Becoming a cardiac surgeon is certainly a noble task, but the road is long and the trials arduous. Not everyone who begins the training will complete it, but as these are the people who responsible for, quite literally, repairing broken hearts, one would expect nothing less.
Training as a Cardiac Surgeon
Training is generally considered to be ongoing, but becoming a full fledged cardiac surgeon with consulting capabilities can easily take over 15 years to accomplish.
The first step in becoming a cardiac surgeon is to train as a doctor. Before specialised training can even begin, a basic medical degree must be obtained including the principles of medicine and surgery.
Depending on the university attended, the title of the degree could be different, such as BM for Bachelor of Medicine or BS for Bachelor of Surgery, but the knowledge is basically the same. This step alone can typically take up to five years to complete.
Several years follow of further specialised training during which the aspiring surgeon must gain a specific surgical qualification. Examples include MRCS, Membership of The Royal College of Surgeons, which was previously titled FRCS, Fellowship of The Royal College of Surgeons. This process generally takes an additional four years.
Education is also required
A Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training is also required if the surgeon wishes to practise as a consultant. Some surgeons choose to specialise further in fields including ophthalmology and orthopaedics. These individuals can expect an additional six years of training to obtain their qualifications.
The letters following a surgeon’s name generally indicate the school that granted the qualification, and though some surgeons may have multiple qualifications, many choose to display only their highest instead of listing all of their lesser degrees.
Register and be approved
All surgeons who were trained overseas often display different letters following their name which indicate the institutions that granted their qualifications, though before practising in the UK they must be registered with the General Medical Council, an also prove they are capable and experienced enough to handle the work.