What level of schooling/ education/ training is required to be an Acute Care Surgeon?

- Traditionally, 4 years of undergraduate education and 4 years of medical school.

- Surgery residency, typically 5 clinical years, sometimes an optional or mandatory research year (or more).

- Following residency, there is a written exam that qualifies you to take the oral boards. Passing oral boards equates to Board Certification in General Surgery.

- Fellowship- one year mandatory for surgical critical care certification. Acute Care Surgery requires two years of training.

- Following a surgical critical care fellowship (after completing one year SCC fellowship, or after the critical care year of your ACS fellowship), there is a written exam requirement for Board Certification in Surgical Critical Care.

What is the best part of your job?

Relieving patients suffering. We meet people on what is probably the worst day of their life. Whether it’s a traumatic injury or a surgical emergency, our patients arrive in crisis. We can minimize or alleviate their suffering.

What is the worst part of your job?

Having to tell families that their loved one died. We meet people on what is probably the worst day of their life. We have to quickly establish rapport and tell them terrible news. We ask strangers to trust that we did everything to keep their child, spouse, or parent alive.