Surgeon
Carry out a range of operations on patients, to improve their health or save their lives.
About the job
What it's like
Being a surgeon is a hands-on job where you help improve people's health and save lives. It comes with a lot of responsibility, with patients and their families putting their trust in you.
You'll carry out operations on patients, maybe because they're injured or have a worsening health condition. They could also wish to have cosmetic surgery.
Hospital doctors and GPs will refer patients to you, or they might come from an accident and emergency department. They may be anxious and upset so you’d need to communicate with them to help them calm down.
Your tasks might include:
talking to patients about their options and what the surgery involves
taking tests and arranging X-rays
carrying out operations as part of a team
doing daily ward visits to check on your patients
writing to GPs about your patients’ health and treatments
training and mentoring junior doctors and other medical staff
You could be a general surgeon with a wide range of skills and knowledge, or you could specialise in one area.
This could be operating on a specific part of the body. For example, neurosurgeons perform operations on parts of the nervous system including the brain.
Or you might focus on a particular group of people. Paediatric surgeons work with children and young people.
You could also specialise in doing a particular type of surgery that isn't localised in one part of the body. For example, plastic surgeons carry out surgery to restore, reconstruct or alter the body. They can also perform non-surgical treatments such as Botox injections.
It's important to keep up to date with the latest research – you might publish research papers, too.
Explore more information about this job
Here are some useful links to learn more about this career:
General Medical Council – training information from the regulatory body for doctors
University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) – all about the test
Scottish Wider Access Programme – discover opportunities through SWAP
Reach widening access programme – examples of people who studied medicine through Reach
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Select qualification level(s)
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- taking responsibility
- making decisions
- developing a plan
- concentrating
- attention to detail
- empathising
- researching
- problem solving
- verbal communication
- resilience
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Maths (Mathematics)
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English
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Biology
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Care
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Chemistry
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Human Biology
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Physics
To become a surgeon, you’ll need to complete a degree in medicine (MBChB or MBBS) at SCQF Level 10. Undergraduate degree programmes take 4 to 6 years to complete, studying full-time.
After graduating, you'll move on to a postgraduate foundation programme. After that, you can apply for surgical training. You’ll complete your postgraduate training by taking the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) exam.
University
You’ll need a degree or postgraduate qualification in medicine. Search medicine degrees on My World of Work.
You should contact each medical school to find out about specific entry requirements. There are 5 universities where you can study medicine in Scotland:
Remember, medical degrees have extremely high entry requirements. In addition, you'll likely need to sit both the UCAT Situational Judgement Test for Admission to Clinical Education (SJTace) and the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT).
Some universities offer courses that include a 'pre-medical year'. These can be useful if you don't have the science-based Highers you need to apply for a medical degree.
Are you an adult who doesn't have the qualifications you need to go to university? You may be able to use the Scottish Widening Access Programme (SWAP) to kickstart your medical career.
College
Getting qualifications at college, such as an HNC or HND, could help you progress to more advanced study. Look out for Pathways to Medicine courses. Search for Pathways to Medicine courses on My World of Work.
Entry to medical degrees is highly competitive, so you need to make your application stand out. Volunteering is a fantastic way to show your commitment to a career in healthcare. Search for opportunities on Volunteer Scotland.
Before applying to medical school, you'll need to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). This is a test used by medical courses to help make admissions decisions.
You'll need to be a member of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme, run by Disclosure Scotland.
You should be fit and healthy. You must also provide evidence that you do not have, and have been immunised against, Hepatitis B.
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