Ny’Asia Lewis

10/3/22
6th period
HEALTH CAREER
The healthcare career I have recently found interest in is becoming a general surgeon.
I chose this career because it offers you the capacity for helping others and saving lives. I think
that I am suited for this career considering that assisting others is one of my passions and it
makes me fell very happy and proud.
A general surgeon lead teams of doctors and nurses so that a procedure is
guaranteed to go smoothly. They are also doctors who operate inside of the human body to
treat disease or injury. Diagnosis, preoperative plans, intraoperative, and discussing surgery
plans and results with your patient and medical staff are your five primary responsibilities as a
surgeon. Openness, conscientiousness, extroversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism are the
key personality traits that all healthcare workers in this field are required to have. Making real
differences in people’s lives and being able to see the result of your treatment/ work can have a
positive affect on you and how others view you. Surgeons are also between the highest paid
medical specialties. Although with great power comes great responsibility, such as having to
take long and expensive education to start your path as a surgeon. When being a surgeon you
must face the long hours of work, heavy stress, and even burnout. The setting of this job is
mostly performed at hospitals in an operating room, also known as the surgery center.
General Surgeons are nominated by the President of the U.S. and confirmed by the U.S.
Senate. If confirmed, they are employed by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health in
the U.S Department of Health and Human Services. Employment over surgeons is projected to
grow 3% in the next 10 years, which is slower than any over average percentage for other
occupations. In preparation to become a surgeon you need an undergraduate degree, four
years for a medical degree, and five years for a residency which can take up to 13 years after
high school. You will also need a license to practice in your state. The typical salary for someone
entering as a general surgeon is $352,480 and you work 50-60 per week.
While in high school I am going to continue and take health science classes. Studying
and staying focused will be my main goal. If I choose to want to be a surgeon, I will have to
reach at least a 32 on the ACT which isn’t really a requirement. Only the MCAT matters. My
attendance at school is good as well as grades, but I need to push myself to do better to
maintain this goal. I prepare for this career by taking care of all my responsibilities, trying to get
a job, and maintain my life so that it won’t be bad after I graduate.
 One college that I have really been considering attending to is Harvard Medical School.
The total cost tuition is $67,610. Books & supplies cost $3,247 and housing cost $11,400.
Another college I would really like to attend is John Hopkins University. The tuition is $54,000
along with that books and supplies cost around $1,260.