A urologist is a physician who specializes in the reproductive system for males and the urinary tracts of both sexes.  When I was a resident (not too long ago), I had a kidney stone during my emergency medicine rotation.  It was terrible.  But a urologist quickly put a stent in my ureter and later on, blasted the stone.  That was done at the hospital.  The removal of the stent was done at the urologist’s office.

Urology is a medical and surgical specialty so there is usually both outpatient and inpatient responsibility.  Because of this, the salary is very good.

Salary.com

Just how much do urologists make?

The median expected salary is $295,206 with the majority making between $261,434 and $355,392.  That’s based on Salary.com’s reports.  Medscape has roughly the same median salary figure but their report shows that over 50% of urologists make over $300,000.  14% of these physicians make more than $500,000!

If you’re just starting out of residency, you might make $261,000 but quickly rise to $358,000 with a few years of experience.  The maximum reported salary is $619,000.

To become a urologist, you need to do 5 years of residency training.  The first year is usually a preliminary year in general surgery followed by four years of training specifically in urology.

If you want to subspecialize, there are a few fellowships you can do :

• pediatric urology
• urologic oncology
• female pelvic & reconstructive surgery

There are currently 122 urology residency programs offering roughly 200 spots, so it’s pretty competitive.

Urinary tracts, prostates, penises, and testicles.  Those are the domains of a urologist.  I’ve referred many of my patients to these physicians for suspected prostate cancer, kidney stones, and vasectomies.  Their specialty is both medically and surgically oriented.  Some procedures can be done in the office like vasectomies, prostate biopsies, and bladder cystoscopies but stent placements, laser stone blasting, and the like will require an operating room.

Because of it’s procedural and surgically oriented nature, urology is one of the 5 highest paid specialties.  If you enjoy hands-on kind of medicine, urinary and reproductive systems, you should consider this field to see if it suits you.

Sources
ACGME
Medscape Compensation Survey
Salary.com, Urology Physician Salary
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey

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Surgery is about using manual and instrumental techniques in the operating room to diagnose and treat medical disorders.  It’s extremely hands on with long hours.  You could be in the operating room, standing, sweating, your brain contiously engaged without room for a 3 second break, requiring the utmost in dexterity and precision with your hands for hours upon hours.

Surgeons love it.

salary.com

Just how much do surgeons make?

The median salary for all surgeons is $304,150 with the majority making between $266,532 to $361,745. If you are just starting out of residency, you might see figures more in the $226,000s.  But a few years of experience will quickly bring you to the median.  Medscape reports the majority of their surgeons had an income between $200,000 to over $500,000!

To become a surgeon, you need to do 5 years of a Surgery Residency.  There are currently 247 residency programs offering over 1,100 spots!  With that many spots though, it’s still pretty competitive.  Last year, only 50% of applicants matched.

If you want to subspecialize (and earn a higher income), there are many fellowships you can choose from:

• abdominal organ transplant surgery
• mechanical circulatory support and cardiac transplantation
• cardiovascular surgery
• colon & rectal surgery
• endocrine surgery
• general thoracic surgery
• hepato-pancreatico-biliary
• minimally invasive surgical
• multidisciplinary breast surgery
• peripheral nerve surgery
• surgical critical care
• transplantation surgery
• urogynecology & pelvic reconstructive surgery
• vascular surgery
• pediatric surgery

Surgeons are masters at operating on your insides.  Think about it, these doctors are cutting people open, moving things about, slicing and dicing, and then sealing them up thousands of times a year.  It’s truly amazing.

But it’s also very time consuming and grueling.  I’ve met surgeons who sometimes can’t make it home till late at night.  It depends on the case or the backup of cases behind you.  It’s not like you can say, “Sorry, my shift’s over, time to go!” when you’ve been walking the bowels in search for a perforation.  So think about it, do an audition rotation, and if you love it, go for it.

Sources
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey
Medscape Compensation Survey
Salary.com – Surgeon Salary
NRMP Match Statistics
ACGME

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You might associate a plastic surgeon with TV shows like Nip/Tuck where doctors get to operate on gorgeous girls just to make them even more beautiful.

In fact, a plastic surgeon has a very broad scope of practice.  In addition to elective cosmetic procedures, they also operate for clinically damaging disorders.  Think of paraplegics or elderly people who don’t move around much.  These patients can develop ulcers on their buttocks from the constant pressure of staying in one place.  Ulcers can lead to infection and pain.  Plastic Surgeons can fix this by putting a flap of skin over the ulcer to protect the patient from these complications.

salary.com

Just how much do plastic surgeons make?

