What Majors Does A Surgeon Need?

A surgeon’s career is challenging, rewarding as well as time consuming. With high demand for this profession, it has now become one of the high paying occupations. Like any other health care provider, surgeons also require specific education, license and practice of medicine. 

Surgeons are professionals who are concerned with the treatments of the diagnosed patients through operations. They also perform replacement, removal, operate the internal organs, conduct examination, plan a treatment program and other. 

To become a surgeon, one must earn a bachelor’s degree by choosing a relevant major, attend a medical program, residency program and earn a license. 

What major should you choose?

The first step towards becoming a surgeon is to earn a bachelor’s degree which is a pre-medical program. You are given the choice to choose a major and the common ones are human physiology, health sciences, chemistry and human biology. These courses prepare you for the other complex program you pursue in the future. Generally, students spend several years becoming a surgeon and completing the requirements. Hence, to continue further, you require strong basics offered by the undergraduate degree. The majors are further explained below ,

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Human Physiology

A Bachelor’s degree in Human Physiology program offers wide in-depth knowledge on concepts of the human body, its functions, structure at micro and macro level also in ideal and diseased state. With periodic law assessment and formal education, students grasp the knowledge on thermoregulation, environmental stresses, and measuring physical activity on body conditions. 

The curriculum also involves other general courses such as biology, statistics, physics, chemistry, mathematics. The course concentrations also includes,

• Rehabilitation science

• Neuroanatomy

• Exercise physiology

• Biomechanics

• Immunology

• Genetics and Aging

Some colleges also offer internship programs to students to experience the clinical setting and address the real world problems at clinics, hospitals, research institutions and others.

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Human Biology

A bachelor’s degree in human biology focuses on the basic learning for students who aim at becoming surgeons, physicians, doctors or other medical staff. The core courses learnt under this program are life science, anatomy, physiology, molecular biology and ecology.

Also students attend practical lab sessions that induce conversion of theoretical concepts to practical learning. The program includes course concentrations such as,

• Biochemistry

• Anatomy

• Neuroscience

• Genetics

• Bioanthropology

• Environmental biology

Students may attend additional courses such as statistics and research methods to prepare for future studies.

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Health Sciences

A bachelor’s degree with Health Sciences as major provides a wide understanding on the effects of mental and social factors on the overall health, maintaining healthy lifestyle . This multidisciplinary program also includes other courses such as biology, physiology, organic chemistry, nutrition, mathematics, psychology, ethics, and health care policy. Also the program involves concentrations such as, 

• Microbiology

• Organic chemistry

• Community health

• Psychology

• Anatomy and physiology

Some colleges also offer internship opportunities at hospitals, healthcare institutions, clinics  which is valuable for getting into a medical school.

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Chemistry

Chemistry is another major chosen to pursue a bachelor’s degree. This major is so effective that what you learn in a bachelor’s degree will surpass the two years of chemistry course at a medical school. The courses offered to students majoring chemistry are,

• Organic chemistry 

• Inorganic chemistry 

• Biochemistry

The courses also include physics, biology, calculus, statistics, and computer science to prepare for the further programs. This major is apt for the ones aiming to become surgeons or physicians.

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Conclusion

Choose the right majors according to your interest and career goals as you are required to maintain a high GPA to get admission for a medical school. The major doesn’t play a significant role in taking up the MCAT exam or getting an admission for the medical program. 

Choosing a program offered by an accredited college will enhance your credibility. An added advantage is, you also get opportunities to intern at organizations and exposure to the healthcare industry.