General Surgery is a highly competitive specialty that demands a high level of excellence and dedication from residency applicants who are interested in becoming a surgeon. General Surgery training is five years and serves as a gateway to a number of advanced surgical specialties such as Orthopedic Surgery or Vascular Surgery. Applicants are expected to have high USMLE Exam scores of at least 230 or higher. Those looking to apply to General Surgery programs should be aware that residency programs prefer younger residency candidates (in their 20s). While it is possible for physically older applicants to Match, it can be much more challenging. To improve your chances for placement in General Surgery, it is highly suggested to do well in any surgical rotations or experiences and obtain Letters of Recommendation directly from surgeons. Any evidence of your surgical skills will be priceless additions to your residency application.
Every specialty has unique factors they want each candidate to have in their residency application. NRMP conducts regular Program Director surveys to identify which parts of the residency application are most important in differing specialties. Among the information gathered, Program Directors were asked to cite factors they used to select candidates for interviews. They were also asked to rate each factor on a scale from 1 (least important) to 5 (most important).
Total Training | 5 years |
Average Residency Salary | $61,000 | Average Physician Salary | $394,500 |
Average Work Week | 59.4 Hours |
Peak Interview Months | November, December |
Key Organizations and Societies: | American College of Surgeons Association of Women Surgeons American Board of Surgery American College of Osteopathic Surgeons American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery American Society of General Surgeons Association for Surgical Education |
Program Track | Categorical | Preliminary |
Participating Programs | 4 | 170 |
Filled Programs | 4 | 135 |
Positions Available | 5 | 580 |
Filled Positions | 5 | 537 |
https://www.facs.org/education/resources/medical-students/faq/specialties
https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/2020-PD-Survey.pdf
https://mk0nrmp3oyqui6wqfm.kinstacdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/MM_Results_and-Data_2020-1.pdf
https://www.medscape.com/slideshow/2020-residents-salary-debt-report-6013072