The median expected salary for plastic surgeons is $322,551 which the majority of physicians making between $280,780 and $388,800.

For those just coming out of a plastic surgery fellowship, a salary of $237,000 might be the offer.  However, after a couple years of experience, you’ll be in the majority.  There are even some plastic surgeons who are making more than $500,000 dollars.  Medscape reports this to be about 16% of plastic surgeons.

The maximum reported salary is $820,000 !

This is interesting.  There are a few ways to become a plastic surgeon.  The minimum is 6 years of training while the max is 8.  Some plastic surgery programs require only 3 years of a surgical residency while others require the full 5 years.

In addition, some programs will consider you if you did a residency in orthopedics, urology, or even ENT!

Currently, there are 71 plastic surgery residency programs.  Last year, only 31 programs participated in the match offering 70 positions.  This might mean the other programs were offering pre-matches.

Breast implants and tummy tucks are just one facet of plastic surgery.  As a plastic surgeon, you can help patients with disfigurements from trauma or birth defects.  Sometimes a person’s looks is more important to them than their health!  If you have excellent manual dexterity and a passion for helping people with their appearance, you should take a look at this field to see if it suits you.

Sources
Salary.com – Plastic Surgery Salary
Medscape Compensation Survey
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey
NRMP Match Statistics
ACGME

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Orthopedic surgeons, aka Orthopods, are physicians trained in surgical treatment of bone disorders.  Think broken hips, torn ACL’s from football, and arthritic knee replacements.
These physicians work in the clinic, the hospital, and the operating room.  Call is common but provides excellent experience and cases.  Orthopedic Surgery is the second highest earning specialty in medicine.

salary.com

Just how much do orthopedic surgeons make?  The median expected salary is $410,919!  And a whopping 20% make over $500,000 dollars.  The majority of orthopedic doctors make $312,000 to $575,000.

If you are just starting out of residency, you might make $256,000 dollars but this will quickly rise to the average in a couple years.  If you sub-specialize, you can earn even more.  For example, spine orthopedic surgeons are making $670,000 with a maximum of $1.3 million dollars!

To become board certified as an orthopedic surgeon, you need to do 5 years of post-graduate training after medical school.  That’s 1 year of preliminary medicine and 4 years of pure orthopedics.  Some programs offer all 5 years of training at their institution while others may not.  Therefore, check the programs to see what are the requirements.

Orthopedic Surgery is very tough to get into.  With that kind of salary, can you see why?  Currently, there are 153 orthopedic surgery residency programs offering over 650 spots.

Fellowships are mostly one year long but a couple can be two years.  There are many interesting niches you can subspecialize in.  Here are a few:

• Adult Reconstructive Surgery – Lower or Upper Extremities, also a General fellowship available
• Hand Surgery
• Musculoskeletal Oncology
• Orthopedic Sports Medicine
• Spine Surgery
• Orthopedic Trauma
• Pediatric Orthopedics

Orthopedic Surgery is one of the fun fields to go into.  You use these large mechanical, jointed contraptions in the operating room with very calculated angle measurements, sometimes even a hammer and chisel.

I will never forget using a thin Gigli wire to amputate a leg above the knee similar to how big burly lumberjacks saw through a tree.  If you like using your hands in fixer-upper projects, you might find this field will suit you.  The salary sure will!

Sources
Medscape Compensation Survey
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey
Salary.com, Orthopedic Surgery Physician Salary
NRMP Match Statistics
ACGME

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An ophthalmologist is a physician trained in treating all disorders of the eye. Do you wear glasses? Did you wish you didn’t? Specialists in ophthalmology can fix that for you. Yes, with that Lasik procedure.

But that’s a small subset of society with willing pcokets. The main sources of patients for ophthalmologists are the X million baby boomers with cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Ophthalmic physicians can be in both the office and the operating room without much, if any, hospital call. But if you do want to be in the hospital, there are such things as ophthalmic emergencies.

salary.com

Just how much do ophthalmology physicians make? A lot!

The median expected salary is nearly $250,000. That’s higher than 10 other specialties in the medical field.

Surprisingly, starting salaries out of residency is only $138,000 but that shoots up to $314,000 after a few years of experience. The highest reported salaries are over $500,000!

If you sub-specialize within the ophthalmology field, you can earn much more. Retina specialists earn $280,000 out of residency, $469,000 after a few years of experience, and a max of $716,000!

To become an ophthalmologist, physicians need to do 4 years of residency. The first year is a preliminary year that exposes a resident physician to all aspects of adult medicine. Then, they do 3 years of training in the field of ophthalmology. There are currently 117 ophthalmology residency programs offering over 300 residency spots.

