Trauma Surgeon

Taylor LottHealth 4190 001Kathleen Meyer

January 28, 2015

“Wherever the art of medicine is loved, there is also a love of humanity.

”-Hippocrates

The journey to becoming a trauma surgeon is extremely trying and is a very lengthy

process. However, while these characteristics can seem negative, I

believe the benefits greatly outweigh the costs. Throughout this presentation, the

process to becoming a trauma surgeon will be discussed. As well, the responsibility of a trauma surgeon will be displayed so as to

have a better understanding of what it takes to achieve this career

The History of Trauma Surgery

Trauma surgery is a surgical specialty that utilizes both operative and non-operative management to treat traumatic injuries, typically in an acute setting and normally focuses on the abdominal area along with any given 'Emergency' field they may be required to serve upon.• The history for trauma surgery in the United States was based highly on the practices

and procedures done during combat and wartimes. During the Revolutionary War, soft tissue injuries, mostly amputations, and fractures were treated based on the guide written by John Jones in 1775.

• As the Civil War erupted across the states, the trauma care delivery systems was being developed due to the large amounts of injured people. Also, anesthesia was developed, mostly using chloroform or ether. Another huge contribution came from the Sanitary Commission, lead in part by Clara Barton, in which the hygiene aspects of surgery and treating wounds was clarified and its importance stressed. The idea of “save life, not limb” also came about during the chaos resulting from the war. Florence Nightingale’s methods during a different war helped to establish nursing care during this time as well.

• As the first and second World Wars came and went, other trauma practices were either improved or implemented. The utilization of blood from newly established blood banks to treat injuries, motorized ambulances decreasing transport time, development of plastic surgery, and the discovery of penicillin all occurring during these eras. Later wars brought the use of medical transport by air, decreased numbers of amputations, and the final understanding of how to treat shock.

• Civilian trauma centers were founded in 1966 due to increased violence from a surge in drug use during this time. A formal outline of injury care was developed as well to aid in an all-encompassing system.

History in Pictures

The Education• Those looking to become trauma surgeons must obtain a bachelor’s degree in a field

that contains coursework focusing on sciences, such as pre-medicine, biology, or another discipline that is related to these. This type of degree can help to prepare students for the rigorous coursework of medical school.

• After receiving a bachelor’s degree, fours year of medical school must be completed. These programs focus on both a classroom setting, where students learn by way of lectures, and a lab work setting. Two additional years of what is called a clerkship is required for the potential trauma surgeon to acquire the hands-on experience to be better acquainted with the healthcare system and patients. The United States Medical Licensing Examination must be passed to allow the potential surgeon to get to this point in the education requirements.

• A three to five year residency program in general surgery must be completed to allow for the potential surgeon to gain the experience, knowledge, and skills to be able to handle the various injuries and individuals they will come across in their career as a surgeon. Rotations involving cardiac and trauma surgery, as well as patient care and nutrition training, are additional areas of study for the potential trauma surgeon.

• Once the residency program is finished, many certifications must be obtained. Both the General Surgery Qualifying Examination and the General Surgery Certifying Examination must be passed to be qualified to take the Surgical Critical Care Certification Examination to become a board certified trauma surgeon.

• Following the certifications, a one to two year fellowship program, focusing on critical care and trauma, needs to be undergone. More experience and supplemental skills are learned to better handle trauma to specific organs such as the lungs and kidneys. Also, how to manage high risk procedures and transplants will help the surgeon in advancing their knowledge to able to manage and assess patients in critical conditions. During this time, research and educating residents is also done.

Medical School Comparisons• Harvard Medical School (Ranked number 1)

– Average GPA: 3.88– Average MCAT: 36.3

• Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (Ranked number 3)– Average GPA: 3.87– Average MCAT: 35.4

• Medical University of South Carolina (Ranked number 59)– Average GPA: 3.66– Average MCAT: 29.7

Requirements for the Medical University of South Carolina

• MCAT should be taken no later than spring or fall of the year preceding admission.– Students are advised to take two semesters of:

• Introductory biology• Introductory physics• General chemistry• Organic chemistry

• At least ninety semester hours required. Those who have completed four years of college and have earned a baccalaureate degree are preferred.

• No prerequisites required, but previous successful applicants have completed two semesters of:– General biology– General chemistry– Organic chemistry– Physics

• Other courses of value are:– Anatomy– Biochemistry– Cell biology – Embryology– Physiology– Genetics

Job description for trauma surgeon

• A career in trauma surgery is one of the most intense, considering the enormous amounts of stress being placed on the surgeon. Trauma surgery involves operations on life-threatening injuries in a critical time frame. Trauma surgeons must be able to demonstrate competence for working on various injuries, organs, and individuals. Common organs operated on by trauma surgeons include:– Stomach– Pancreas– Colon– Spleen

• Trauma surgeons have varying schedules. They must work until their patients are stabilized. Most trauma surgeons work more than fifty hours a week. Also, there are situations when they are on call and may need to work weekends, nights, or holidays.

$alary and Growth Potential• According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,

an increase in demand for surgeons and physicians is likely to be seen by 24% between 2010 and 2020.

