceeds without a hitch.
Instruments are used by surgeons to modify or move living tissue, such as:
- Lasers
- Ultrasound
- Ionizing
- Radiation
- Scalpels
- Probes
- Needles
What Performs a Surgeon?
The two primary categories of surgery are. In order for the surgeon to look into the body during open surgery, a skin incision is necessary.
Smaller entry locations are needed during minimally invasive surgery to perform repairs and collect tissue samples.
The recuperation period is often shorter than with open surgery. But there aren't always minimally intrusive options for surgery.
Each surgeon utilises a distinct set of methods, and there is a different surgeon for each section of your body. Several of the most popular surgical specialisations include:
General practitioner. A general surgeon treats a variety of ailments that might affect practically any body area.
Rectal and colon surgeon. This expert will likely treat patients who have problems with any portion of their intestines.
Neurosurgeon. Neurosurgeons treat conditions that affect your brain and nervous system.
OB/GYN, or an obstetrician and gynaecologist. OB/GYNs are experts in two fields. The first entails interacting with expectant mothers, giving birth, and caring for newborns.
Treatment of diseases affecting the female reproductive system is the second.
Ophthalmologist. This kind of eye specialist performs surgical operations to address eye and vision issues as one of their jobs.
Maxillofacial and oral surgeon. This doctor performs operations on the jaw, face, neck, and head.
An orthopaedic surgeon. The 1musculoskeletal system, which consists of bones, muscles, joints, arteries, related nerves, and overlaying skin, is treated by orthopaedic surgeons.
Otolaryngologist. Since they are experts in treating those three bodily parts, otolaryngologists are sometimes known as ear, nose, and throat (ENT) physicians.
surgeon for children Pediatric surgeons treat kids of all ages, including infants and teens.
Maxillofacial and plastic surgeon. In addition to performing aesthetic procedures, plastic surgeons also deal with the replacement, reconstruction, and repair of the body.
Cardiothoracic surgeons. These medical professionals, often known as cardiac or cardiothoracic surgeons, are experts in performing operations on the heart and other chest organs.
Urologist. Your kidneys, ureters, bladder, prostate, urethra, and testicles are frequently operated on by urologists.
Vascular specialist. Your circulatory system is operated on by vascular surgeons.
Training and Education
The road to becoming a surgeon is difficult and drawn out. It entails:
College. The first stage is to get a bachelor's degree, usually in pre-medicine or a science-related field.
Medical College Entrance Exam (MCAT). To become a surgeon, one must pass this test.
Many undergraduate students take it in their last years so they may graduate with plenty of time to apply to medical schools.
Medical college. Four years of medical school come next. Numerous medical colleges provide specialised study paths.
Surgical residency and specialisation. Around graduation, medical professionals must choose a speciality and enrol in a residency programme. Additional examinations may be necessary for certain specialisations.
Compared to other specialities of medicine, surgical residencies span at least five years. A doctor may start working as a surgeon after completing a residency.
Causes to Consult a Surgeon
Surgery may be either elective or urgent. A major injury or other urgently life-threatening situation may need emergency surgery.
Although they are not always optional, elective procedures may be booked in advance and don't need to be carried out straight away.
You might have surgery to:
- In order to get a proper diagnosis, learn more about a disorder.
- Obtain a tissue sample from a questionable location.
- rehabilitate or eliminate ailing organs or tissue
- Eliminate a barrier
- Return bodily components to their proper positions.
- move the blood vessels
- organ transplant
- Inside the body, implant mechanical or electrical equipment
- Change how you look
Comparing the salaries of general surgeons
With a salary of $402K, general surgeons are paid 12th out of the 29 specialities examined.
Despite having the same upward pay trend as other specialities, general surgeons' 8% recovery rate is in the middle of the pack.
Additionally, some general surgeons' salaries have still not reached pre-pandemic levels in 2021.
One in five general surgeons said that, in 2021, their income had decreased as a result of a number of circumstances, including lower compensation from their employer and the expiry of support grants put in place during the pandemic's peak in 2020.
General surgeons' perceptions of their pay
Only 52% of general surgeons believe that they are appropriately rewarded for their profession, notwithstanding compensation increases.
This speciality has the 10th-lowest satisfaction rating with pay among the specialisations surveyed.
This unhappiness could be connected to incentive compensation. General surgeons' incentive incentives average $46K, which ranks as the 6th lowest among the 17 medical specialities that get incentive bonuses as part of their compensation structures.
Orthopedics received the greatest rewards ($126K), followed by ophthalmology ($100K), and cardiology ($85K).
General surgeons' favourite reward
The two most satisfying aspects of the work, according to the doctors polled, were receiving thanks and building connections with their patients (29% each).
The second and third most satisfying aspects are knowing they are improving the world/helping people (21%) and being competent at what they do/finding diagnoses (26%).
Which difficulties affect general surgeons the most
Having so many laws and regulations is the biggest problem mentioned by general surgeons (22%).
The majority of specialisations likewise rank this as their biggest problem.
The second top challenge for general surgeons, at 19%, is having trouble interacting with Medicare and/or other insurers or receiving appropriate compensation from them. Working lengthy hours (13% of respondents) came in third.
How general surgeons feel about the speciality they choose
Despite believing they are being paid unjustly for their job, 76% of general surgeons surveyed by Medscape said they would still pursue medicine as a career.
Furthermore, just 17% of general surgeons answered that, given the choice, they would probably choose a different speciality.
Conclusion
In line with other specialities, general surgeon wages are increasing as of 2020.
And despite feeling underpaid for their jobs, the majority of general surgeons report that they respect practising medicine and find the profession to have many fulfilling features.
Additional resources and citations
- 1musculoskeletal system