Ophthalmologists have several fellowships they can do to sub-specialize. The surgical fellowships are mostly 2 years long while the other ones are only 1 year long. The opportunities include :

• Oculoplastic & Orbital Surgery
• Retinal and Vitreous Surgery
• Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus
• Glaucoma
• Cornea
• Neuro-ophthalmology
• Ocular Pathology
• Uveitis

Ophthalmologists are specialists of the eye with medical and surgical treatment capabilities. The training is fair and yields a very good income and their panel of patients is never ending. After all, our eyesight is one of the most valued senses in daily life. If you want to help patients with that, this might be a good field for you.

Sources
Salary.com, Physician – Ophthalmology Physician Salary
Medscape Compensation Survey
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey
ACGME

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Obgyn’s, as we call them, are physicians trained in managing patients throughout their entire pregnancy process.  From fertilization or lack thereof to the delivery of a newborn child and every wonderful (sometimes heartbreaking) event in between.  In addition, these physicians diagnose and treat disorders of the female genitalia and organs.

It’s a tough job.  You see, majority of patients love their baby doctor and have created a bond with them over the last 9+ months of seeing them.  You deliver their bundle of joy.

And that’s great, that’s really great.

But the important thing is it means you’re essentially on call 24/7, 7 days a week.  That’s a lot of work and why I say it’s a tough job.  With that kind of work load in mind, the salary doesn’t seem to fit.

medscape.com

Just how much do OB/GYN physicians make?

34% of these physicians make between $200,000 and $300,000.  Some make more, even as high as $500,000.  If you are just starting out of residency, you might make in the low $200 thousands.

There are some obstetric gynecology physicians that make less than these numbers, about 27% or so.  It’s unclear whether this is because they are part-time or if their overhead & malpractice is too high.

To become an obstetric and gynecology physician, residents must undergo 4 years of specialty training.    They do not have to do a preliminary or transitional year.  It’s just 4 years of straight ob/gyn.  Currently, there are 242 ob/gyn residency programs offering more than 1,200 positions!

Ob/gyn doctors can also sub-specialize by doing a fellowship.  However, this will set you back another 3 years for a total of 7 years of post-graduate training!  Below is a list of fellowships you can do after an ob/gyn residency:

• Female Pelvic Medicine / Reconstructive Surgery
• Gynecologic Oncology
• Gynecologic Oncology / Minimally Invasive Surgery
• Maternal Fetal Medicine
• Reproductive Endocrinology & Infertility

Obstetrics and gynecology is a surgical specialty.  Expect to be in the clinic, delivery room, and operating room, a lot.  Delivering babies vaginally and by c-section can be extremely rewarding but don’t forget the work load.  But you might find that the rewards far outweigh the negatives.  Then, go for it.

Sources
Medscape Compensation Survey
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey
NRMP Matching Statistics
ACGME

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Brain surgery.  It doesn’t get any simpler than that to explain what a neurosurgeon does.  Neurosurgeons are physicians who are specialists in surgical disorders of the brain and spinal cord.  Simple to say but in truth, neurosurgery is an extremely complex, awesome field.

I mean, this is your brain we are talking about.  Without it, our livelihood and personality are gone.  A physician of this magnitude is very important and highly respected.  And because it’s a surgical field dealing with high risk surgical procedures, physician compensation is very high.

Just how much do neurosurgeons make?  Neurosurgery is the 2nd highest paying medical specialty after orthopedic spine surgery.  It’s no surprise why when you consider what they operate on!

The median expected salary for neurological surgery is $592,811 whereas the average salary is $767,627!!

Straight out of residency, a neurosurgeon can make $354,000.  This number quickly rises to the median expected salary after at least 2-3 years.  The maximum reported salary for neurosurgery is $936,000.

Neurosurgery is one of the longest residency programs in the medical field.  It takes 7 years of training in order to be board eligible in neurosurgery.  Thankfully, this is one of the fields where you do not have to do a surgery residency first before specializing.  It’s just 7 years straight of neurosurgery.

Neurosurgeons can further subspecialize after their residency by doing fellowships.  These fellowships usually last 1-2 years (mostly just one year).  Below is a sample list of fellowships you can pursue:

• Peripheral Nerve Surgery
• Spine Surgery
• Neurovascular Surgery
• Brain Tumors
• Neurocritical Care
• Stereotactic Radiosurgery

The competition is pretty tough as there are only 101 residency programs that offer about 200 spots.  US medical students took 90% of these spots last year.