• As of May 2012, the average salary for surgeons is $230,540.– Average salary for trauma surgeon:

• Charleston, SC: $339,743• Columbia, SC: $335, 340• Greenville, SC: $346,438

Qualities of a SurgeonMultitasking

Superior academic skillsProblem-solvers

DexterousHave stamina

StrongGood sight

Efficient communicatorsCalm

Level-headedLeaders

Quick learnersDetermined

Humble Compassionate

DependableResponsible

Detailed

Surgeon O*Net Profile

1. Investigative-frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally

2. Realistic-frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.

3. Social-frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.

My O*Net Profile

1. Social2. Investigative3. Artistic-frequently involve

working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

4. Realistic

As you can see, my O*Net profile is very similar to

that of a surgeon. Added is my ranking for artistic,

which I believe is still applicable because

surgery is a form of art.

Why I’m A Good CandidateI think that I am a good candidate for a trauma surgeon due to the

similarities in the O*Net profiles. I also have many qualities that are shared by surgeons. I am compassionate, empathetic, a hard worker, calm

during chaos, responsible, dependable, a problem-solver. I also have taken many of the courses that are not only required, but others I feel will

benefit me in my future endeavors to becoming a trauma surgeon. According to my O*Net profile, I have a high ranking for the social category, which

entails helping others and working with people, an particularly pertinent skill when working in emergency medicine. Also, trauma surgeons are tasked

with figuring out how to stabilize badly injured patients in a quick and efficient manner. This investigative quality is shared by the profiles of a surgeon and myself. The added advantage of having roots in the artistic

category also allows me to be able to think out-of-the-box, allowing another perspective for challenging problems and situations. Also, I like to paint and crochet, tasks that involve working with my hands. These aspects may

not seem highly related to surgery, but these skills actually overlap. Surgeons are tremendously skilled at using their hands to cut and stitch during operations. The skills learned from painting and crocheting show broad patterns similar to surgery. As well, I am a perfectionist and pay

extremely close to the details, as does a surgeon. I am a good student who does well in my studies, another quality of a surgeon having apt academic

abilities. I strive to work even harder to acquire more knowledge and experience to aid me in my journey to my career as a trauma surgeon.

Academics Relevant to Becoming a Trauma Surgeon

Anatomy and PhysiologyBiology

ChemistryOrganic Chemistry

GeneticsBiochemistryMicrobiology

Medical TerminologyCPR/First Aid

Health Appraisal SkillsPsychology

Health Delivery SystemsCommunications/Public Speaking

Introduction to Public HealthDeterminants of Health Behavior

EpidemiologyHuman Health and Disease

PhysicsCell biologyEmbryology

Emergency Medical ResponderNutrition

Research EvaluationsSociology

*Courses highlighted in white are the courses I

have either completed or are currently enrolled in as

an undergraduate.

As you can see, pursuing a career in trauma surgery is one that takes a great amount of time, effort, and hard work. Regardless of these things, I think that it will bring a unimaginable amount of purpose and happiness to my life. I have been striving for this goal for some time and people tend to focus more on the

costs rather than benefits. For me, I have always had a heart for helping people and while I will lose many patients as a trauma surgeon, I will receive a great deal of joy from all the people I will save. One quote that always sticks with me is from Fred

Rogers, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” For me, that is my purpose and passion and I feel like that is my draw towards becoming a trauma surgeon; you

are going to help people. This discipline involves a large amount of education and certifications, hours of work, and

stress on the mind and body. I have taken all of this information in to careful consideration for a while now, and I just cannot see

myself doing anything other than this.

References• Farnen, K. Personal characteristics of a surgeon. eHow. Retrieved from

http://www.ehow.com/info_7833985_personal-characteristics-surgeon.html• 2013, January 1. How to become a trauma surgeon. Education Career Articles. Retrieved from

http://educationcareerarticles.com/education-articles/majors-overview/how-to-become-a-trauma-surgeon/

• Medical Schools in the USA (2015). Retrieved from http://www.medicalschoolsinusa.com/medical-school-rankings/

• Medical University of South Carolina (2012). Entrance requirements. Retrieved from http://academicdepartments.musc.edu/com/admissions/applying_college/

• Sheridan, R. L., Cameron, A. M. (2004). A brief history of trauma surgery. The Trauma Handbook of the Massachusetts General Hospital. 3-10. Retrieved from https://books.google.com/books?id=qb0eujBTVxoC&pg=PA3&lpg=PA3&dq=brief+history+of+trauma+surgeon&source=bl&ots=XPjqyy_jBC&sig=sMuTz4KlAKgJkCuxqfniB5sflN4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=8g_EVNL4OeTgsATSlIHYAg&ved=0CDsQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=brief%20history%20of%20trauma%20surgeon&f=false

• 2011. Surgeons report. O*Net Online. Retrieved from http://www.mynextmove.org/profile/ext/online/29-1067.00

• 2015. Surgeon-Trauma salaries in SC. Salary.com. Retrieved from http://www1.salary.com/SC/Greenville/Surgeon-Trauma-salary.html

• 2015. Trauma surgeon: job description and career requirements. Education Portal. Retrieved from http://education-portal.com/articles/Trauma_Surgeon_Job_Description_and_Requirements_for_Starting_a_Career_in_Trauma_Surgery.html

• Z., Tanja (2015). Trama surgeon salary. HCWS. Retrieved from http://www.healthcaresalaryworld.com/trauma-surgeon-salary/