Deep breathing then silence. A bright white light then fills the room. Blood trickles through the split of the skin. A surgeon now begins the magical work, to save a life…. Surgery has majorly inclined through history, but those advances haven’t yet made it all around the world. No matter where in the world you are standing, there are always steps to becoming a surgeon. But, like every job, there are pros and con to this career. Being a surgeon is one of the most important jobs in the world, saving lives!
Surgery has enhanced a significant amount throughout history. In the early ages of life, the cave men would crack a hole in a man’s skull to “free the evil spirits”, or giving a swollen brain more room, this is called trepanning. The Egyptians were a bit smarter; they would embalm dead bodies, set broken bones, and amputate. As time went on, the Greek would bathe wounds in wine because at this time, dissecting the human body was forbidden. South East of Greece, the Indians had become the pioneers of plastic surgery, because, often enough, people were punished by having their noses chopped off leading to need Rhinoplasty. Emerging from Europe in the 13th century came the “barber-surgeon” who cut hair, pulled teeth, and performed simple operations. After many centuries of practice, John Hunter invented new procedures such as Tracheotomy. Later, in 1792 Dominique-Jean Larry created the first ambulance for wounded or ill men. Within the 19th century, surgery was greatly improved by the invention of anesthetics. Fallowing along, in 1865, Joseph Lister discovered how much safer it was to perform antiseptic surgery. Soon after, blood types were detected, which enabled blood transfusion. The technology keeps coming, and more people are saved day by day. Unfortunately, the advancements have yet to spread world wide.
In different countries around the world, surgery is not as great. Richer countries have more people and more money to buy the technology needed to keep their people safe and healthy. The poorer countries are not as fortunate. Some countries did not have surgery because in their culture, the body mustn’t be altered. Other countries do not have surgery because their religion believes that if that’s how God wants them to be, then that is how they will stay until He heals them. On the other hand, small countries, like Haiti, who can not afford much food or even enough money to make well built houses, can not afford to be up to date with the newest technology. As one of the richer countries, the USA helps raise money to help save the lives of the people affected by the earthquakes in Haiti. Haiti is a small, poor island, after the earthquake hit, they lost everything they had worked so hard to get. Medical professionals from all over the world flew to Haiti to help in their time of need. No matter where in the world a person stands, there are always steps to becoming a surgeon.
There is more to being a surgeon then just knowing the facts. Someone who is going to be a surgeon has to be passionate about it. They need to be intrigued with the human body and how it works. They have to want to help people, to help the nation, to help the world survive. Surgeons are willing to put off their personal life to be able to help others live. Soon-to-be-surgeons, need to have a high school diploma, or a GED. After, they must attend college for 4 years for their Associates degree. Fallowing, they must go for an additional eight years to get their PhD. After medical school, they must apply to be an intern at learning hospitals like OHSU. After a year of interning, they take an intern exam, if they pass, they move up to be a resident, if they fail, they are in for another year as an intern. As a resident, they continue to practice surgery and study the type of surgery they want to specialize in. After a year of residency, it goes on to senior resident, and then soon enough, the soon-to-be-surgeons are scheduled for their first solo surgery. In becoming a surgeon, like any other job, there are pros and cons of the career.
Like every job, there are pros and cons to being a surgeon. Medicine is nothing like Grey's Anatomy, Scrubs, House, or ER. The fact of the matter is that it is a lot more hard work, and sometimes, a lot more gruesome. Some pros are they are the best paid and most respected doctors in a hospital. Another is a surgeon doesn’t deal with the patients so much. They walk in, take them through the procedure, answer questions, complete surgery, and check up in post-op, then palm them off onto an internist. Some cons are they need to keep your concentration for long periods of time. Another more important one is if a patient dies on the table that is their responsibility. As a surgeon, if they make a mistake, then that mistake can cost someone their life. Soon-to-be-surgeons must be devoted to studying hard and getting through the tough college courses and getting into a med school.
Black stitches close up the incision. The job was a complete success. A surgeon has saved yet another life. There is a lot more to being a surgeon then many people realize. Surgeons are magicians, they heal, but it takes practice and hard work. History has made surgery better and better as the days go by. Soon, surgery will help everyone all over the world to be able to live a longer, healthier life. As the advances increase, the steps to becoming a successful surgeon will also incline along with the pros and cons. Surgeons are amazingly skilled, respected, and devoted people the world will ever meet