During one of my many residency adventures, I remember distinctly one patient who was so grateful for this specialty.  He used to walk everywhere but something was wrong and progressively he was unable to walk or stand, unable to move his legs or control his bowels.  A neurosurgeon found a neurofibroma that was impinging on his spinal cord and caused his bilateral leg weakness and near paralysis.  The neurosurgeon removed it within the hour and the patient ended up fully recovering.  His first steps were priceless.  That was amazing.

Neurosurgery is a high risk, high pay field.  Majority of the practice is in the operating room and call duty is expected.  However, the long training is worth it when you think of the magnitude in which you  impact a patient’s life.

Sources
Cejka Search, Physician Compensation Survey
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey
Beckers Hospital Review, 16 Statistics on Surgeon Compensation by Specialty
NRMP 2011 Match Statistics
ACGME

Image Credit
Jamin, Watching Brain Surgery

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An otolaryngologist is a doctor who specializes with conditions of the Ear, Nose, & Throat.  If a child has recurrent ear infections, they might be seeing an ENT doctor to surgically place a tube through their ear drum.  Have you ever had your tonsils removed?  These are the surgeons who do that.

In this field, ENT doctors divide their practicing time in the operating room and in the clinic.  Some physicians take call in the hospital for ENT emergencies, others only take call for the patients in their group practice.

As with any specialty, the salary for these physicians is pretty high.

salary.com

Just how much do ENT doctors make?

The median salary is $307,859.  That is pretty great.  Remember, this is just the median.  There are many ENT physicians that make less than this and many that make more than this.

In fact, the salary range for reporting ENT positions is $224,063 to $400,336.  The highest reporting salary is $516,000.

To become an ENT doctor, you need to complete 5 years of residency training after medical school.  The first year focuses on breaking you into the surgical residency experience and allows you to do rotations in various fields.  Afterwards, you will have four years of specific training in otolaryngology.

Currently, there are only 104 residency programs offering 280 spots for medical graduates.  This makes the competition pretty stiff.  Indeed, last year, 98.9% of spots filled before the scramble.  Most of which were American trained medical students.  Only 2 foreign medical graduates got an ENT residency last year.

ENT doctors are surgical specialists of the ear, nose, and throat.  Many of their treatments require surgery in the operating room but some are easily managed in the office.  The field sees patients of all ages ranging from babies to children to adults and the elderly.

The salary potential for this field is in the 200k-400k.  If you are good with your hands, enjoy being in the operating room, and managing disorders related to some of the smallest spaces in our body, consider this field to see if it suits you.

Sources
Salary.com, Physician – Otolaryngology  Salary
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey
NMRP – Match Statistics
ACGME

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Anesthesiologists are physicians of peri-operative medicine.  When people talk of “going under” for surgery, they are referring to an anesthesiologists job.

These physicians administer drugs that deprive you of feeling and awareness so that surgery can be performed.  Therefore, anesthesiologists are with you before surgery to assure that you will tolerate the medications, during surgery to maintain your state of anesthesia, and afterwards to bring you back to awareness.

salary.com

Just how much do anesthesiologists make?  A LOT.

The national average starting salary for an anesthesiologist is $207,000.  After a few years of experience, you can make over $300k.  In fact, the median average salary is $370,500.

Majority of anesthesiology physicians reported making $286,509 and $379,458 annually.  However, the maximum reporting salary is $448,000.  If you sub-specialize after a fellowship, you can earn even more.

Anesthesiologists require 4 years of residency.  The first year is often a preliminary or transitional year affording the resident physician a broad education in clinical knowledge.  Afterwards, the residency is 3 years of specializing in anesthesia medicine.

After 4 years of training, you have the option to further sub-specialize in fields such as acupuncture, critical care, pain management, neurosurgical, obstetrical, or pediatric anesthesiology.  These fellowships are typically 1 or 2 years long.

The field is quite competitive to get into and currently there are only 131 residency programs in anesthesiology.  For more information about anesthesiology and an insiders perspective, read Operating Room Confidential: What Really Goes On When You Go Under.

Anesthesiologists are masters of awareness and sensation.  Their expertise is in medications that effectively place you in a state of unconsciousness and no pain.  It’s a highly important position vital to the success of all surgical procedures.  Is it any wonder their salaries are so high?  If you enjoy procedural medicine such as intubating patients, being in the operating room but not necessarily doing the operating, and helping patients with pain, consider anesthesiology as a profession.

Sources
Salary.com, Physician – Anesthesiology Physician Salary
Allied Physicians – Physician Salary Survey
ACGME

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