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Jonathan Contreras

Professor Collins

ENGL 1301

4 October 2017

Cardiothoracic Surgeon

A heart surgeon is a term commonly used to describe a cardiothoracic surgeon. A

cardiothoracic surgeon is a surgeon who specializes in performing operations within the thorax

region which is also known as the chest. When it comes down to heart transplantsthe first one

occurred in South Africa on December 3, 1967. The first heart transplant in the U.S. occurred

three days later in Brooklyn, New York (Green). Often times careers as doctors or surgeons are

not pursued due to the amount of money or time spent on school. The career of a cardiothoracic

surgeon will be reviewed based on the salary, requirements, and job expectations to determine if

the career is worth pursuing.

The salary of a heart surgeon may vary due to experience. For instance when cardiac

surgeons or cardiothoracic surgeons begin their career they do not make as much as someone

who has years of experience. According to Specialty recruiting firm Profiles, which works

primarily with new physicians, reports median first year salaries of $360,000 per year. More

experienced make more than newcomers according to the American Medical Group Association,

which reports a median yearly income of $533,084 for cardiac and thoracic surgeons. (Decker).

Considering the average salary in the USA According to the Census ACS survey, the median

household income for the United States was $55,775 in 2015 (deptofnumbers.com). There is a

substantially large gap between the annual salary of a beginning cardiothoracic surgeon
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compared to the average annual salary in USA. They make almost seven times the amount of an

average annual salary in USA.

Before becoming a heart surgeon there are list of requirements that should be fulfilled.

According to Learn.org in order to become a cardiac surgeon one has to complete a bachelor's

degree program from a college or university. It should take three to four years for the completion

of a bachelor's degree. A pre-med major is highly suggested, such as biology or chemistry. After

obtaining a bachelor's degree one would apply to a medical school and take the Medical College

Admission Test (MCAT). Typically, medical school lasts four years (Learn.org). The essential

courses will be taken during the first two years and while laboratory experience will be gained.

Examples of classes that will be taken include anatomy, pharmacology, microbiology,

physiology and pathology. The final two years of medical school focus on giving the students a

chance to work with practicing doctors in real life situations. The students get the opportunity to

work with and interact with patients while also gaining experience in different areas of medicine,

such as pediatrics, family care, psychiatry and internal medicine (learn.org). Students should be

expected to attend around eight years of school then a residency program in general surgery

which lasts five years. School can become expensive and one might have to take out loans to pay

for it (learn.org). Even taking into consideration all the years spent studying, the amount of

money that will be made makes up for the years spent studying and the loans taken out can be

paid back relatively quickly.

The job expectations for a cardiothoracic surgeon can vary. There are different types of

cardiac surgeons and contrary to popular belief the heart is not the only organ a cardiothoracic

surgeon can work on. The organs operated on would include heart, lungs, esophagus, and

thymus. After a cardiologist has referred a patient to a surgeon. They normally examine patients
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with heart health issues, make diagnosis and determine if the candidate is eligible for surgery.

The surgeon will determine what surgical procedures are to be employed on their patients. They

perform surgical procedures to correct heart problems caused by illness, disease or injury. A

majority of their time is spent in the operating room but it is also their obligation to keep track of

new technological advances, contemporary medical practices, and surgical techniques

(Learn.org). As for hours After training, the average general surgeon works 50-60 hours per week

(not including time available for call). Depending on the practice situation chosen, surgeons can

be on call as much as all the time (if in private solo practice) to once a week (if in a large group

practice) (American College of Surgeons). So hours can vary depending on how surgeons work

but there tend to be a lot of extra hours anyway. While surgeons do make a substantial amount of

money and assist large numbers of people a year, like many jobs making sure that the right

nutrition, exercise and eating habits are implemented play a large role in how many hours a

surgeon can work, they cannot be sleepy or tired during a surgery because they have someones

life in their hands. Like many jobs one has to work a lot of hours to make good money. The

hours spent working is not a large sacrifice if you enjoy helping people and making a lot of

money while you do so.

The career of a cardiothoracic surgeon was being reviewed considering salary,

requirements, and job expectations. It was concluded that for the amount of time spent in school

compared with the average annual salary of a cardiothoracic surgeon that it would be beneficial

to pursue this career.

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Work cited

Cardiac Surgeon: Career and Salary Facts. Degrees & Courses from Top Colleges and

Universities: Learn.org, Learn.org,

learn.org/articles/Cardiac_Surgeon_Career_and_Salary_FAQs.html.

Decker, Fred. Annual Salary of a Cardiac Surgeon. Chron.com, Hearst Newspapers,

work.chron.com/annual-salary-cardiac-surgeon-8340.html.

Green, Amanda. 11 Cardiac Facts to Take to Heart. Mental Floss, Mental Floss, 11

Feb. 2013, mentalfloss.com/article/48813/11-cardiac-facts-take-heart.

US Household Income. Department of Numbers, Deptofnumbers,

www.deptofnumbers.com/income/us/.

Surgical Career Lifestyle Issues. American College of Surgeons, American College of

Surgeons, www.facs.org/education/resources/medical-students/lifestyle.