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To become a surgeon in the US, you must complete a bachelor’s degree, graduate from medical school, complete a surgical residency, obtain a medical license, and often pursue board certification. Some surgeons also complete fellowship training to subspecialize in advanced surgical fields.
Before attending medical school, you must complete a four-year bachelor’s degree and finish the required prerequisite coursework. Medical schools do not require a specific major, but you must complete science-heavy courses that prepare you for the MCAT and medical school admissions.
Most students complete prerequisites such as biology, chemistry, organic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, and writing-intensive courses.
Give our pre-med major quiz a try to help you narrow down which major is best for you.
Most US medical schools require the MCAT. You must earn a competitive score to qualify for MD or DO programs. Many students study for several months and take the MCAT after completing core prerequisite coursework.
To become a surgeon, you must first apply to medical school and earn acceptance into an accredited MD or DO program. Medical school typically lasts four years and includes both classroom-based instruction and hands-on clinical rotations.
To become a competitive applicant, you’ll need a strong GPA, a competitive MCAT score, and meaningful extracurriculars such as clinical experience, research, volunteering, and leadership roles that can be added to your resume.
Building a competitive med school application takes more than good grades. Get application help from Inspira Advantage's team to plan your strategy, strengthen your extracurricular profile, and refine each of your application materials.
Once you gain acceptance to medical school and begin your MD, you should continue building a strong surgical residency application by earning strong clinical evaluations, completing surgical electives, gaining research experience, and securing strong letters of recommendation.
Medical students must pass national licensing exams during medical school and residency. Most MD students take the USMLE, while DO students take COMLEX-USA (and some also take USMLE to remain competitive for residency placement).
These exams play a major role in residency applications and medical licensure eligibility.
After medical school, you must complete a surgical residency where you receive intensive training in operative techniques, patient care, and emergency management. Residency length depends on your specialty, but many surgical residencies last five to seven years.
During residency, you work under attending surgeon supervision and gradually take on increasing responsibility in both the operating room and clinical settings.
After residency, some surgeons complete a fellowship to gain advanced training in a subspecialty. Fellowships typically last one to three years and allow surgeons to specialize in areas such as cardiothoracic surgery, vascular surgery, pediatric surgery, surgical oncology, or transplant surgery.
To practice surgery independently, you must obtain a medical license in the state where you plan to work. State licensing requirements vary, but they typically require completion of medical school, residency training, and licensing exams.
Many surgeons pursue board certification through a specialty board such as the American Board of Surgery (ABS). Board certification is not always legally required, but many hospitals and employers strongly prefer or require it for surgical privileges and long-term career advancement.
It typically takes 13 years to become a surgeon in the US. Most surgeons complete 4 years of undergraduate education, 4 years of medical school, and 5 years of surgical residency training before they can practice independently.
If you pursue a surgical fellowship to subspecialize, the process can take 14 to 16+ years, depending on the specialty. Many surgeons also pursue board certification after residency, which adds additional training and examination requirements.
Here is a table of five highly regarded medical schools known for strong surgical training and hospital affiliations, along with their acceptance rate and tuition, as reported by the Medical School Admission Requirements (MSAR) database:
Becoming a surgeon is very difficult because it requires medical school, intense residency training, and years of high-pressure clinical and surgical experience. Surgical training also takes longer than many other medical specialties because surgeons must master both complex patient care and advanced operative skills.
Most surgical residencies take 5 to 7 years, depending on the specialty. General surgery typically takes around 5 years, while more specialized fields such as neurosurgery and plastic surgery often require 6 to 7 years of residency training.
Many surgeons also complete a fellowship to subspecialize, which can add 1 to 3 additional years. If you pursue a highly specialized path, such as pediatric neurosurgery, your total training timeline can reach 17 to 18 years from the start of college.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a surgeon’s mean annual salary is $371,280. This works out to an average hourly wage of $178.50. Surgeons make the most in outpatient care centers and physicians’ offices.
Yes, you should become a surgeon if you enjoy hands-on procedural work, thrive in high-pressure environments, and feel motivated by fast decision-making and real-time responsibility.
Surgery also requires continuous learning, since surgeons must stay updated on new techniques, technologies, and evolving best practices throughout their careers. If you want a specialty that combines technical skill, leadership, and direct patient impact, surgery may be a strong fit.
A surgical residency typically lasts 5 to 7 years, depending on the specialty. General surgery usually takes 5 years, while more complex specialties such as neurosurgery and plastic surgery often require 6 to 7 years of residency training. Some surgeons also complete fellowships afterward, which can add 1 to 3 additional years.
No surgical specialty is easy because all surgical fields require intense training, long hours, and high responsibility. However, some surgical pathways require fewer total training years than others. General surgery is one of the shortest major surgical residencies at about 5 years.
Neurosurgery is one of the hardest surgical specialties because it involves highly complex procedures, high-risk patient outcomes, and one of the longest training paths, typically requiring 7 years of residency (often followed by additional fellowship training).
Dr. Jonathan Preminger was the original author of this article. Snippets of his work may remain.
Reviewed by:
Orthopaedic Surgery Resident Physician, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University
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