So You Want to Be a Surgeon

For many years, Kaj Johansen, MD, FACS, and David Heimbach, MD, FACS, of the Department of Surgery at the University of Washington, Seattle, provided the "little red book" as a resource to medical students who were applying for residency programs in general surgery. The book, "So you want to be a surgeon," proved to be very popular and a great help to students who wanted to select programs to which they could apply. With Drs. Johansen and Heimbach's permission, the American College of Surgeons created an online version of the book that contains expanded content, including information about all the surgical specialties that admit PGY 1 residents. We are pleased to present the "little red book" to medical students and their advisors in an electronic format for ready access.

Your Residency Search

To the Medical Student:

This section of the American College of Surgeons website is designed to help you determine whether the demands of surgical practice align with your intellectual interests, personal strengths, and professional goals. If surgery is the right path for you, the information on surgical specialties and the searchable residency database can help you identify graduate medical education opportunities that best match your interests and aspirations.

Although much of the information in this guide is available from other sources, it has been brought together here to make exploring a career in surgery and preparing for residency easier and more efficient.

The guide begins by helping you consider whether surgery is the right career path for you. Section I examines the personal qualities, professional expectations, and demands associated with a successful and fulfilling surgical career. Section II introduces the surgical specialties and provides information to help you identify fields that align with your interests, strengths, and professional goals.

From there, the guide shifts from exploration to preparation. Section III outlines steps you can take throughout medical school and highlights the role of mentors and advisors in helping you make informed decisions. Section IV provides guidance on evaluating and choosing a residency program that fits your educational, professional, and personal priorities. Section V explains what to expect during surgical residency.

Finally, Section VI brings together residency search tools, specialty resources, and suggested readings to support your continued exploration, preparation, and decision-making.

Section I: Is Surgery Right for You?

Reflect on your clinical experiences and how you felt while caring for patients. Do you:

• Appreciate working as a member of a team?
• Enjoy watching your patients improve daily after major injuries or surgical procedures?
• Embrace responsibility and the opportunity to make a positive impact?
• Excel at problem solving and have the ability to “think on your feet”?
• Feel intrigued by the challenge of managing multiple physiological and psychological problems in your critically ill surgical patients
• Share the excitement of a surgical team anticipating a "great case"?
• Enjoy the challenges of acquiring new technical skills and understanding new technologies?

If the answer to some of these questions is "Yes!", a surgical career may be right for you.

Section II: Surgical Specialties

In evaluating programs, you will find helpful information in the "Program Requirements" section for each specialty, posted on the website of the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). The ACGME is the home of the Residency Review Committees (RRCs) for each specialty; the RRCs set the rules by which programs must abide and serve to maintain quality in every accredited program. You will find additional links to this site as we get into specific specialties and programs. In addition, the section for medical students on this website has good basic information on selection of programs and the application and interview processes.

Section III: Preparing During Medical School

Preparing for a career in surgery begins well before the residency application process. This section highlights three important resources to help medical students navigate that preparation: a timeline of recommended activities and milestones, opportunities to engage through Surgery Interest Groups, and guidance on selecting a surgical residency advisor.

Together, these resources can help you explore your interests, build professional relationships, make informed decisions, and prepare for the transition from medical school to surgical residency.

Section IV Choosing a Residency Program

A good place to begin researching residency programs  is the American Medical Association (AMA)'s FREIDA, which allows you to compare programs across a range of characteristics as you develop your list.  

• The following resources also provide information about identifying accredited residency positions, participating in the Match, and submitting applications: National Resident Matching Program (NRMP/AAMC)
• Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database Access FREIDA (AMA)
• Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education
• Electronic Residency Application

For more information about choosing a residency program:

• Questions to ask yourself when choosing a residency program
• How do I select the best residency program for my specialty?

Choosing a residency program, writing personal statements for residency program applications, and interviewing for residency positions will take up much of the third and fourth years of medical school. This section provides information about selecting, interviewing, and writing personal statements for residency positions, and gives links to information about the application and match processes.

Section V: What to Expect in Surgical Residency

Although the day-in-day-out grind of a surgical resident's life can vary depending on which specialty and which program you enter, there are some common features inherent in all surgical residents' daily schedules.

Section VI: Resources and Further Reading

View a list of organizations, databases, and educational resources that can help medical students explore surgical careers, research residency programs, prepare for the application process, and learn about surgical training and fellowship opportunities.