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Can you become a surgeon in multiple areas? If so, would you have to take another 2 years for each area?

I intend on becoming a surgeon. More specifically a cardiovascular surgeon. Someone who focuses on injuries to the heart or heart defects. While I do have a strong passion for this I also think that it'd be fun to also do nueral surgery as well and I just need some information about the chances of that being possible. #doctorate-degree

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Michael’s Answer

Actually it is not possible to become a surgeon in multiple specialties in this way, because the length of training is very long for any one field. That said if you have very broad interests I would suggest the following:
1) some surgical fields are broader than others or offer different kinds of surgeries: So for example Ear nose and throat surgeons may do surgery that can range from some kinds of cosmetic and plastic surgery to surgery on tumors at the base of the skull and as such might work with both plastic surgeons and neurosurgeons in complex cases. Most individuals will get a sense of this as they spend time in medical school on the surgical rotations
2) Some non surgical fields take care of many kinds of surgical patients along with surgeons, so for example an anesthesiologist is an expert in supporting patients in the operating room by, keeping patients sedated and pain free, monitoring their vital signs and managing medical problems along with the surgeon that might occur during the operation. Although some anesthesiologist may specialize in some kinds of anesthesia ( cardiac anesthesia for example) many manage a variety of cases.
3) Critical care specialists may also manage people who are very sick after an operation and while they do not operate themselves they work closely with surgeons, often do many bedside procedures and take care of patients in the intensive care unit when they remain very sick after a difficult operation.

Thank you comment icon thank you! shaheen
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Kelly’s Answer

Contrary to the previous statement, it's entirely feasible for a surgeon to gain proficiency in more than one field. This is achieved through further training and certifications, leading to a career path often referred to as "multispecialty", "general", or "multidisciplinary" surgery. Surgeons might opt for this route to expand their skill set or better cater to their patients' needs. However, mastering multiple surgical specialties is no small feat; it demands a substantial amount of dedication, time, and effort. Surgeons who practice in multiple areas are not uncommon. For instance, a cardiothoracic surgeon might also be adept at vascular surgery, or a general surgeon might be skilled in both gastrointestinal and oncologic surgery.

For a practical example, you can refer to this link:
https://gme.browardhealth.org/program-category/residency/program/general-surgery
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